Our Favorite Washington, DC Area Bike Routes

My favorite bike route saves me 45 minutes underground on a workday by avoiding several metro stops and one transfer. It is quicker than the bus and makes my commute to work shorter and more pleasant. The bike infrastructure isn’t perfect but it’s there for the most part. – Reinaldo Germano

The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is a real gem. This section of the trail picks up near the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station and winds through heavy tree cover, the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, and ends with a stop at the delicious Shortcake Bakery on Route 1. I really enjoy the curves and slight increases and decreases in elevation – it feels a little bit like being on a rollercoaster! It’s also close to the Trolley Trail which runs through College Park and is filled with great local businesses. I tend to ride this trail at least once a week throughout the year, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too! – Sofie Rhodes

One of my favorite trails in D.C. is the Metropolitan Branch trail. It extends further than what is shown in my map, but this is the segment I frequent the most. The trail is off-road and gets me to so many key destinations including Union Station, REI, NoMa, Union Market, and Brookland. My favorite segment of the trail is through NoMa where the path is elevated, and I get to ride right alongside the Metro! – Jennifer Hopkins

This is my route to work, and it is entirely on wide sidewalks, bike paths, and marked bike routes. It makes me appreciate the wonderful bicycle facilities I have access to and allows me to arrive at work and back home with a clear head. Hopefully we’ll be back at the office at some point so I can ride there again! – Lora Byala

This route offers an incredible diversity of scenery across its relatively short length, starting with views of the Arlington skyline, the Key Bridge, and the Potomac as you make your way onto the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath. As you continue along the route you get remarkable views of the Georgetown Canal passing behind the highly trafficked M Street in downtown Georgetown. Leaving the towpath, you turn onto the Rock Creek Trail and head towards the National Mall, passing the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and u-turning at the Capitol Building. You then re-trace your steps onto the towpath, this time turning up Wisconsin Avenue for a final climb. The reward of this uphill climb is the arrival at Thomas Sweet Ice Cream shop, offering you the best post-ride ice cream you’ve ever had (if you go, make sure you order a blend-in). – Andrew Wilson

I love this route because it hugs DC’s rivers, monuments, and stadiums. Follow the Potomac as you pass behind the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. Then take the protected bike lane on Maine Avenue in the Wharf, looping around Audi Field and Nationals Park to pick up the Anacostia River Walk Trail. This secluded trail makes me feel so far from car traffic. Ultimately, you wind up at Benning Road, and can even hop the DC Streetcar back to Union Station if your legs need a rest. – Finn Vigeland

While one doesn’t have to do the whole thing in one go, the W&OD from Arlington to Purcellville and back makes for an ideal century ride.  I did it last year as such and with the distance from home to the trail and from the trail back to home, it came out to a 102 mile ride.  Unfortunately, much of the route is shared with a power line so shade isn’t plentiful until you are west of Leesburg, but the trail’s connections to the Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon trails allow for various loop routes to be created, and the trail also passes within close distance of multiple Metro stations if one wants to bail out at any point. The grades are fairly tame because the trail used to be a rail line.  – Oren Hirsch