Arlington and DC
Monument Tour
Hains Point/Potomac River Loop
Distance: Approximately 11-mile loop.
Photograph by Jeff Elkins.
On this ride, you can see five of Washington’s monuments with just a modest effort. Where you start depends on where you find parking—possibilities, many of which fill up on nice days, include Theodore Roosevelt Island, Arlington Cemetery, Ohio Drive, and Hains Point. Assuming a start at the Roosevelt Island lot, ride south on the Mount Vernon Trail—along the Potomac River, past views of the Lincoln and Washington monuments—then cross Memorial Bridge and make your way to Ohio Drive. (Because you cross a few major roads, and cycle in traffic on part of this ride, it may not be ideal for young children or those anxious about biking with cars.) Follow Ohio—detouring to see the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials (you’ll have to lock up or walk your bike)—to Hains Point, where you can loop around the point (a popular training spot for serious cyclists), before heading to the Jefferson Memorial. After paying respects to our third President, you can retrace your route or cross back over the river on the 14th Street Bridge. Head north on the Mount Vernon Trail back to your car.
See the Trail
