Washington & Old Dominion Trail

I’ve worked in the area for 4 years now and didn’t know this ran right by my work place until about August 2015. How convenient is that? I’ll have to start checking in now when I hit this trail. I sometimes take light 2 mile jog during my lunch break. approx 45 min and then some cool down. It intersects with Sterling Blvd and runs back near my office park. I happened to notice it was on Unilocal when I reviewed Thai Thai. (also next to the trail). Also Beltway Brewery is just a hop off the trail as well.
I’ve never had any issues with safety but always best to be alert.
Enjoy.

Can’t believe I didn’t know about this trail! This is the perfect place if you want a long, fast ride on a road bike. The trick is to get on at Leesburg and head west. It heads out of suburbia and into farmland, so after a mile or so you aren’t likely to run into a lot of tricycles. We got there about 10:30am on a Sunday and parked in the Loudoun County High School parking lot. The trail is adjacent to it, on Catoctin road. We headed west toward Purceville and encountered little traffic of any kind — occasional runners and other bikers, but not enough to make it uncomfortable. The trail is pretty flat, very smooth (paved asphalt), and plenty wide enough to comfortably pass even two bikers riding abreast. It’s also very pretty. The path heading east is not so attractive — it passess a lot of townhomes and suburban areas, but to the west it’s all fields and farmland and some tiny rural towns. Very pastoral and picturesque. There are only a few road crossings, and no major intersections (at least in the 10 miles to the west of Leesburg). Well worth the drive out there.

Add half a star. I enjoy the ride but it isn’t the most scenic of routes, very much suburban for the most part and some good variations in elevation so you can get a good work out in… there are tons of serious or so called wannabe cyclist that spin on this trail and are pretty impatient and rude to pretty much anyone else that goes too slow for them. I see this every time I use this trail but I’ll keep coming. I usually use it to go to one of the festivals they have in Reston.

Great, convenience place for outdoor exercise. Be-​careful of idiot fast cyclist. Dog walkers please secure your animal, they are a hazard to others.

Best bike trail in the area right now. Winter months only the professionals are out there. The other seasons not so much. When the temperature is between 75–90 °F, half of the riders will be reckless ass clowns passing out unwanted cat calls about your bike light being on (like how can a battery operated flashlight hurt someone’s eyes in broad daylight at 100 meters? OCD cray-​cray) or saying something inappropriate to a woman, when she is just trying to exercise and enjoy the day. Sometimes you will also see a drunk driver in a car racing down the path so keep your attention focused. Other than that the trail is well paved and very scenic. Get up early enough in the day to avoid the cray-​cray people and it’s awesome fun and relaxing! Be mindful of the intersections with car traffic – very dangerous.

i typically ride this trail 3 – 4 times a week
as previous posts have suggested, the weekends are pretty busy; lots of families, kids, etc.; if you can swing it, try to ride it on the weekdays; its pretty much empty during the week
a good combination of hills and flat points; also, since the track goes through some major cities in the DC area, there are a few bike shops along the way.
if i ever have to move away from the area, i will def miss this great track.

I was in town for a few days, rented a Trek 1.5 road bike from Get Out & Go Tours and hopped on this trail at Pacific Blvd just north of some car dealerships, Wegmans and Waxpool Rd. Terrific trail head parking and access to this wonderful W&OD trail. I had a great ride west into the sunset. Straight out and back. All paved and well maintained. Not much elevation change or big curves to worry about and the street crossings were well marked and drivers were all stopping right away. Very scenic and very fun.
My thanks to all the rails-​to-​trails supporters and organizations that make this trail possible. It’s a real gem.

This is a great trail for riding your road bike. It’s well-​maintained and very scenic. My triathlon buddy and I do our training rides here and we see all kinds of pretty trees and plants, cool birds, and we even saw a fox once. We ran into a huge snake too, which actually wasn’t so awesome because I HATE snakes…
We go Sunday evenings when everyone else is having dinner and stuff, so it’s not very crowded — great opportunity to get a nice, long ride in. I have heard, however, that it can get pretty packed in the mornings, so we stay away from going at that time. Therefore, I cannot confirm or deny that rumor.
The only thing I don’t like about this trail is that there are quite a few intersections to cross along some areas of the trail, which can add a lot of unwanted breaks to your ride. (Silver lining: if you’re just learning how to use clipless pedals, you’ll get a ton of practice clipping in and out!) Also, there are a couple intersections with REALLY blind turns, which is kind of scary when you consider what DC drivers can be like.
Overall though, this is one of the best local places I’ve found to train on my road bike.

I’ve spent at least a thousand miles of my life on this paved piece of happiness between Purcellville and Shirlington. The surface is currently in excellent shape. Several sections have been recently repaved.
Pros:
If you’re coming eastbound it can be faster biking this trail to get to Arlington or DC than driving on 66.
Except at mile 38 crossing the mountain there are no serious grade hills to contend with.
Weekdays between 10 – 4 the trail is pretty vacant in most spots.
Plenty of Metro connections from Dun Loring through Falls Church.
Connects to both the Four Mile Run and Custis Trails for easy access to Del Ray, Old Town, Rosslyn, and Georgetown.
Cons:
Packed on Saturdays and Sundays, often with clumps of fully costumed cyclists who oddly don’t ride nearly as fast as me.
Little kids-​Mothers are you nuts? You don’t bring a 4 year old on a trail populated by people like me who enjoy blowing by you at 20 mph.
Scenery-​West of Leesburg is bucolic and lovely. Little else is. The area around Glen Carlyn Park in Arlington is surprisingly rustic though.

What an awesome place for a long run or bike ride!
I am familiar with the portion of the trail from around mile 24 to about mile 31 in the Sterling/​Ashburn area. So far I have only been running on the trail, as I don’t currently have a bike, but I almost want to get a bike just for riding there.
Obviously there are a lot of statements about how this is a shared trail, some criticizing bikers, some criticizing families/​pedestrians. I haven’t had any major problems there, but do recognize the potential for accidents.
Just stay aware, be courteous, and try to put yourself in the shoes of others. If you’re a pedestrian, remember that the bikers really don’t have any place to go that’s comparable to W & O D. That is, it’s a good area for them to go fast, so try to facilitate that by walking far to the right, not jumping out into the middle of the trail without looking, and keeping your children from doing the same. If you’re a biker, understand that people are concerned with safety. It sucks to get passed at what feels like 100 mph without warning. If it’s not absolutely necessary for you to set a land speed record (which it’s not), consider slowing down at least a little when you’re passing pedestrians, especially when young kids are around. Both bikers and pedestrians, remember that some people will be thoughtless no matter what. Just give them a wide berth and try to ignore them. They don’t ruin the trail.
The most planning I’ve had to do with the trail was parking. I know there are official places to park on the trail, but I ended up parking at the Orbital business park right at the intersection of the W & O D and Sully Rd. (Route 28). They actually have a paved path from their parking lot to the trail, so it seems like it’s all legit.
Anyway, if you’ve been thinking about hitting the W & O D but haven’t gone yet because you have to drive, just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

This trail has a lot of potential, but as a pedestrian (sometimes with my dog) I find it dangerous because of all the bicyclists who ride at VERY high rates of speed and rarely give warning that they’re passing you. My dog has very nearly been hit by bikes on this route because of some cyclist who comes flying by at 20mph and doesn’t give a warning.
It’s a MULTI-​USE TRAIL, people. Learn to share. That means you, bicyclists.
It’s absolutely crazy on weekends — expect to see whole families, kids on bikes, dogs, horses, walkers, 18,000 runners. It’s the place to be. Just be careful because of the crazy bikers.

Great and picturesque trail.
I have ridden a couple of times with friends from Leesburg, VA and the people always seem very nice.

The W&OD is used by all types of trail users: runners, walkers, roller bladers, equestrians, and cyclists, to name a few. I’m a cyclist, and living in Leesburg, I typically ride the western-​most end of the trail, where there are fewer street crossings and generally fewer trail users compared to the more populated Reston/​Vienna/​Falls Church areas. However I have cycled the trail from one end to the other, and it’s a great outdoor resource. After work it’s a great option to keep me out of rush hour traffic.
The trail is generally flat with gentle railroad grades. However there are portions where the trail deviates from the original railbed, or earthen berms have been built, that result in slightly steeper sections. But these are usually short.
The surface is generally good but some sections have been paved more recently than others. It’s not unusual to hit a rough seam, and there are root heaves and pot holes in places. Portions of the trail have an unpaved bridle path paralleling the paved path. The bridle path often isn’t in the railbed, but follows the lay of the land, making it hilly in places.
Great places along the trail (western end):
1. Magnolia’s at trails end in Purcellville. Great food and outdoor seating. Also Trails End Bike Shop, at trails end in Purcellville.
2. The BBQ place in Paeonion Springs. It’s a short distance off the trail. Look for the sign.
3. The Triathlete shop on South King Street in Leesburg. It’s a few steps off the trail and convenient for single serving drink mixes, gels and energy bars.
4. Restaurants in Leesburg too numerous to mention.
5. Partlow Brothers BBQ in Ashburn. Right on the trail.
Don’t let your guard down just because you are on a trail. I’ve had more close calls on the W&OD than on the roads, and I cycle the roads of Loudoun County all the time. Some things to do to stay safe:
1. Signal when passing — have a bell or yell out. Often other trail users are wearing ear buds, so you can’t be shy when announcing your presence. I’ve had mulitple close calls when ear-​bud wearing runners and walkers have made u-​turns in front of me without looking.
2. Watch out for rude cyclists. These are the ones who think the trail is their own race track. If there’s no one around, go as fast as you want, but seriously, if the trail is crowded, slow down and don’t endanger others.
3. Be very careful when passing young children, in either direction. They do not have any idea what’s going on in the world outside a 10 foot radius.
4. Stop at the road crossings. Some crossings are blind until you get right up to the stop sign. The Dry Mill Road crossing at Clarks Gap requires special attention.

Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a solid 5 star ride.
I’ve been riding this trail since 2005.
I prefer to get on @ Pacific Blvd near Dulles Airport and head west.
There are fewer tricycles.
There used to be a sign for the Old Dominion Brewery but that place closed down a couple of years ago. You could tell it was popular with all
the bicycle riders because the rack would be full outside.
I lost 5 lbs after it shut down.
My favorite stop is Smith’s Switch Rd. Not because of the free water or the free air… there are two Port A Jon’s so you never have to wait.
I like to stop off in Leesburg and cruise by Lightfoot’s sit on the patio and sip a cold glass of… water.
My second favorite ride is starting in Leesburg and going to Purcelville, it’s about 21 miles round trip. The first two miles or so is slow incline, the next two and one half miles is steady increasing incline. Then it levels out for the remaining miles till you reach Purcelville and trails end.
The return is a blast, especially when you hit that three mile down hill run.
The pavement is solid after a recent resurface.
Then finish your day at Doener Café with a good healthy salad, some bratwurst and a cold German beer… after 21 miles you deserve it!

This trail is one of the very few reasons I sometimes miss the WMA.
This trail is a few times longer than Manhattan, and it’s hard to get a nice long ride in NYC.
This trail can get boring sometimes, but this is how you build up your patience, endurance, and mental strength. It’s just straight, and relatively flat, and not much else out here. Be careful for the occasional deer, squirrel, or bees that are looking to attack you. I’ve been stung before.
I’ve biked the whole length of this before (back and forth), and I’ve skated about 50 miles on this before from Reston to Shirlington.
In fact, when I was living in VA, I deliberately picked my apartments based on the proximity of this bike trail. I’ve lived in Reston, Falls Church, and a few different places in Arlington.
This path used to be covered in trees, but Dominion cut most of them down to improve service. I can’t say I blame them, people may whine and moan about losing shade, but I think they would think differently if a windstorm knocked over trees and took power lines down with them.
There’s also some graveled road that runs along side this trail in the Reston/​Vienna area if you want to do some «off road» running. It’s better for your knees.
Oh, another tip, get a bell. I got one after years of yelling, «on your left». I realized people get startled and they move left instead of standing still. A nice little ding, and they give a wave instead.

There are rare moments when I am suddenly struck with the urge to bike 30– 40 miles at a time. When that happens, I hit the W&OD trail.
To forewarn you, the W&OD trail is usually rampant with families that take up both lanes or children on tricycles, but only on weekends. Don’t let that dissuade you though! The W&OD is mostly flat (with the occasional hill or two) which makes for a leisurely, enjoyable ride. Most, if not all, of the bikers are respectful and are sure to yell «on the left!» when passing. The W&OD is also relatively well-​maintained, both road-​wise and landscape-​wise (I have yet to get hit in the face by a hanging tree branches while on the trail).
As with any long bike ride, make sure you have everything you need in case you get 1) thirsty or 2) a flat. Although the trail snakes through a few towns (Sterling, Arlington, Vienna, Leesburg), they’re pretty far apart, so being prepared for the worst is key.

Love the W&OD trail and have biked on it from start to finish — not in one go though.
Road surface is generally very good and there are plenty of water fountains that actually work! Trash is very minimal too and that is a testament to people who use this trail.
I use the trail for work and pleasure — bike to work 3 times a week and often run on the trail on other days.

The W&OD is pretty close to my house and part of my means of getting to work. I’ve been riding it for about three years, and although it can get routine sometimes, it’s never boring. Like everyone else says, there is a huge mix of trail users, and yes, when the trail is pretty open, I like to ride fast. The spring and summer are the worst for congestion, and there are a few blind curves that you need to be careful of, but it can provide for an easy weekend ride, a relaxed commute to work, or a good endurance ride. Be aware that there are no lights west of Benjamin Banneker Park in Falls Church City, and it can get really dark out there at night. Most cyclists on the trail use lights, and if you’re a runner, I suggest getting some lights as well, white shirts and shorts are not enough, reflective vests works mostly for car lights, and black clothing blends in completely.
There are also occasional trail updates at

Love this 44 mile rail-​to-​trail from Shirlington, VA to Purceville, VA. Goes through Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Leesburg, to Purceville. There are parking areas all long the trail. Check out «Friends of W&OD Trail» website… excellent.
For rides, I break up the W&OD into a few sections of about 25 miles (12.5 there and back). Leesburg to Purceville is the most beautiful stretch.
For some reason, I feel like I am always slightly going up hill on the path no matter where I am!!!
Beware…road bikers can be obnoxious on this trail.

It’s probably stupid of me to do it… but Friday night was absolutely perfect for a jog along the W&OD after sunset. The air still had the smell of fresh rain on it, and the stretch of trail that I was on was heavily scented with something floral and fragrant. Lilac? Lavender?
The path is well-​maintained enough that even in the dim lighting, I didn’t have to worry about holes or divots. It must also be ever-​so-​slightly banked, given I encountered one visible puddle of water in the ~2 mile stretch I trod.
On the flip side, I’m also well aware of just how dangerous this particular trail can be, having responded to at least two accidents during my stint as an EMT out in LoCo. Not simple ankle sprains, either — I’m talking full head-​on collisions between bikers, requiring a trip to the hospital. Backing an ambulance onto this trail, even as nicely as it’s paved… is so –not– fun.
For what it’s worth, I’m glad to have ready access to the W&OD; although there’s not much in my backyard, having this run right along the edge of my property gives me just a smidge more incentive to train toward that triathlon relay looming in the not-​too-​distant future.
Now if I could just get a certain someone to aim a gun at me to notch up my motivation…
P. S. Why am I not surprised that Sam R snagged this FTR? :p