Hugging Arlington’s Potomac River waterfront, the Mount Vernon Trail links Gateway Park in Rosslyn with George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Northern Virginia. Just across the river from central Washington D.C., the trail weaves past park sites, yacht clubs, wetlands, the airport, neighborhoods, towns, and wooded acres, making this trail one of the D.C. metropolitan area’s most popular.
About the Route
The Mount Vernon Trail’s northern endpoint is at US-29 & Lynn St at the NW corner of Gateway Park in Rosslyn. Heading south, the trail crosses over the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which it parallels for almost all of the route. As the trail makes its way down the Potomac riverbank, views of the Kennedy Center and the Washington and Lincoln Memorials are readily available on the other side.
2 miles south of Rosslyn is Gravelly Point, an open recreational park space with stunning views of aircraft taking off and landing a short distance away at Reagan National Airport. South of Gravelly Point, the trail skirts the western edge of the airport. With bike racks and bike-share facilities, trail users can actually catch a flight from DCA on foot or by bike. South of the airport, the trail finds the riverbank again before passing through Daingerfield Island. An island in name only, this forested public space is home to a sailing marina.
Continuing south, the trail comes to Old Town Alexandria, the midpoint of the Mount Vernon Trail. The trail follows Union St. south through Old Town’s dense streets where several dining, shopping, and entertainment options can be found. The off-road trail resumes at Jones Point Park, where it crosses I-495. After crossing underneath, the path runs adjacent to the highway for 1,000 feet, until it turns to head south again, adjacent to S. Washington St.
Proceeding south, the trail quickly re-finds the riverbank, where forested stretches offer shade through Belle Haven Park and Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve. In Fort Hunt, the trail weaves through several miles of residential areas until it comes to Fort Hunt Park, offering expansive public spaces and historic war batteries once part of Mt. Vernon. Here, the trail curves westward along the riverbank, still following the George Washington Parkway. After crossing a small stone bridge, the trail begins a steep incline to enter the Mount Vernon estate. The Mount Vernon Trail comes to its southern endpoint at the entrance to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the historic home of the first American president.
Connections
At the northern endpoint, the trail connects to the Custis Trail. At the southern end of Reagan National Airport, the trail connects with the Four Mile Run Trail and the Potomac Yard Trail. South of Old Town Alexandria, at Jones Point Park the trail connects to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail.
The Mount Vernon Trail along with the Custis Trail, the Four Mile Run Trail, and the W&OD Trail make up the Arlington Loop.
The Mount Vernon Trail is part of the Capital Trails Coalition, a series of interconnected trails in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Region.
Trail History
The Mount Vernon Trail was created in a collaboration between the National Park Service and local volunteers eager for a dedicated path along the George Washington Parkway. Prior to 1972, bicyclists were given one lane of the parkway on Sundays, which felt insufficient to local biking enthusiasts like Ellen Pickering and Barbara Lynch. The two met with the National Park Service and the two parties made a deal. To help the agency advance the idea but keep costs within budget, the pair would organize volunteers. These volunteers would spend every Saturday in the winter of 1971-72 spreading gravel along the right of way the NPS offered, creating 4.5 miles of a 6-foot wide gravel bike trail.
The new trail found quick popularity, and with the case being made, government funding for expansion soon followed. The trail was paved, and progressively expanded in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, as a major artery in the D.C. trail network, it attracts and estimated 1 million users yearly.
The Mount Vernon Trail runs between US-29 & Lynn St at the NW corner of Gateway Park in Rosslyn and George Washington’s Mount Vernon, in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Parking is available in Mount Vernon.
The region’s Metro and commuter rail provide convenient transit access to the trail. If taking your bike aboard a train, please observe the transit agency’s rules. Several train stops are close to the trail:
Parking is also available at:
There are numerous parking options along this route, see TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
This experience is based on parking at Mount Vernon and riding the trail for approximately 4 miles in one direction, then returning. The trail is primarily paved, with a scattering of wide wooden bridges to cross. You will ride an asphalt two-laned path through lightly forested areas as well as open areas, so you can enjoy the sun and the breeze coming off the Potomac River. The scenery is spectacular, and gives you the opportunity to forget that you are in Northern Virginia.
However, there are a lot of inclines and descents that some may find challenging. If all else fails, just get off the bike and walk, and pick up riding when the trail flattens out. Part of the route -- not the trail itself -- goes through a short tunnel, so the trail ends at the tunnel entrance, and picks up again once you go through and exit the tunnel. This means while in the tunnel, you are on the road, and not on a bike path. For children bike riders and hikers, extra precaution should be taken at this point. Other than that, absolutely stunning views of Northern Virginia and the Potomac River. Bald Eagles can be seen flying over the water as well. This trail is definitely a do-over!
The friends of the Mount Vernon trail has done a lot to improve the MVT including grinding down the trip hazard, filling potholes, replacing water fountains and more. NPS has also replaced a lot of the bridges and boardwalks, and will be widening and repaving the entire trail soon. be sure to stop in old town Alexandria for the self guided black history tour, or to get a bite to eat. Check out Mount Vernon and the distillery at the Southern end, or cut across into DC at the 14th street bridge. You can end your ride in Rosslyn for the many great attractions! The trail also goes past the new Amazon headquarters, Crystal City, the Pentagon, Arlington nationalcemetery, Teddy Roosevelt Island, and is just a bridge away from the Kennedy Center, Georgetown and the famous C&O Canal Trail.
Rode the trail from Jones Point Park to Mount Vernon last week. Most all of the wooden bridges are newer and add to the ambience, but don't provide a good riding surface for my MTB with Schwalbe Silento 26x1.75 tires. As others have noted, the pushed up roots have been ground down somewhat, but not smooth, until about a 1/2 mile from Mount Vernon where the pushed up roots are simply marked and the trail becomes unrideable. On the return, I rode on the George Washington Parkway to get past the badly pushed up roots section. Then, I rode as far as I could on lightly travelled neighborhood streets running parallel to the trail, which were substantially smoother. Then proceeded back on the trail to Jones Point Park. Overall, it wasn't a very enjoyable ride and likely won't seek to do it again.
With the exception of the mile just north of Mt Vernon, all the root cracks have been ground down to nearly smooth. Would probably be acceptable on a road bike, but more comfortable on hybrid or gravel bike.
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