Off-Road Biking and Hiking Trails

Near our nation’s capitol, miles of scenic riding and hiking are close at hand.  The C&O Canal Towpath Trail stretches along the Potomac River for 185 miles between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. For hikers, the 3.8-mile Billy Goat Trail in the C&O Canal National Historical Park features a one-mile portion that requires a scramble over boulders and a slide down rocks. More info... 

The Anacostia Tributary Trail System provides a network of 7 paved cycling trails often used for bike commuting.  Get a downloadable map.  The popular Capital Crescent Trail connects Silver Spring to Georgetown, D.C.  In addition, a Washington, D.C. bicycle map that includes the surrounding region is available from www.ddot.dc.gov, click Bicycles/Pedestrians.

Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park feature “easy” to “steep and strenuous” day hikes with rock outcrops and waterfalls. Two trails, Old Misery and Cat Rock, link together and rise to an elevation of 1,560 feet. Another leads to the historic Catoctin Iron Furnace.

Seneca Creek State Park’s 14-mile greenway trail follows a scenic waterway as it winds toward the Potomac River. Springtime is particularly colorful, with peony gardens and field plants in bloom. Nearby, Seneca Creek’s Schaeffer Farm Trail Area is gaining popularity among off-road bikers, with more than a dozen miles of marked trails.