An 18.5-mile trail along the Potomac River is honored by the Rails to Trail Conservancy

The Mount Vernon Trail spans 18.5 miles of paved path along the Potomac River, making it one of the D.C. area’s top destinations for biking, jogging and walking. 

This year, the Rails to Trails Conservancy honored the path by adding it to its 2026 Hall of Fame. 

The Rails to Trails Conservancy is a national organization that transforms unused railroad corridors into safe and accessible trails that help people stay active outdoors. The organization is responsible for more than 42,500 miles of multiuse trails nationwide. More than 150 trail networks are currently in development. 

The Mount Vernon Trail was honored for its connection to American history. The path runs from Theodore Roosevelt Island just outside of the nation's capital, all the way to George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon in Fairfax County. At its northern point, in D.C., visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the 17-acre Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac. Near its halfway point, the path travels through Old Town Alexandria, one of the country’s best-preserved 18th-century waterfront districts.

The trail was developed in the 1970s when local advocates Ellen Pickering and Barbara Lynch pushed for a safe, dedicated path for pedestrians and cyclists along the Potomac River. Community volunteers teamed up with the National Park Service to build the initial gravel section by hand, opening the first stretch in 1972. The path was later paved and expanded, ultimately creating the trail that exists today. 

The recognition of the Mount Vernon Trail by the Rails to Trails Conservancy underscores the importance of outdoor recreation within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Whether it's along the Potomac River or one of the other major tributaries of the Bay, waterfront trails and public access points ensure people can feel connected to the lands and waters that surround them.