W&OD Trail

I go biking on the trail almost every weekend that the weather is nice. I usually start in Vienna or Reston and go into Leesburg or Alexandria. I love that the trail can go as far as intersecting with Alexandria or go out past Leesburg.
The trail is well maintained, and it’s nice that it is family friendly, and there is always trail patrol out monitoring for safety issues or other possibly problems. All the people I’ve encountered while riding here are really nice and courteous. There are also plenty of water stations and stop off spots should they be needed. It also abuts multiple bike shops (such a Spokes) for anything you may have forgotten or possible mechanical errors.
I would check it out if you’re a biker/​runner or just want a nice place to take a walk on a nice afternoon. If you need to take up some exercise it’s a great place to do so.

Moving to the DC area, one of my top priorities was finding a place to cycle. This is not an easy feat, as cycling is one of those activities that requires fair to long distances of well-​maintained, asphalted road with few intersections, while still remaining not boring. The last thing you want while in full aero position, barreling down at nearly 30mph with your brain-​bucket leading the way, is a blind intersection playing chicken with a 30 ton Mac truck whose driver hasn’t seen sleep in a few days. So, finding the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) trail was akin to finding water in the desert.
The W&OD is a 47 mile stretch of perfectly paved, 9 foot wide trail that crawls through Virginia from Shirlington (Arlington) all the way northwest to Purcellville, all the while passing through tons of other ‘villes’ along the way. This multi-​use trail is extremely popular with bikers, joggers, runners, walkers, and anyone who wants a taste of the outdoors. The trail passes through some very scenic areas and never gets boring, as it is lined with trees and brooks and lots of greenery (in the warmer months). There are several places where the trail intersects minor and major roads, but these are exceptionally visible and the major roads enjoy a dedicated light for the weary, way-​worn travelers of the W&OD to cross safely. Otherwise, you can fly over the highways via the dedicated skyway bridges of the W&OD without missing a beat.
So insofar as cycling goes, this is an excellent track. The first few miles near Shirlington are often busy with other pedestrians and runners, while the further northwest you go, the trail traffic lessens and you can truly open up on the climbs and drops. It can be a nicely challenging trail to cycle, especially going northwest, as the increasing elevation (and headwind) will make you turn those pedals until you feel like you have battery acid flowing through your veins. There area few tough climbs that really make your legs work for their oxygen. The way down, however, is fast paced and much easier, since most of it is ‘downhill’ and you can enjoy the mostly-​southern breeze on your back. Man, I can’t say enough about this trail.
So, make the trip to this amazing trail system and get your cycle on… or your run on… or your walk, or rollerblade. or whatever the heck it is you like to do. Just get out there. Oh, and please observe trail etiquette.