I struck out to embrace the self-challenge of riding the Mt. Vernon Trail. With the expectations of being challenging, while beautiful, I was not disappointed. As I began to ride from Gravelly Point to Mt. Vernon, I encountered riders and walkers of various ages, so much of the trail is easy to moderate. With a few hills and declines, it offers a great environment to take in scenic views of the Potomac River and get the heart rate up. There are a few places along the route to stop and rest, get a drink of water or sit at a picnic table. As I ventured closer to Mt. Vernon, the ascensions became more steep, so I had to encourage myself to push through.

Super nice trail with lots of history in the nation’s capital. The trail connects the two original British colonial ports in the area - Georgetown and Alexandria - and then on up to GW’s estate. Glides along the Potomac with lots of twists and turns. Gravelly Point is good if you like airplane watching. One thing to be careful about is the series of bumps on the trail near the bridges caused by the roots from the trees next to the path.

We did about twelve miles of the western part. Really pretty. We will be back!

This is a well maintained trail, with smooth asphalt throughout. Good for late fall and winter months with great sun exposure. It lacks sufficient signage. The most confusing segment is crossing George Avenue going east to west. There is no directional signage indicating where to cross Georgia Avenue at Emory Lane. Once on the west side of GA Ave, nothing distinguishing the GA Ave trail from the ICC trail.

Great ride on a beautiful trail.

I rode the Paint Branch Trail starting at Cherry Hill Park, connected to the Northeast Branch Trail and then to the Anacostia Trail to arrive at Anacostia River Park and then returned.

From the end of the Northeast Branch Trail I proceeded south on the Anacostia River Trail to Anacostia River Park. As was the case for the Paint Branch and Northeast Branch Trails, the Anacostia River Trail was paved (mostly asphalt) all the way and relatively smooth. There are a couple of wooden bridges including a large one over the river that descends into Bladensburg Waterfront Park. There are restrooms and water there. The trail continues into DC and becomes more urban including a section (very comfortable) that runs through a residential area. There are a couple of hills and then a climb to a bridge over the railroad yard that descends into Anacostia River Park.

I rode the Paint Branch Trail starting at Cherry Hill Park, connected to the Northeast Branch Trail and then to the Anacostia Trail to arrive at Anacostia River Park and then returned.

The newly completed section of the Paint Brach climbs along Cherry Hill Road and crosses the Beltway. The return trip is uphill and the relatively narrow bike/walkway over the Beltway is precarious enough that I walked it in both directions.

As the trail heads south toward the University of Maryland campus it is a pleasant, mostly wooded, ride. Just past the campus the trail goes through a tight underpass followed by a short sidewalk ride along Baltimore Road before turning back into the woods. The section to the east of Baltimore Road is a little bumpy in spots, but is, for the most part, a pleasant ride through the woods. One more dip through an underpass under the commuter railroad brings you to Lake Artemesia. Due to Covid, the path around the lake was one way in a counterclockwise direction.

I rode the Paint Branch Trail starting at Cherry Hill Park, connected to the Northeast Branch Trail and then to the Anacostia Trail to arrive at Anacostia River Park and then returned.

After riding the Paint Branch Trail, I picked up the Northeast Branch Trail and headed south. The trail was asphalt all the way winding around the small airport and passing through a couple of parks before traveling along a levy to the starting point of the Anacostia River Trail. The trail was mostly smooth with a few mildly bumpy sections and one precarious dip through an underpass.

Just discovered this trail today. Beautiful scenery and wide open asphalt trail. I walked it for an hour and only saw 2 people, so there’s no heavy foot traffic. Parking at Oxon Hill Farm is plentiful. Beware near the start of the trail there is a pretty significant downhill grade, which was nice to walk. But the trail is not a loop, so you have to walk back up. If you’re out of shape like me or new to walking/running for fitness, it’s a bit of a beast to walk back up.