Northern Virginia · Arlington to Mount Vernon · Running · Point to point
Mount Vernon Trail
Eighteen paved miles along the Potomac from Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon.
- Distance
- 18mi
- Climb (measured)
- 535ft
- Time (hiking est.)
- Your call
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Terrain
- PavedRiverside
The route
Map and elevation, linked
535 ft up, 438 ft down · 1–104 ft
What it feels like
What it feels like
Gently rolling with no climb worth naming; the grade never really bites. Firm, even surface.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Parking is available at every site along the trail except Lady Bird Johnson Park and the Navy-Marine Memorial. (NPS states no parking capacity and no parking fee for the trail.)
- Fees
- Free.
- Permits
- Permit required for commercial activities and for activities by organized groups, including trail walks and runs (NPS/GWMP permit information: 703-289-2513). No permit or reservation requirement is stated for individual recreational use.
- Hours
- Open year-round, 6 am to 10 pm; commuters may use the trail at any time.
- Restrooms
- Not on file
- Water
- Not on file
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
How hard it will feel
Difficulty, explained
Easy
Paved with gentle rollers south of Alexandria.
Commitment is up to you: turn around whenever you like on a long, level corridor.
- Distance
- +0
- A 18 mi corridor you can join for as little or as much as you like.
- Climb
- +0
- About 30 ft per mile: rail-grade or flatter.
- Footing
- +0
- Firm, even surface the whole way.
- Technicality
- +0
- Nothing technical recorded; walking the whole way.
- Exposure
- —
- Exposure not on file.
Commitment
How long it takes
This is a corridor you join for as long as you like, so there is no honest total. Plan with a pace instead:
- Hiking:
- ~20 min per mile
- Running:
- ~9 min per mile
- Family pace:
- ~33 min per mile
Terrain
Underfoot
- Surface
- Paved, Boardwalk
- Technicality
- Nothing technical recorded
- Crossings
- None recorded
- Exposure
- Not on file
- Grade
- Steepest quarter mile 5.2% · 3% of the route climbing at 5%+ · 78% near level Trailfinder reading
Recorded hazards
- Heavy bicycle traffic
- Flooding on low-lying sections after storms
- Narrow bridges
What you'll see
On the record
- Potomac and monument views
- Old Town Alexandria at the midpoint
- Dyke Marsh boardwalk
Setting on file: River, Urban, Park.
When to go
Seasonal character
Northern VirginiaUsable year-round. Summer afternoons are hot and crowded; winter ice lingers on shaded paved sections after storms.
General seasonal character, not a live condition report. Check the agency's alerts page for closures.
Who it fits
Is this for you?
- Runners
- Yes, running is supported
- Families
- Good with kids
- Strollers
- Stroller friendly
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Accessibility
- Paved throughout; a few narrow and steeper pinch points near Roosevelt Island.
- Experience
- Beginners welcome
The long version
About this route
Managed by the National Park Service, the Mount Vernon Trail runs beside the George Washington Memorial Parkway with airport, monument, and river views most of the way. Old Town Alexandria sits at the midpoint with restrooms, water, and coffee.
The northern half is flat and busy; the southern half beyond Alexandria rolls a little more and thins out. Boardwalk sections cross Dyke Marsh, one of the best birding spots in the region.
If not this one
Related, and why
Northern Virginia
Washington & Old Dominion Trail
- Distance
- 45mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,573ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- Your call
- Paved
Longer version · 45 mi when you want more of the same.
Northern Virginia
Burke Lake Loop
- Distance
- 4.7mi
- Elevation gain
- 200ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- ~1h55
- Crushed stone
- Shaded
Less climbing · 200 ft of gain instead of 700.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Parking is available at every site along the trail except Lady Bird Johnson Park and the Navy-Marine Memorial. (NPS states no parking capacity and no parking fee for the trail.)
- Fees
- Free.
- Permits
- Permit required for commercial activities and for activities by organized groups, including trail walks and runs (NPS/GWMP permit information: 703-289-2513). No permit or reservation requirement is stated for individual recreational use.
- Hours
- Open year-round, 6 am to 10 pm; commuters may use the trail at any time.
- Restrooms
- Not on file
- Water
- Not on file
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
Provenance
- Facts:
- verified against the managing agency · last checked August 29, 2026.
- Route line:
- 129 OpenStreetMap ways (ODbL), fetched 2026-09-05; elevation from USGS 3DEP 10 m, 2026-09-05. Assembled as single line.
- Readings:
- anything marked Trailfinder reading is derived by Trailfinder from those sources, not published by the agency.
Before you go: Trail conditions, access rules, weather, water availability, and closures can change. Check the linked official source before leaving and choose a route appropriate for your experience and current conditions.