R88

My wife and I have recently retired from the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game. We are planning a bicycle vacation this fall in Washington D.C. and camping at Greenbelt Park. We are mostly interested in visiting the mall and bicycling local paved trails.
We've been getting a lot of scare stories from friends about Washington D.C. being a dangerous place and how we are rising our lives and our bikes by going there. I assume these are the same type of stories people down south hear about Alaska from friends who have no personnel experience and spend too much time watching the TV news.
If any of you have any suggestions about area's to avoid, trails to seek out, or sites not to miss we would like to benefit from local knowledge. Thank you.

Papa Tom

I haven't biked in DC for more than a decade, but when my wife and I visited with our bikes, here's the ride we took. https://nyrides.freehosting.net/dc.htm . This is a link to a page on my website. Conveniently, we stayed at a hotel in Greenbelt and took the train into town, which saved a lot of hassles, as DC is known for horrible traffic and very scarce parking. I'm not sure where Greenbelt Park is, but it can't be far from where we spent the night.

I'd assume Alaska is a bit like a place I used to do business in Canada, called Yellowknife. If so, DC is not much worse than that. Everywhere you go, there are good sections and bad. When we visited DC, there were definitely some characters that made us feel uncomfortable on some of the streets, but being from New York, we are used to that. Others here can probably tell you which neighborhoods to avoid, but I think if you stay in the typical tourist section, you'll be OK. Remember that the guide sheet on my website is quite old, so be sure to confirm it all with other readers.

Please report back after your trip!

R88

Thank you for your reply, I could not get the link to your website to work.
We are also stopping in Minneapolis and the Miami Valley Bike trails in Ohio. But somehow those places do not seem to invoke the same reaction as Washington D.C. I'm hoping some local Washingtontonians will confirm that Washington D.C. is just like Lake Wobegon only without Garrison Keiller.

____

I travel to DC from the nearby NJ/NY area specifically to ride. I either come in and out for the day, or stay overnight across the Potomac in Alexandria VA.

Yes, DC is a great place to ride; and, no, it's not unsafe. Not only do you have all of the monumental architecture and broad streets of the city, but the various bike trails in and around the city -- the Mount Vernon and W&OD to name two -- are amazing on their own. Georgetown and Alexandria are also good places to ride and explore.

cc_rider

I don't know who you've been talking to, but they don't seem to know much about DC (or their knowledge is stuck in the 1970's). Not Lake Wobegon, but nowhere near as bad as the south Bronx (apologies to the Bronx, but I've ridden there a few times)

DC is a great place for getting around by bike, by foot and by mass transit. Very visitor friendly.

I’ve been riding around the DC area for over 30 years. There are a few areas that I won’t ride in the day time although there are several that I’d avoid at night, on bike or on foot. I stay out of Trinidad, although I ride the edge of it often. I don’t ride through Benning or Deanwood or Capitol Heights, but that’s more because I don’t find myself out that way (and you probably won’t either).

This is a congested urban area, so you do have to be very aware of your surroundings. When you go into an unfamiliar area, use common sense. Don’t flash money around. Don’t look too much like a tourist. Remember that you are visiting someone else’s home, so be respectful. If you end up in a neighborhood or situation that makes you uncomfortable, get out of there and back to the main road where there are more people. Traffic can be heavy, so use good road skills.

Northwest and southwest are fine. Capitol Hill is mostly fine, although it gets a little rougher as you go north to Trinidad and east to the river. Northeast is mostly fine above the Arboretum. In Anacostia I ride the Good Hope, MLK, Alabama Ave areas often and have never had a problem in the daytime. I haven’t ridden much in Greenbelt, but I do ride College Park, Berwyn Hieghts, Riverdale, Hyattsville, Mount Rainer, etc, often and with no trouble or concern.

For the areas you’ll probably be visiting, you should have no problem. Georgetown, Northwest, downtown, the Mall, Capitol Hill - all pretty safe and bike friendly areas, depending on road conditions. The city is crisscrossed by bike lanes and bike routes, and many of the non-signed roads are also fine. The Mall and downtown are especially easy to get around by bike.

Greenbelt Park sounds like a good location to be based out of.
Greenbelt Road gets you to the trail head for a nice bikeway into the city using the Anacostia trails. NE Branch Trail to the NW Branch trail gets you close to the city. Rhode Island Avenue or Bladensburg Road will take you downtown quickly, but both can have traffic to deal with, especially on weekdays. I like to take the NW Branch up to 38th Street, then Allison, Varnum and 18th street to either the Arboretum/West Virginia Ave, or Monroe to Catholic U and 4th to downtown. Here’s the link to the Anacostia system https://www.pgparks.com/Your_Parks/Tr...ail_System.htm
Easy ride to the Greenbelt Metro (Crescent to Kenilworth to Cherrywood). Bikes allowed on Metro except at rush-hours. You could also ride to the station, take the train in and use Capitol Bike Share to get around.
Just north of you is great riding in the Agricultural Research Center grounds and you can go out to Patuxent, Bowie and points east for some nice countryside. College Park might be nice to check out, too.

Get a DC bike map. I think you can order it from the city, but here’s the pdf link https://dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street...pg,+8.33+MB%29

Here is a good link for local trails - https://bikewashington.org/

Some recommendations -
Mount Vernon Trail to Alexandria or Mount Vernon
Capital Crescent Trail / Rock Creek Trail on weekends (when Beach Drive is closed to cars)
C&O to Great Falls (I usually take MacArthur Blvd back)
Hains Point especially at sunset.
Seeing the monuments by night is a special experience.

Have fun

R88

Oh Man! Thank you for your reply, this is exactly what I was looking for. My wife and I decided to make Washington D.C. this years destination after finding this: https://washcycle.typepad.com/bikemap/ on the internet. It is one of the best bike maps I've encountered on the web. With your information as a guide we'll feel better informed and more comfortable on our adventures.
And, yes a lot of my peers are stuck in the '70's, in fact the last time I was in D.C. was 1972, I had blast! But these days I'm looking for a lower key kind of experience.
Thank you again for your time and effort putting together this reply. We should be in Washington D.C. in early October.

nevermore1701

ill tell you what everyone told me when i was there 2 years ago. get out of town at night. my brother lives in virginia and works in dc.. everyone said the same thing.since i dont live there i took there advice it is a cool place to visit so much to see im sure it would be a blast on a bicycle. have fun and be safe

GodsBassist

DC is amazing to bike in. Driving around here is the scary part.

Also, your bike map is pretty accurate. I don't know how long you'll be here for, but you should check out the W&OD and the Mt. Vernon trails, Eat at Georgetown Cupcake and I second seeing the monuments at night. Getting around the heart of DC is super easy.

Also remember that you can take your bikes on the metro during non-rush hour times.

songfta

As a 10-year resident of The District (and not NoVA, MoCo or PG County), I heartily recommend it as a place to ride and to hang out at night! There is plenty to do here, both on the bike and off. The city is a city, but many places offer a lot after the sun goes down: Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, U Street, Capitol Hill/Barracks Row, and the newly-cool H Street/Atlas District are full of great places to dine, dance, and have fun. Downtown has a vibrant theatre scene and many well-regarded restaurants. The Mall is beautiful at night.

Sure, there are fun places outside The District: AFI Silver Theatre (Silver Spring), Old Town in Alexandria, etc. But DC - The District - is a great place, 24/7!

Oh - and the cycling is great, too!

You'll have a blast!

cc_rider

@nevermore1701 - I know a lot of fellow Virginians who feel that way, but I think they are being silly.

@ R88 - The areas songfta mentions are all fine at night, especially if you stay on the main roads and use common sense. You can always go into town for an evening, then take Metro back to Greenbelt to avoid more remote neighborhoods and getting lost in the dark.

Here is the route, mostly trail, from Greenbelt Park into DC.
https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5669414
This takes you past the Greenbelt Metro. Lake Artemesia is a nice park and from there you can take the Paint Branch trail to College Park. Once you get off the NW Branch at 38th you are on mostly good streets (paving a little rough just before the DC line) and generally good neighborhoods. At mile 11 you can turn at 8th street and switch to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, but Eckington is a pretty neighborhood so you should try 4th at least once.

Here’s a loop through the Agricultural Research Facility to Bowie. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve ridden it, so I’m not sure of the condition of all of the roads, especially Beaver Dam. But it is a pretty area to ride.
https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5669849

Songfta mentioned Silver Spring Here is a mostly trail route starting from NW Branch
https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5670420

If you need any specific information about routes, destinations, upcoming events, etc. feel free to PM me.

R88

Thank you all for your time and information, it's all going to make our stay more enjoyable. It will be great having all this reference material handy when we are there. We are still in Seattle riding the Samamish & Burke Gilman trails, planning to leave for Minneapolis on Thursday. The weather has been unbelievably beautiful. When we left Alaska on Sept. 10 I was wearing long underwear and rain gear, now I'm wearing sleeveless shirts and sunblock!

MattFoley

As a 7-year DC resident, I can say confidently that your friends are wrong. The Alliance for Biking and Walking ranked DC as #2 best city and DC also ranks among the top for bike commuters and in general. It is also pretty safe at all hours, but like any city, keeping your wits about you will help you avoid trouble. In addition to what others have said regarding cycling, I'll just add this: if you ever are going to take eyes off your bike, even for a minute, make sure it's locked with a U-lock. DC has a pretty severe bike theft problem, but thieves tend to go after the low-hanging fruit, by which I mean bikes with cable locks. Bike parking is abundant in the city, so that's not an issue.

When possible, I'd suggest leaving your own bike in the hotel or wherever you're staying and checking out Capital Bikeshare. It's a cheap and convenient way to get around the city (but it's not meant for long rides, just short trips) and you never have to worry about locking up your bike, you just dock at the nearest station and you're all set. There are something like 165 stations in the DC area (DC, Arlington, and now Old Town Alexandria) and 1600+ bikes, so you have to go out of your way to not be close to a station.

R88

Thank you for the advice about the theft, I had not given it much thought. I've always used the lightest gauge cable from REI. I will invest in a U lock and only use our bikes for long trail rides. We had planned on visiting the mall and museums. The ride share bikes should be a good use for those days. Also I've never even seen a ride share program but I've read about them, it will be a valuable experience. Thank you for your tips, I would hate to lose my bike while on a bike vacation.

cc_rider

So, have you made it to DC yet?

R88

Up date on my epic retirement bicycle trip that I've been planning for the last 3 years. I suffered a herniated disc in Minneapolis, not a result of bike riding but it put an end to our trip. I'm now headed back to Alaska for recuperation and physical therapy, it's been a huge disappointment. Seattle and Minneapolis where great! Hopefully we can head out on a new adventure next spring before the summer heat makes travel down south intolerable. Thanks to all of you for providing information and support for your local areas. I'll be back!

cc_rider

Sorry to hear about you mis(sed)adventure.
I was going to suggest a meet up. I'd be happy to show you some of my town.
Let me know if you do make it this way.

KR

R88

Thank you C C, I go to see a surgeon on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll be in shape to try this again next fall. I've been very impressed with the fall colors down here, we just don't have that many hardwoods in south east Alaska. I'm not giving up on my epic retirement bicycle trip, I'm only postponing it.

Teamdarb

I am born/raised in SE, DC. I have no problem riding anywhere SE or NE.


I honestly cannot believe how much easier it is to traverse DC, since being gone in January to cycle the entire USA. I have only been back for 3 weeks and the change is dramatic. I do not like the maps DC puts out for tourist. Find a Metro map. It will show you the small holes, short cuts, and dead ends. As long as you do not look like a tourist you vacation will be sweet. I find most of the things that make DC negative are due to "Tourist". I mean those who have no idea of how to blend in. Blending in is the key to more adventure then the next person. If you need a contact and I am not out touring please feel free to send me an email before you get here. teamdarb@gmail.com -Wilson

cc_rider

Yup. I generally avoid the Mall during tourist season, especially school-group season.

Sounds like an interesting trip. Are you posting the details?

Teamdarb

No.

R88

Teamdarb, Thanks for the offer. My recovery is going well, I walked or should I say limped 4 miles today. My best so far. I've also started climbing stairs without use of the hand railing. If we make it to D.C. Next fall I'll definitely give you a call.
Like your outfit, is that what it takes to blend in?

Teamdarb

Ha! That outfit is just about being visible. Around town- "regular" tennis shoes, jeans, shirt, and helmet will blend you in perfectly. No holding maps out like you are looking for the Crystal Skull.

I have found some errors in what I know about riding around here. Since I have been back the change has be drastic.
#1 Yes, safe on the NW side to the point I have seen traffic moving out of the way. #2 Yes, safe on the NE side (as long as you are riding between work hours). The dope boys, gangsters (loosely using that word), jump-out boys (Police who think they are above the law), drug addicts are not out til after 7pm. Same can be said about SE, with the addition of numerous nomads on some of the trails. Many of the trails/routes on the NE/SE side are just plain horrible to ride on - Roots lifting the trail or just to many detours to enjoy riding.