Interesting Places Along The Mt. Vernon Bike Trail
In 1973 the National Park Service constructed the Mt. Vernon Trail along the Potomac River, parallel to the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The trail ended at Memorial Bridge. The trail included two miles through Alexandria, where it simply follows local streets.
The National Park Service built the first sixteen miles of the George Washington Parkway during the Depression. It extended the parkway northward in the 1950's and 1960's.
You can ride your bike, jog or walk the 17.5-mile trail from Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington, to Theodore Roosevelt Island. For cyclists, the round-trip of 35 miles makes a good half-day's outing, with plenty of time to visit Mt. Vernon and for watching the airplanes at Gravelly Point.
Interesting sites:
- Dyke Marsh/Belle Haven.
- Daingerfield Island Sailboat Marina.
- National Airport. Gravelly Point is a great place to watch the planes land and take off.
- Navy-Marine Memorial. Dedicated in 1934, this statue honors men who served at sea.
- Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove. Offers an unobstructed view of the skyline of Washington.
- Theodore Roosevelt Island. More than two miles of hiking trails.
- If the trail were extended, the Potomac Gorge overlook, just east of the American Legion Bridge.
Of Historical Interest:
- Spanish-American War fortifications at Ft. Hunt Park (156 acres).
- Jones Point Light House. This inland lighthouse with its small beacon warned of a nearby sandbar from 1836-1925.
- Cornerstone from 1800 survey of District's boundaries.
- Old Town Alexandria (multiple sights). Historically a center of tobacco trading, Alexandria was a seaport and a commercial center. George Washington was a customer of Gadsby's Tavern, which is now a museum. Years later, Robert E. Lee walked its streets, some of which have not changed much over the years. The Lyceum is another museum worth a visit.
- If the trail were extended, Fort Marcy, one of two Civil War forts guarding Chain Bridge for the Union. The second of the two forts would be only a block off the trail.
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If the trail
were extended,
you could ride,
jog or walk
all the way to
the American Legion Bridge.
The proposed extension
would follow the
streets of North Arlington
for several miles, just as
the existing trail stays on
the streets in Old Town.
For bicyclists,
the sixty-mile round-trip
would take a whole day.
Chronology:
1930's: Construction of
George Washington
Memorial Parkway
from Mt. Vernon
to Key Bridge.
1950's - 1960's: Extension
of Parkway
to The American
Legion Bridge,
on both sides of the river.
1973: Construction
of bike trail
parallel to Parkway
from Mt. Vernon
to Memorial Bridge.
1988: Extension
of bike trail
from Memorial Bridge
to Key Bridge.
2000?:
Extension of
bike trail
to The American
Legion Bridge.
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