This is one of our favorite hiking trails in the area. There is plenty of parking and its free…read more Also it has always had the right amount of people (not too many to make it crowded and not too few to make you feel you are alone in the wilderness). There are a variety of paths of varying difficulty levels (some are flat and some you might have to put a little effort into). Another nice thing is that there is lots of coverage so even on warm days the tree cover keeps it cool. I would recommend sneakers or hiking shoes (hiking shoes would be best post rainy days as the train can get muddy). It's a great place for a family adventure in nature.

What a fun trail! it has some easy parts and some challenging…read more There were many scenic resting/stopping points along the trail..perfect for resting or photo ops. A couple porta potties are available at the start of the trail, along with some picknic tables and an amazing rocky/cliff like view. We saw a guy doing handstands...a little too bold! There were an abundance of stink bugs, but that comes with nature. I can't promise this is kid-friendly with all the challenging parts, although there were a few there! There is enough parking, first come first server deal....with HIking it's always best to get there early enough to avoid crowds and enjoy nature better. A $20 parking fee is required at the entrance.

We ended up going about 2 miles until we reached the waterfall. The beginning of the trail was…read moreuncovered and some portions was along the highway.

Like the review before states, this trail is a feast for your eyes! It hugs along the Potomac…read moreRiver with beautiful views in between the trees on one side and sheer rock faces on the other. There are many creeks and streams that traverse the path on their way to going the Potomac. Despite going on Labor Day late morning/early afternoon, I only saw a handful of people several of whom were running with their dogs (no worries, no doggie land mines were encountered). I picked up the trail at the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot. There is a dirt footpath that goes from here to the American Legion Bridge (10 miles) and as mentioned before almost all of it is shaded. It may extend further, but I turned around at this point! There are parts were you will have to slow down your jog due to some uneven, rocky footing but have no fear, there are long stretches perfect for running. Someone must have come by and cleaned up the litter because it was pristine today! Huzzah!

Grading on the curve of "it's in Maryland", this is a fantastic trail!…read more If this were west of the rockies though, it would be A-OK. There is one tiny section where you actually have to scramble. The rest of it is pretty much a moderate hike with some lite route-finding. We saw multiple snakes on the way in, which were the highlight. Definitely worth doing if you're in the area, but probably not worth a dedicated trip if you're in DC proper.

Not a reflection of the trail as a whole, but when I stopped back on this occasion I was dismayed…read more It was one thing during the peak of the COVID era when there were signs up saying this trail was to be undertaken in one direction only. People were throwing around all sorts of silly rules out of desperation in those days. I doubt any lives were saved by this; maybe the theory was to reduce human contact but realistically, we're talking about hiking in open air. Public health aside, I return to find even now there are still signs saying to take the trail one way. And having done it both ways many times, it's the wrong way! Absurd. Supposedly there's some justification, but I think that grown adults can figure out how to hike in two directions without running into each other. As an overall natural resource, it remains a gem (though it must be noted that the Billy Goat B trail downstream is currently closed due to damage). But whoever is making these stupid rules shouldn't be in the business of making rules at all. Thankfully some rebels were taking the trail in the northernly direction, as well they should.

A new hiking trail with an…read more old mystery The Flintlock Trail is a brand new hiking trail that was officially opened on Nov 10. It's in the Tillinghast Management Area, an almost 2,000 acre chunk of land owned by the Nature Conservancy. The trail is in West Greenwich, Rhode Island but Yelp in their convoluted wisdom insists on locating it in Bethesda, Md. I'm sure I will have to fight to get it changed. It's described as a loop but it's actually several different loops and of course it is easy to get lost. But then that's the real fun of a hike. You will eventually end up somewhere. It's an easy hike, few hills and nicely cleared trails. Mostly white pine with a lot of different hard woods thrown in. Smells really nice and is quite lovely in the New England fall. If you look carefully you will see ancient stone walls and vague impressions of old structures. Like most of this area, the land was obviously used for farming in the past. I didn't see much wildlife but I have heard that plenty of deer, beavers and otters as well as numerous birds and amphibians call this place home. With all the water around I'm sure plenty of insects also enjoy this area in the warmer months. The woods are also used for hunting so it is a good idea, as well as the law to wear bright orange during hunting season to avoid being nailed by some myopic as well as possibly intoxicated hunter. A nice new hiking area that is a pleasant place to spend a few hours with nature. One very enigmatic and mysterious object that we found out of the trail was an old safe. Not just a little bitty thing but a huge, very heavy safe like you would find in a bank or store. Hmmmmm. The door was ripped off and bullet marks were obvious on the front. Can't imagine how that got out here in the woods but I'm sure it has an interesting tale to tell. If it could only speak.

Definitely drive with caution up to the parking lot because there are tons of pedestrians and…read morebicyclists along the side of the road and they don't always move over, so better safe than sorry. The parking lot is small and difficult to navigate and people always have to u turn to exit, so when entering this lot please try to stay to one side to let other people get out. The trails are a little confusingly marked but I just followed the instructions on Peninsula Open Space Trust's website for a nice little lollipop route of 3.5 miles. You can see some horses and birds and nice wildflowers, and during our visit, we saw a rattlesnake. Definitely keep your distance from the wildlife.

Back to this trail starting from Van Ness Street after a couple of years and this time didn't…read moreencounter the swampy area which seems to be cleared up so we were able to emerge onto Reservoir Road with no problems. However our plan to reach the end on Canal Road was thwarted as the trail is again blocked before that with a metal fence but no signage explaining the reason. As before had to retrace our steps and exit via Georgetown U campus. Still this is a very shaded and easy trail without a lot of foot traffic - most of the people we saw seemed to be from the apt or condo buildings right next to the park walking their dogs (most of them unleashed as usual although none seemed unruly).

Theodore Roosevelt Island is a wonderful spot to visit. Me and my girl enjoyed walking and jogging…read morethrough the paths of the park. It kind of has that green swampy look to it. Lots of room and space to observe everything. Parking is not so bad. I mean, we didn't have a hard time getting here by car, but it is a wonderful experience.

A very nice walking trail that is very close to DC/Rosslyn. A bit of a walk to get there from the…read moreRosslyn Metro station, but definitely worth it. Wish that there were more walking routes with a better view of the water, but it was pleasant and easy to walk--not at all strenuous.

I took a walk along the capital crescent trail recently and it was so beautiful. It's situated in…read moreGeorgetown along the water, and the views were calming and beautiful to observe while walking. I did find the bikers on the path to be entitled and a bit aggressive, so if you're walking, keep that in mind, but this does not reflect on the trail itself at all. There are numerous places to get a bite to eat or drink after your walk, so make sure you check around.

Beautiful trail! I love to run from Bethesda to Georgetown and to a metro. Trail is clean and safe…read more Only two crosswalks.