We continue our “Best of Washington, D.C.” series with the Best Hiking Trails in Washington, D.C. For a big city, D.C. provides the outdoorsman with a number of opportunities to escape city life and stretch his legs. It’s really difficult to get cabin fever here because of the wide variety of hiking trails available and the impressive lengths they stretch on for. As we have a few lingering days of temperate weather, now is the best time to strap on your hiking boots and check out some of those changing fall leaves.
A great place to start your tour is the National Arboretum up in Northeast near Gallaudet University. The Arboretum is home to the original Capitol Building columns, which supported the former East Portico before expansion of the Capitol in 1958. This quiet get-away covers an impressive 446 acres including both flat and steep trails for your hiking pleasure. On your hike, you’ll notice plants such as bonsai, conifers, herbs, camellias, water-lilies, hibiscus, hostas, hydrangeas, crapemyrtles, and much more. You’ll certainly want to bring your camera along on the hike to capture some of the wildlife. Also be sure to pack water, snacks or a picnic for your trip as there is no food service available. The National Arboretum is not accessible by Metro, only bus. You can take the B2 from Stadium Armory Metro stop and exit the bus on Bladensburg Road at Rand Street.
Moving southwest, the Capital Crescent Trail stretches from Georgetown all the way up to Silver Spring, Maryland. As a former ‘rail-trail,’ the Capital Crescent Trail has its own unique character winding through secluded woods at some points and busy intersections at other points. If you have kids, you’ll want to keep them close by because there are points when they could run out into moving traffic, though the trail does provide signage indicating oncoming intersections. Don’t let that deter you though; the 11-mile trail is beautiful and offers a number of historic placards placed along the way to narrate important historical tidbits to the walkers, joggers, bikers, and rollerbladers that it hosts.
You definitely don’t want to miss Great Falls Park. Although it falls outside of the Washington, D.C. proper, it is truly one of the region’s best kept secrets. The 800-acre park sits only about 15 miles outside of D.C. and is more than worth the drive to get there. With some more challenging trails such as the Billy Goat, Great Falls Park will light a fire in your quadriceps if you’re up for it. If not, the national park is big enough that it offers more flat, mild trails, such as Patowmack Trail, which are more accommodating for children. As its name suggests, Great Falls Park is home to 3 scenic overlooks featuring small waterfalls. If you’d like to see some birds and seasonal wildflowers, explore the Swamp Trail. If you’re adventurous and decide to scale some of the more advanced trails, be sure to bring hiking shoes with you or at least gym shoes with good tread on the bottom, because otherwise you’ll find yourself slipping around on the rocks.
The Mount Vernon Trail is an 18 mile long trail that runs from Mt. Vernon in Alexandria, VA to Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. At Mile 3 of the trail, you’ll find Fort Hunt Park, which is a great picnicking spot. The Park also has 2 baseball diamonds as well as a playground. Another point of interest is Gravelly Point, at Mile 15 where you can catch a close glimpse of planes landing and taking off from Reagan National Airport. If you’d like bike the trail, but don’t have a bike then you don’t have to worry. There are several bike rental opportunities located throughout the Mount Vernon Trail.
I hope that you take advantage of all the great hiking opportunities the Washington region has to offer because you will not regret it. If you have any questions, or need assistance and consultation on an upcoming move to D.C., please contact us at info@new-todc.com
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