Mount Vernon Trail
A long greenway path providing beautiful views of the Potomac River.
Hiking Easy
- Distance
- 30 km
- Ascent
- 196 m
- Descent
- 211 m
- Duration
- 6-7 hrs
- Low Point
- 0 m
- High Point
- 32 m
- Gradient
- 1˚
The Mount Vernon Trail is a lengthy paved greenway trail running through the Washington DC metro area. This trail is extremely popular with road cyclists (both recreationally and for commuting), but walkers/hikers, runners, skaters, and more all use this trail.
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Description
This 18-mile trail runs along the banks of the Potomac River, providing gorgeous views of the river and a welcome respite from the press of traffic and the hustle and bustle of DC.
While the route shown here measures 18.6 miles one-way, you can tailor this distance as you see fit. If you ride an out-and-back, you can easily get to 37 miles, and if you connect to other nearby greenway paths, you can go much, much further. Or, if you want to hike a short way, you can do that too, beginning from any number of parks and access points along the trail.
Difficulty
Easy
Walking along a well-kept trail that’s mostly flat. No obstacles are present.