Fifty Plus (50+) - Found a nice trail

It is funny how you can live someplace for years and not notice a nice ride nearby. Today my wife and I rode the Anacostia River Trail, following the Northeast Branch Trail and the Piney Branch Trail to College Park, MD. We had to ride about 5 miles of city streets to get to the trail but they were pretty rideable roads. In any event, this is a well maintained, lightly used, paved trail winding along the river through woods and fields. You never feel that you are in the middle of a congested urban area. We stopped in to tour around the University of Maryland (wife's alma mater) and stopped for lunch and ice cream at their historic dairy. Round trip was 30 miles. Eventually the trail will extend a few more miles to hook up with the developing Anacostia River Walk at RFK Stadium. Then we will be able to conveniently zip right over to the trail.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/AnacostiaRiverTrail.jpg

It is funny how you can live someplace for years and not notice a nice ride nearby. Today my wife and I rode the Anacostia River Trail, following the Northeast Branch Trail and the Piney Branch Trail to College Park, MD. We had to ride about 5 miles of city streets to get to the trail but they were pretty rideable roads. In any event, this is a well maintained, lightly used, paved trail winding along the river through woods and fields. You never feel that you are in the middle of a congested urban area. We stopped in to tour around the University of Maryland (wife's alma mater) and stopped for lunch and ice cream at their historic dairy. Round trip was 30 miles. Eventually the trail will extend a few more miles to hook up with the developing Anacostia River Walk at RFK Stadium. Then we will be able to conveniently zip right over to the trail.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/AnacostiaRiverTrail.jpg

A little off topic but have you ridden the WW Bridge yet?

A little off topic but have you ridden the WW Bridge yet?
Yes, several times. The bike path was done well. It is about 12 feet wide with overlooks looking north on the Potomac for a view of Old Town and DC. The overlooks have free telescopes.

And how about you, have you ridden the new rail trail from Indian Head to Waldorf?

Yep. Those are good trails.

I only started riding the Anacostia Tributary trails this year. Ridden r/t from Arlington to College Park, and ridden Sligo Creek end-to-end several times. The Prince George County sections are well done and well signed. Montgomery County sections aren't as nice and don't have much signage, but they work. I wish they would extend the last bit into DC. Right now I get back to DC by Allison and Varnum, and take 18th or Michigan and 4th back towards downtown.
I've ridden a loop a couple of times that includes Beach/Rock Creek, Matthew Henson Trail, streets to Wheaton Park, Sligo Creek and North West Branch. I've pretty much worked out the route, now I'm getting the distances for a cue sheet.

And how about you, have you ridden the new rail trail from Indian Head to Waldorf?

Yes I have and do on a regular basis, it is part of my daily rides. I normally get on it from the the IH side and head home. It is a nice trail and the times I go on it, after work on weekdays, there is not too much traffic except for deer and grasshoppers and a roller balder and a few others. Very nice riding.
I ride the roads for the most part though. Maybe 6-8 miles of a 30 mile ride are on the IH railtrail.
This is from the Walforf( WhitePlains)
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/kr32/IndianheadRailtoTrail009.jpg
heading toward this end (IH) The whole trail is 13 miles long.http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/kr32/001.jpg

It is funny how you can live someplace for years and not notice a nice ride nearby. Today my wife and I rode the Anacostia River Trail, following the Northeast Branch Trail and the Piney Branch Trail to College Park, MD. We had to ride about 5 miles of city streets to get to the trail but they were pretty rideable roads. In any event, this is a well maintained, lightly used, paved trail winding along the river through woods and fields. You never feel that you are in the middle of a congested urban area. We stopped in to tour around the University of Maryland (wife's alma mater) and stopped for lunch and ice cream at their historic dairy. Round trip was 30 miles. Eventually the trail will extend a few more miles to hook up with the developing Anacostia River Walk at RFK Stadium. Then we will be able to conveniently zip right over to the trail.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/AnacostiaRiverTrail.jpg

I'm jealous!

My wife keeps wanting us to take a trip to Washington DC.

Should that happen may I contact you for directions and other places to ride? If we go on vacation somewhere the very first thing I do is rent a bike!

It goes without saying that anybody who reads this and visits Austin , TX can count on me for biking info.

Don in Austin

It is funny how you can live someplace for years and not notice a nice ride nearby.

You want to get out more.:innocent:

I ride North of my house sometimes but no cafes out that way so I don't do it very often. But if I want short sharp hills and plenty of them- I go there. Went out with an occasional rider a few months ago and he took me up some lanes that I never knew existed. I was looking for the return as we had done a lot of climbing in a few hours and would have enjoyed the Downhill but he took me just a bit further on and showed me a neglected MUP that I never knew existed. It was an old drovers trail that had a hard surface put over it and it was good riding. Only problem this put us 30 miles from home and the wrong side of a steep hill that I did not want to do on a cloudy day that has just turned to rain.

I'm jealous!

My wife keeps wanting us to take a trip to Washington DC.

Should that happen may I contact you for directions and other places to ride? If we go on vacation somewhere the very first thing I do is rent a bike!

It goes without saying that anybody who reads this and visits Austin , TX can count on me for biking info.

Don in Austin
Sure, just PM me when you start planning your trip.

Don