Throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall, Northern Virginia and D.C. residents enjoy the outdoors.  One such way is by taking to the roads, or better yet the paths... the bike paths.  Bicycling paths and multi-use trails abound throughout the Greater Washington area.  Bicycling is a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the fresh air, maybe meet some new people, learn about new areas of town, and even commute to work in an environmentally safe way while avoiding traffic.

Seven years ago when I was working for a law firm in D.C., I used to bicycle in to the office almost every day during the nice weather from Shirlington in South Arlington.  Along Four Mile Run Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail, and the 14th Street Bridge, the 7-8 mile bike commute took me about 45 minutes to an hour.  It was great exercise at the start and end of the day and invigorated the mind and spirit for a day of work.  When you are stuck in an office all day, it is great to be out in the sunshine on the bike paths.  We were fortunate to have a gym and shower facility at the office.

Any day of the year, you'll see tons of bikers, rollerbladers, runners and walkers along the Mount Vernon Trail which winds along the Potomac River from Rosslyn to Mount Vernon and passes through Arlington and Alexandria.  Along the way you'll enjoy beautiful vistas of the Potomac River, the D.C. monuments, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Old Town Alexandria and arrive at at the historic Mount Vernon Estate, former home to President George Washington.

One of my personal favorite trails is the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD).  The W&OD used to be a railroad line and has now been converted into a bike trail with numerous adjoining public parks.  Starting in Shirlington, the W&OD becomes less urban and more rural the further west one travels through Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Dulles, Leesburg, Purcellville, to the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I've taken the trail all the way from Shirlington to Dulles Airport and back in one day, a roundtrip of 50 miles.

The City of Alexandria has just issued a new Bikeways Map of trails and on-road bike routes through the city.  It defines "bikeway" as a street or shared-use path either designed specifically for bicycle travel or with key design elements that support safe bicycle travel.  The website with the downloadable map is a great resource for biking enthusiasts in the area and contains links to biking information for neighboring jurisdictions.  

Information on bicycling in Arlington, Virginia.

Bicycling and bike paths -- another great reason to move to Northern Virginia or D.C.