Find the top rated trails in Oakton, 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 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...
Central Maryland's WB&A Trail occupies the former Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railway corridor—hence its name—for its entire route. The railroad operated electric commuter trains...
The Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
_158666_sc.jpg)
The Long Branch Trail is a neighborhood trail tracing the Long Branch Creek beginning at its confluence with Sligo Creek in Takoma Park, to Piney Branch Road in Long Branch. The trail is an easy ride:...
A winding line of asphalt meanders between Glenn Dale Park in Lanham to Annapolis Road. The trail is sheltered amongst the riparian woodland of Folly Branch. At the north end of the trail can be...
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,...
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...
The Northwest Branch Trail—an integral part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System—runs between the Maryland towns of Hyattsville and Silver Spring, linking two bustling suburbs of Washington, D.C....
The Rappahannock Canal Walk follows the old towpath along the disused canal just northwest of downtown Fredericksburg. The path follows a winding course past old suburban back yards and through a...
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...
This short sidepath parallels Herndon Parkway on the eastern edge of Herndon in Northern Virginia. Much of the trail is the width of a standard sidewalk, and it includes crosswalks and curb-cuts at...
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 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...
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 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 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 Anacostia River Trail begins in Cottage City, Maryland, at the split of the Anacostia River into its northeast and northwest branches. Those traveling south on either the Northeast Branch Trail or...
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...
The Sudley Manor Drive Trail runs parallel to the southern 4.5 miles of its namesake road in western Prince William County. The trail services a number of the surrounding communities, such as Bristow...
Southern Maryland's Three Notch Trail is a work-in-progress under the guidance of St. Mary's County and other stakeholders. When complete, the recreational trail will extend 28 miles along an...
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...
Tucked in the meandering, wooded hills of the sprawling yet understated multimillion-dollar estates of Great Falls, just outside Washington, D.C., is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic...
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 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 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 Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
The Northwest Branch Trail—an integral part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System—runs between the Maryland towns of Hyattsville and Silver Spring, linking two bustling suburbs of Washington, D.C....
The WV Route 9 Bike Path follows the busy thoroughfare from Martinsburg to the Charles Town/Ranson area. Note that the path runs through open space with little to no shade. While the southern portion...
_117968_sc.jpg)
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...
The Sudley Manor Drive Trail runs parallel to the southern 4.5 miles of its namesake road in western Prince William County. The trail services a number of the surrounding communities, such as Bristow...
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 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 Long Branch Trail is a neighborhood trail tracing the Long Branch Creek beginning at its confluence with Sligo Creek in Takoma Park, to Piney Branch Road in Long Branch. The trail is an easy ride:...
This short sidepath parallels Herndon Parkway on the eastern edge of Herndon in Northern Virginia. Much of the trail is the width of a standard sidewalk, and it includes crosswalks and curb-cuts at...
Maryland's Intercounty Connector Trail serves as an important commuting route across Montgomery County and Prince George's County. It gets its name from the Intercounty Connector (also known as State...
Detour notice: As of Sept. 5, 2017, a 3.5-mile section between Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda and Talbot Avenue in Silver Spring at the northeastern tip of the Capital Crescent Trail (also known as the...
The Custis Trail is a popular urban route that links Virginia's D.C. suburbs with the District itself, connecting to both the W&OD Railroad Regional Park Trail at the latter's 4-mile marker and the...
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 Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) is currently a private-use trail only, which means a permit is required to use it. Friends of the DRHT are working to create public access to the trail,...
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...
Running parallel to Beulah Street from Franconia to Fort Belvoir in southeast Fairfax County, the paved Beulah Street Sidepath provides a link to numerous neighborhoods along its route. A parallel...
Cameron Station Linear Park is the quintessential neighborhood trail. Located in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington, D.C., it offers a pleasant paved pathway frequented by joggers, dog walkers,...
A winding line of asphalt meanders between Glenn Dale Park in Lanham to Annapolis Road. The trail is sheltered amongst the riparian woodland of Folly Branch. At the north end of the trail can be...
Although less than two miles long, the Meadowlark Connector Trail provides a terrific link between the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the popular W&OD Trail. The trail meets the W&OD in Vienna;...
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...
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 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 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 West Campus Access Road Trail, the newest rail-trail in Washington, D.C., travels through the sprawling former campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital, now set to become the new home of the Department...
The Custis Trail is a popular urban route that links Virginia's D.C. suburbs with the District itself, connecting to both the W&OD Railroad Regional Park Trail at the latter's 4-mile marker and the...
_133481_sc.jpg)
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 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 John Overstreet Connector is a 1.5-mile trail segment that links the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and BWI Trail. The shortbut vitaltrail is named after Overstreet, a retiree from Glen Burnie,...
_125092_sc.jpg)
Maryland's Indian Creek Trail is one of the shorter components of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, but it serves as a vital link between the town of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, and scenic Lake...
The Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
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 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....
_140967_sc.jpg)
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...
The first thing you may notice about the Trolly Line #9 Trail is the boardwalk that curves between the bluffs of massive rock. The granite was hand cut in the 1890s when the electric streetcar rails...
Southern Maryland's Three Notch Trail is a work-in-progress under the guidance of St. Mary's County and other stakeholders. When complete, the recreational trail will extend 28 miles along an...
Last week I rode from Leesburg to Falls Church on the WO&D -- it's a great trail with long flat segments and rolling hills, going through woods and fields all the way to Tysons and Vienna. Be aware that some of the intersections are dangerous, and toward the western, more rural end, many cars don't even bother stopping. But the trail is well-maintained with many opportunities for stopping (but very few of them with bathrooms, unfortunately).
I rode this from the entrance off K Street (under the Whitehurst Bridge) up to Bethesda, where work on the Purple Line interrupts it. It's a charming trail, well-maintained though somewhat narrow and overgrown-feeling in places. It winds along the river, has some bridges and tunnels, and offers some great views of the C&O towpath. The only negatives: the trafficking entrance to the trail, and the dank-smelling river at the beginning.
Very nice paved trails. Would give 5-stars except for some busy road crossings. Pretty scenery, through wetlands, park and some upscale residential. Nice couple hour round tripper, excellent for beginners.
Towpath is nearly impassable from lack of basic maintenance over the past 20 years. Mud in places is over 8" deep. The tunnel has trees growing out of its face and the boardwalk has holes rotted through in many places. Such a shame that America can't maintain a simple bike path.
Well maintained Matthew Henson Trail winds through the woods with a LOT of wooden bridges, some of which are very long. The trail crosses some pretty significant intersections - use CAUTION when crossing. Trail has smooth, well maintained surface and is good width for cycling. The many bridges, intersections, and winding nature of the path make it slow going. Shaded by trees and runs alongside a creek so nice ride overall.
Enjoyable ride, some level areas and a few gentle rollers. Beginners may find it slightly challenging due to the hills but for the experienced rider it’s a cake walk. NOTE: there is no shade to speak of, take a camel pak and hydrate because it’s hot as hades and there is no escape from the sun.
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.
Real construction (paving) is happening on the Phase 1 segment from (almost) MD-3 to (almost) I-97. It looks like this section will be fairly nice, though short. The road connection west to Odenton and the WB&A Trail via MD-175 has a decent shoulder. The connection southeast to Annapolis also has a shoulder, but more traffic. From Bestgate Road to downtown Annapolis the route is tricky. The fully completed trail, whenever that happens, should be great. (Expectation of *** for Phase 1).
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!
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_117968_st.jpg)
_125092_st.jpg)
_158666_st.jpg)
_66941_st.jpg)
_140967_st.jpg)
_133481_st.jpg)
_158996_st.jpg)
