Virginia
River Views
Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: About 20 miles round-trip.Suggested route: Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon and back.
The paved Mount Vernon Trail runs a rolling 18 miles from
Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The
northern end affords great monument vistas, but if you seek
slightly more solitude, pick up the trail south of Old Town. There you can
bike on boardwalks over Dyke Marsh, catch a glimpse of Fort Hunt across
the Potomac, and, in many spots, ride right alongside the river. Don’t
miss the path on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge—you can enjoy the river views
and, through free telescopes, pick out Washington’s landmarks. You can
park in Old Town, at Mount Vernon, or at Jones Point Park, which has
restrooms. Or park on the Maryland side of the bridge, at National Harbor,
where you can fuel up at one of 30 eateries. (Part of the path from the
bridge to National Harbor is crushed shell.) For more, visit the Mount Vernon Trail website.
See the Trail
