Northeast - DC - Memorial Bridge - Bike path (HOW TO)

I rode across the Memorial Bridge this morning, looking for a way down to the MUP along the Potomac. All the runners going down the hill and scurrying across the GW Parkway. That didn't seem like such a hot idea to me.

I was on the west/southbound side of the bridge. Is the a better way to get down to the path? If I go around the turning circle (VA side just before Arlington), is there better access on the northbound side?

The best way to get to the MVT is on the south (east bound) side. The path curls right down to it, crossing the GW Parkway twice.
If you take the north (west bound) side, scurrying down the hill is the only way. I've done it a few times.
I guess you could cross to the other side of the bridge if the traffic lets you, or you can keep going straight towards the cemetery, cross the access road on the other side of the circle, and double back on the other side (crossing the Parkway 5 or 6 times)

The only ways I know to get to the MVT while not scampering across the GW Parkway are over the Key Bridge and 14th St Bridge. You'd have to get on the Key on the Georgetown side, cross the river, and go left/south onto a little trail loop that uses a pedestrian/bike bridge over the GWP and down to the parking lots for Theodore Roosevelt Island.

To use the 14th St Bridge, get on it from the DC side by the snack shack next to the Jefferson Memorial (itself easy to get to from the Lincoln), use the pedestrian/bike path along the north edge of the bridge, and just stay on it as it tucks around to the north.

Either of these routes are the only ways near downtown DC where I'd recommend getting onto/off of the Mt. Vernon Trail due to the dangers of the narrow, high-speed, relatively blind GW Parkway.

The unmarked sidewalk pavement in the center of this image is the "trailhead" for the path across the 14th St bridge (AKA George Mason Mem. Bridge) :
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Jefferson+Memorial,+Washington,+District+of+Columbia,+District+of+Columbia,+United+States&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=43.664131,81.386719&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=0,38.881930,-77.036540&ll=38.879773,-77.037407&spn=0.000658,0.001242&t=h&z=20&iwloc=addr&om=1

I don't ride that route very often, but when I do I usually try to ride in the traffic lanes on the bridge on the way out (as opposed to the wide, frequently-used sidewalk) and gradually merge over to the left far enough that I can continue around the circle towards Arlington Cemetery by the time the bridge ends. Then I just follow the "curl around to the left" method that another poster mentioned above. Once you can get past the GW Parkway-bound traffic and into the circle, the traffic is pretty light. This is a little easier to do now that the construction at the Lincoln Memorial on the DC side of the bridge is finally complete, but still not ideal. I never go this way at rush hour or in the dark, though, since the Virginia-bound traffic on the bridge moves pretty fast.

Come to think of it, now that the construction at Lincoln is finished, can you go around Lincoln the other way (on the Washington Monument side, where the tourists are) and then get on the sidewalk that runs beside the DC-bound traffic easily? Depending on where in DC you're coming from, that might be an easier way to get to the MVT without risking life and limb negotiating the bridge traffic...

Anyone from Alexandria or DC up for an early evening ride tomorrow? I'm staying in Alexandria...thanks in advance!

Spongedad, I think you have the directions mixed up. The Eastbound side of the bridge (where traffic is heading from Arlington into the District, is the side you want to use.

It connects with the Mt. Vernon trail on the VA side. You can access the Eastbound side from the Lincoln Memorial and/or the Tidal Basin. Don't try crossing in the traffic lanes on either side of the bridge. If you try the Westbound side, you will have great difficulty accessing the trail, and that traffic circle on the VA side is very dangerous to cross. The traffic never stops coming, and even if there is a break in the traffic, the drivers just don't see you crossing.

That Westbound side of the bridge is useless for crossing at all....I never use it for anything.

^yes. use the left side when leaving the city, which is the right side when entering.

you'll still probably have to high tail it, the crosswalks on the va side are very busy and cars will not let you cross. but it's much better than the other side.

when coming into the city i usually cross over to the lincoln memorial and go behind it, rather than in front. to avoid the cattle.

If I understand the OP , you want to know how to get on the trail from the VA side, correct?

One of the earlier posters is correct that the safest way is from near the Key Bridge. I live in Rosslyn and usually come around the bottom of the cemetery then go with traffic headed towards the Lincoln (still on the VA side). I use one of the cross walks to get across the Parkway, though it sometimes takes awhile to either get a break in traffic or get someone to stop. Once you cross, you can bear to the right about 50 yards, then have to cross the part of the Parkway that bypasses the circle. You go a short ways, then have yet another lane of traffic to cross before finally reaching the path. It is a pain, and sometimes, does take awhile.

Problem is, depending on where you are coming from, getting over to theentrance near the Key Bridge can be tough as well. As I mentioned, I live in Rosslyn, and find navigating the traffic to get near the Key Bridge is sometimes worse. At least when you cross the Parkway you know where the traffic is coming from. Trying to get near the Key Bridge, you have to worry about cars coming from all directions, as well as pedestrians, particularly on N. Lynn.