Reply To: Recommended biking paths for beginners

#18647
Erika Harris
Participant

Capitol Crescent (Georgetown to Bethesda along the C&O Csnal) is a great one–the path is wide and smooth. If you head Maryland side, there’s a good 13.1 mile one-way trail in Charles County that is almost always empty and it’s pretty flat and scenic. It’s the Indian Head Rail Trail. Another good Maryland trail is the Baltimore Annapolis trail–on weekends it can get crowded, but it also hooks up with the BWI loop around the airport. There’s a trail along the Anacostia River that’s new–I’ve never ridden out it, but I’ve heard it’s pretty decent

I also STRONGLY advise that you NOT ride on the Mount Vernon trail that runs along the GW Parkway. It’s twisty, narrow, and crowded, especially on nice weather days. The pavement is also not in the best condition. It’s a good trail for running, but I’ve never been comfortable biking on it.

Hope this helps!