Since about 2007, I have become an avid biker around the D.C. area. I go out once or twice a week and usually do 20-25 miles at a time. There are many beautiful bike trails here and I love to share my rides with friends. I ride a mountain bike so I don't have the advantage of speed, but I figure that the increased resistance on pavement gives me more bang for the buck on exercise. Here are some of the routes I enjoy taking:
1.
W&OD--can be done in several sections. You can park at a community
center in Vienna right next to the trail and ride to Leesburg (or
further). Or you can park further out and ride to Purcellville. On Thursdays, there is a farmer's market along the trail in Herndon. Plus, there is a Great Harvest Bread store in Herndon at the same location. They give a free slice of bread and their bread is delicious for puchase. I make sure to have a saddlebag or a backpack so I can take home bread.
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| Herndon Farmer's Market (strawberries in May are fantastic!) |
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| W&OD trail. |
2.
Mt. Vernon--early in the day. Ride from Daingerfield Marina.
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| Monuments! |
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| Entrance to Mt. Vernon |
3. I enjoy the C&O trail too and
that can be done in several sections. You can start at PBC in Georgetown
or you can start at Great Falls Tavern and ride to White's Ferry. (Not so good if it's rainy)--long ride.
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| C&O canal |
4.
Sligo Creek area is nice. I usually combine this with the Capital Crescent Trail to Rock Creek to Sligo Creek.
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| Sligo creek. |
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5. Capital Crescent
to Georgetown Pike Trail to Rock Creek Trail ending at the Mormon temple visitor's center is nice.
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| Mormon Temple |
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| Near Bethesda |
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6. You can also continue up Rock Creek
Trail from the temple up to Lake Needwood (sometimes I ride the red line
metro back home)
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| Rock Creek Trail |
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| Lake Needwood |
7. Haines Point and Washington Monuments (includes Iwo Jima, Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam and Korean Memorials, WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Monument). From Arlington, the pictures are in the order I see the monuments. Sometimes after Haines Point, I like to stop at the Fish Market which is just around the corner. The Fish Market also works well on the Anacostia ride.
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| Iwo Jima |
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| Arlington Cemetery |
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| Washington Monument |
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| Lincoln |
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| Korean |
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| Vietnam |
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| WWII |
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| Haines Point |
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| Fish Market |
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| Jefferson |
8. Rock Creek parkway--do a loop with the Capital
Crescent Trail.
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| Rock Creek |
9. Arlington Loop--this combines the W&OD, Custis Trail, Mt. Vernon Trail, and Four Mile Run Trail in a 16 mile circle.
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| Rosslyn, Virginia |
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| Bridge to Roosevelt Island |
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| Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge |
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| Gravelly Point Park |
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| Reagan National Airport |
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| At Shirlington near Four Mile Run |
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10. Anacostia area has some nice trails. I'm less familiar with these, but I've done them a few times.
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Anacostia
| Trail | Difficulty | Solitude | Water | Monuments | Nature | Length (total length of trail, you can do out and back portions) |
| W&OD | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 45 miles |
| Mt. Vernon | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 18 miles |
| C&O | 3: flat, but not paved | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 184.5 miles |
| Sligo Creek | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10.6 miles |
| Capital Crescent | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 miles |
| Lake Needwood | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 14.5? miles |
| Haines Point | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 16 miles |
| Rock Creek | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 20? miles |
| Anacostia | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 22 miles |
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