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I rode this trail from Oxon Hill Maryland through the Mt. Vernon Trail into Georgetown and it is a beautiful ride this morning. I road 30 miles that included this trail which is so so beautiful. Next week I am planning to ride all the way to Bethesda Maryland. I stopped at the sign that said welcome to Montgomery County and was told if I went 4 more miles I would have been in Bethesda.
Rode the entire length a couple of times. Last time in June 2019. The first 10 miles out of Cumberland are terrible. If it has rained recently you will get muddy. When we went through it looked like they hadn't even mowed sections of it in a year. After that the trail had some rough patches but was ride-able. I would definitely not ride a rode bike on this trail, especially not with road tires. You need a bike with some suspension and some grip through this area. The Paw Paw tunnel was open when we went through, very interesting. Very rough and narrow inside the tunnel.
Don't know what you do if you meet a bicyclist coming the opposite direction inside the tunnel. Between Harper's Ferry and Brunswick they have resurfaced the trail and it was great. They need to put a ramp on the bridge to Harper's Ferry. We skip it as we don't want to leave our bikes behind and we aren't carrying fully loaded bikes up the spiral staircase. Fort Fredrick is an interesting side trip. The only reason the trail gets as a high a rating as I gave it is that there are free campsites all along the trail and historical markers. A lot of the campsites are by the Potomac river. They are very rustic just a picnic table, fire ring and Porta John. Sometimes there is a working water pump, sometime there isn't. I would suggest carrying a water filter, the water from the pumps is usually orange with iodine. They are usually quiet except for the occasional train. Along this trail you really can't get away from the occasional train. Also, bring bug spray in the summer if you are camping. You really don't need sunscreen, very seldom are you out from under the trees. There are huge trees all along the path.
Rode from Williamsport MD upriver to Ft Frederick in 2018. Same potholes and other trail safety issues (only worse) that we saw on our first ride in 2014. Shame there is no biking group in the area to take over and maintain what could be a fantastic ride.
I won't ride this part of the trail again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today I decided to try the trails I haven't ride in DC. Anacostia, Sligo, Takoma and Metropolitan Branch. The first three were a nice surprise. The last one, the MBT, was a disappointment. The first 3-4 miles until 8th street are a real trail. Then it becomes a loose segments on road with very poor signs and not well planned. I appreciate all the effort these guys have made but calling it a Trail is really misleading.
A lot of people think this trail ends at Bladensburg. In fact you can continue on beautiful bike paths all the way to Wheaton or almost to Greenbelt.
Technically, the "Riverwalk" trail ends at Bladensburg, but then the "River" trails take over. https://www.traillink.com/trail/anacostia-tributary-trail-system/
Lots of water views, not too many hills... lots little bridges. parked at Anacostia River Park, rode to Bladensburg Md.
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