Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
Trail Overview
The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail runs roughly a total of 20 miles on both sides of the Anacostia River in the southern quadrants of Washington, DC. The trail is well-maintained and affords runners easy access to large swaths of Southwest and Southeast DC, making the trail both convenient and scenic. Since the portions of the trail that line the northwest bank of the Anacostia run through dense areas of urban development, runners are advised to exercise good caution when jogging these segments. Run slowly, keep to the right, and give walkers the right of way. Never use the busy city streets to avoid pedestrian traffic.
At the present time—spring 2018—large sections of the Riverwalk Trail are still under development. The best and most current map of the trail is available via Greater Greater Washington.
Access and Extension Points
Many. The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is woven into the fabric of Southwest and Southeast DC and is therefore accessible from many points within those quadrants. For commuters into these areas of the city, the Southwest portions of the trail are in close proximity to the Navy Yard and Waterfront Metro stations. The Southeast segments of the trail tend to be somewhat isolated, because they are bordered by the Anacostia River and Interstate 295. As a result, the Anacostia Metro station offers a safe access point to the trail (to the north, through Anacostia Park) that will help runners avoid exceeding busy and congested city streets.
Given that the Riverwalk Trail extends west to the Jefferson Memorial and northeast to Benning Road, runners can easily connect with East Potomac and Kenilworth Park to make for longer circuit routes. Likewise, runners can extend their workouts by traveling south across the 14th Street Bridge to connect with the Mount Vernon Trail. The Rock Creek Trail is also an option for a much extended workout into the center of Northwest DC.