Find the top rated trails in North Springfield, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The separated multi-use Rosewick Road Sidepath provides a direct link for both recreation and transportation between the southern Maryland communities of St. Charles and La Plata. The path runs...
The Warrenton Branch Greenway follows a segment of the former Warrenton Branch Spur railroad, running between downtown Warrenton (at S. 4th Street) and Meetze Road. The Warrenton Branch was...
The Bethesda Trolley Trail—also known as the North Bethesda Trail—is a 4-mile path linking Bethesda and North Bethesda, primarily by bridging two major highways. The trail occupies the abandoned...
The Burke Lake Loop Trail offers a nearly 5-mile route for a pleasant walk or bike, while enjoying the beautiful scenery around Burke Lake in Fairfax. Since the Burke Lake Loop Trail is within Burke...
The Kent Island South Trail is one of two popular recreational trails (along with the Cross Island Trail) on Maryland's Kent Island, the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. The trail runs parallel...
Black Hill Trail offers a wooded trek with gentle inclines through Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. The trail is primarily paved, though a short section in...
The Bluemont Junction Trail is a short paved trail that branches off from the popular Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) in the heart of Arlington. The trail was built on a spur line that once...
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
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Prince George's County's Paint Branch Trail (not to be confused with Montgomery County's Paint Branch Trail farther north) runs for 3.5 miles between Lake Artemesia and Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park...
Baltimore’s Stony Run Trail follows an old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad line through nearly 3 miles of wooded stream valleys and small parks, providing a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle...
The Klingle Valley Trail spans just shy of a mile in a leafy, residential area of northwest Washington, DC. The trail opened in June 2017 and is accessible to the neighborhoods of Cleveland Park,...
The MacArthur Boulevard Bike Path follows the winding road through the communities of Bethesda and Potomac, just north of Washington, DC. Along the way, the path passes shops in Cabin John and Glen...
Burke VRE Trail lies within Pohick Stream Valley Park and provides an important commuting and recreational corridor, connecting a shopping center, residential neighborhoods, and a Virginia Railway...
The Linton Hall Road Trail runs parallel to its namesake—also signed as State Route 619—in western Prince William County. More utilitarian than scenic, the trail acts as a transportation route for...
The West Ox Road Sidepath is a short paved trail along the west side of West Ox Road. The trail extends from the Oak Hill area of Fairfax County to southeastern Chantilly (near Fair Oaks Mall in...
The 3-mile separated multi-use path along Middletown Road allows for safe recreation and transportation along the western side of Waldorf, Maryland. The trail begins just south of State Route 228 and...
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Maryland is home to two Paint Branch Trails, this one in Montgomery County and another farther south in Prince George's County. This Paint Branch Trail offers a well-shaded, paved pathway...
In Northern Virginia's suburban community of Springfield, Lake Accotink Park provides a wilderness escape amid the city surroundings. The 500-acre park features picnic areas, miniature golf, an...
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The Cross County Trail is a multi-use trail that generally follows the various stream valleys in Fairfax County, Virginia. Some sections are wheelchair/mobility scooter accessible but not all...
Between 1900 and 1935, the Chesapeake Beach Railway whisked vacationers from Washington, DC, to the grand hotels, beaches and boardwalk of the resort town of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Now tourists...
The Cross County Trail is a multi-use trail that generally follows the various stream valleys in Fairfax County, Virginia. Some sections are wheelchair/mobility scooter accessible but not all...
This rail-with-trail bridge crosses the Potomac River near its confluence with the Shenandoah River, at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A cantilevered section of the bridge allows pedestrian access...
Maryland is home to two Paint Branch Trails, this one in Montgomery County and another farther south in Prince George's County. This Paint Branch Trail offers a well-shaded, paved pathway...
The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is an important component of the transportation network in the nation's capital and a priority project under President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative. The...
The Matthew Henson Trail runs along a paved surface (rough in places from tree roots) through a narrow band of forested green space between the Rock Creek Trail just south of Veirs Road and Alderton...
The 3-mile separated multi-use path along Middletown Road allows for safe recreation and transportation along the western side of Waldorf, Maryland. The trail begins just south of State Route 228 and...
The Anacostia Tributary Trail System includes a number of trails linked together and managed by the National Park Service. The trail include: the Anacostia River Trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, the...
The Ox Road Sidepath is a paved trail that runs parallel to Ox Road/State Route 123 in Fairfax County. The trail runs from George Mason University's main Fairfax campus to just south of the former...
Rocky Run Stream Valley Trail is part of the countywide trail system. This trail runs from the Fairfax County Parkway to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. The distance along the trail from the Parkway to the...
The MacArthur Boulevard Bike Path follows the winding road through the communities of Bethesda and Potomac, just north of Washington, DC. Along the way, the path passes shops in Cabin John and Glen...
When complete, the Jones Falls Trail will extend 10 miles between Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Mount Washington Light Rail Station. Currently, a paved, off-road section runs from Cylburn...
The Fairfax County Parkway Trail parallels Fairfax County Parkway/State Route 286 on its route across Fairfax County, Virginia. While the paved trail varies in width and condition, most of the trail...
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (a.k.a. C&O Canal Towpath) follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland....
The Henson Creek Trail is located in the southwestern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, and connects the growing District of Columbia suburbs of Fort Washington and Oxon Hill with the...
The Holmes Run Trail offers a scenic pathway through the heart of a busy residential area in Alexandria and adjoining Fairfax County, both suburbs of Washington, D.C. The trail, which is divided into...
Located in the northwest section of Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park is the oldest and largest urban park in the national park system. Established in 1890, Rock Creek offers more than 1,700 acres of...
Situated midway between the nation’s capital and the Virginia capital of Richmond, the Virginia Central Railway Trail will one day offer more than 30 miles of trail from downtown Fredericksburg west...
The 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail is one of the Washington, D.C. Metro area's most popular trails. Just across the Potomac River from D.C. in Virginia, the trail links Theodore Roosevelt Island Park with...
The Carl Henn Millennium Trail is Rockville's bicycle beltway. The 10-mile trail creates a circle around the city, providing a safe and convenient way to get around town or enjoy a leisurely...
The Henson Creek Trail is located in the southwestern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, and connects the growing District of Columbia suburbs of Fort Washington and Oxon Hill with the...
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
The Blake Lane Sidepath runs for 3 miles, linking Oak Marr Park and Recreation Center with neighborhoods, Oakton High School and other parks. Most of the trail is concrete and the width of a standard...
Although it parallels Eisenhower Avenue, this paved pathway is not without its charms. On its west end, Alexandria's Eisenhower Avenue Trail begins in Hensley Park, which offers plentiful parking and...
Following the route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Metropolitan Branch rail line, the Met Branch Trail is a busy urban rail-with-trail that shares a corridor with Metro's Red Line, MARC commuter...
The Mount Airy Rail-Trail will one day span nearly 4 miles across the town of Mount Airy and through a scenic, wooded area. The first completed section of the trail covers a half mile and is surfaced...
The Stringfellow Road Sidepath runs for three miles through Chantilly and Centreville in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The asphalt and concrete trail connects multiple neighborhoods to various...
The developing South Shore Trail will one day stretch 14 miles between Annapolis and Odenton. It's also part of the larger East Coast Greenway, a widespread network connecting trails from Maine to...
The Gwynns Falls Trail is a 19-mile continuous corridor connecting dozens of west and southwest Baltimore neighborhoods with parks, historical and cultural landmarks and the urban business district....
The Lone Wolf Trail is a 1-mile trail in Anne Arundel County Maryland. The trail is connected to two already existing trails: The Strawberry Lake Way Bicycle Path, and the WB&A Trail. Although the...
The Windsor Hills Conservation Trail is a short hiking trail through the Windsor Hills neighborhood of Baltimore. Built partially on a former streetcar line that once connected the area with the...
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Rock Creek Trail forms a winding path, at times narrow, through the urban greenway of Rock Creek Regional Park. The trail extends between Needwood Lake northeast of Rockville, MD, and the Washington,...
The Catonsville Short Line Trail follows a segment of the former Catonsville Short Line Railroad, which ran from Charlestown to Catonsville. As of 2018, the trail runs between Shady Nook Avenue and...
The Warrenton Branch Greenway follows a segment of the former Warrenton Branch Spur railroad, running between downtown Warrenton (at S. 4th Street) and Meetze Road. The Warrenton Branch was...
The Braddock Road Sidepath parallels Braddock Road and New Braddock Road (State Route 620) between Centreville and Burke, two bedroom communities in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The trail...
The Anacostia Tributary Trail System includes a number of trails linked together and managed by the National Park Service. The trail include: the Anacostia River Trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, the...
Annapolis' Poplar Trail runs for nearly 1 mile on a section of the old Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis right-of-way in the heart of Maryland's capital city. Although short, the trail is a vital part...
The 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail is one of the Washington, D.C. Metro area's most popular trails. Just across the Potomac River from D.C. in Virginia, the trail links Theodore Roosevelt Island Park with...
The Marvin Gaye Trail offers a paved pathway through the Deanwood, Burville, Lincoln Heights, and Hillbrook neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Just shy of 2 miles, it runs from Minnesota Avenue NE, near...
The Klingle Valley Trail spans just shy of a mile in a leafy, residential area of northwest Washington, DC. The trail opened in June 2017 and is accessible to the neighborhoods of Cleveland Park,...
I must admit, I went up to the Virginia/DC area excited to ride the trails. I thought I was going North on the mt vernon trail. I asked the park workers how I got to the bridge, and they pointed me upwards. The bridge was the subject of the show modern marvels of engineering. I got a little bit of Vertigo looking down over the edge. It was much easier coming back on it the second time. Huge bridge. ..giant steel trusses, it just didnt take me to DC, where I thought I was going. I cycled to the national harbor and got two bottles of water from the CVS, and a fruit smoothie from a local deli.
My husband and I decided to check this trail out (without our kids) so we could come back more informed. We found plenty of parking at nearby Sawmill Creek Park where there is a connector trail to access. On a summer Sunday it was busy, but we were able to move at our pace and enjoy 9 miles of the 13 before turning back to the beginning. The trail is paved and while we encountered one rough section, there were signs indicating a re-paving effort underway. An easy ride, there was lots to see and the interesting bridges that took us over roadways and streams were fun. Lots of families using sections of the trail accessing them by small connecting trails to neighborhoods. The trail was nicely marked with cross street signs and information at popular access points. We found a great pit stop near Riggs AVe.; a shopping Center with a bike shop, pizza/sub place, creperie, frozen yogurt shop, coffee shop and steak sub place. Something for every hungry biker and lots of racks for bikes. Every shop welcomed riders to refill water. Our first 18 mile ride; certainly won't be our last here.
Rode about 7 miles of this trail with my son along the Anacostia River at sunset. The trail is wide and well maintained. Picked up the trail just south of Benning road and crossed the river at the Frederick Douglass bridge. It was a great ride and we are looking forward to coming back to ride the full length of the trail.
The Indian Head Trail was a joy... flat, and it went on for miles. I'm just getting back into biking and wanted a longer ride but not necessarily one with lots of challenging hills. The trail is pristine-- not a single crack in the asphalt. Lots of benches and even small covered picnic areas to stop and rest (again, a lifesaver for me ;)) There are portapotties available, including one along the trail. Plenty of parking at the trailhead. And uncrowded, even on a not-too-hot Sunday in July. A great trail!
Scenic trail, plenty of wildlife, perfect for walking or biking!
We caught a break from the heat wave and had beautiful weather. Started from Terrapin Nature Park and caught the Cross Island Trail and took it all the way over to Kent Narrows. Had lunch at the Jetty. The best part is that we were able to bring our puppy in the pet trailer and the Jetty was pet friendly with outdoor dining. Such an amazing day. Was a bit tougher on the return but only because we have not been out riding this season. The trail is relatively flat and mostly shaded. We spent some time on the beach back at Terrapin Nature Park to recover before heading over to Queenstown for the outlets and then returning home. Great day trip!
I recently rode the Custis Trail from Arlington to the Mt. Vernon trail. You can also connect to the 4 mile run and WO&D Trail and others. There are some steep hills on the trail so if you like this, the Custis trail has probably the most elevation change in the DC area. Plus, its ability to connect you to the other trails and sites. I stopped at the Roosevelt Island parking area to fill back up on water and take some pictures of the Potomac.
I recently biked from the marina to Mt. Vernon. The trail follows the Potomac River and is scenic. There are several parks and a wooden plank trail area that offers views of the marsh. Towards Mt. Vernon you get some slight hills to climb and descend and there are picnic tables, a water fountain and parking at Mt. Vernon.
the creek is absolutely beautiful. path is being renovated, but views override.
I’ve ridden the entire C&O Canal Trail three times and shorter sections several other times. It is a great trail for its natural beauty as well as historic significance, with one big caveat. You need to pay close attention to the weather and trail conditions because it can become an awful mess after heavy or extended rains and flooding. The first two times we rode the entire C&O (as well as the GAP), we had dry weather and the trail was very rideable except for occasional mud puddles. However, the third time in June 2018 followed several weeks of heavy rains and flooding, and the trail was impassable in many spots. We had to hire shuttles to carry us around two sections, and we were bogged down by thick mud and downed trees in some of the sections we rode. I will follow trail and weather reports more closely if I ride the C&O again.
I started at lock 6 and rode up to Great Falls Tavern. It was a great day. I saw a deer, a few herons, and the water was high on the Potomac. Trail was under construction in two places along the trail during my ride including at Great Falls. Still it is an enjoyable ride with lots of share on hot days.
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