Mount Vernon Trail

Beginning at Theodore Roosevelt Island and heading all the way through Old Town Alexandria and beyond, the Mt. Vernon Trail combines spectacular scenery, comfortable terrain and a historic path filled with our nation’s history.

Grab a bike from the Roosevelt Island station and hit the trail to Old Town Alexandria:

• Ride south along the trail with the Potomac River to your left, and enjoy fantastic views of the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument across the river
• Ride around Gravelly Point and watch the planes take off and land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
• Keep right to stay on the trail as you pass the airport*
• Cross the bridge over Four Mile of Run and continue on the trail
• You'll pass the Washington Sailing Marina on your left
• Continue on the trail to meet back up with the Potomac River
• Eventually, the trail will run into Pendleton St in Alexandria
• Turn left and continue onto N Union St
• Continue on Union St until you reach Price St

Dock your bike at the Prince St & Union St station to explore Old Town Alexandria on foot!

At a little over eight miles, this trip takes the average rider about 45 minutes to complete – even longer if you'd like to stop and take in the views. If you exceed your 30-minute time limit, it's only an additional $2 for your next 30 minutes.

*If you want to break up the ride, you can exit the trail at Crystal City near the airport and take a left on Crystal Drive to dock your bike at the 20th St S & Crystal Dr station. Pick up a new bike when you're ready to resume the ride.

Local tip: This trail is popular with bike commuters on weekday mornings and evenings, so we recommend midday rides.

Photo by Jenn Wurzbacher