Running trails in Washington, DC

How to pick a trail in Washington

• Match the surface to your legs. Washington gives you a choice: 4 natural surface, 4 mixed, and 1 paved. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
• Loop or out-and-back? 2 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Washington is Whitehaven Trail at 27 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
• Check the hours before a 6am run. 11 trails in Washington are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 23 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
• Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 13 have trailhead parking, 5 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Washington. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
• The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 7 that runners describe as quiet, 7 dog-friendly, and 2 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.

More on all of this in the trail-running guides.

Browse Washington trails by type

• Natural surface trails (4 in Washington)
• Mixed trails (4 in Washington)
• Paved trails (1 in Washington)
• Loop trails (2 in Washington)
• Long-run trails (5+ mi) (1 in Washington)
• Shaded trails (3 in Washington)
• Lit for early & night runs (1 in Washington)
• Flat & fast (2 in Washington)
• Hilly trails (4 in Washington)
• Scenic trails (12 in Washington)
• Trails with restrooms (5 in Washington)
• Trails with water fountains (4 in Washington)
• Trailhead parking (13 in Washington)
• Quiet, uncrowded trails (7 in Washington)
• Dog-friendly (7 in Washington)
• Stroller & wheelchair-accessible (2 in Washington)

Running trails near Washington

Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.

• Running trails in Chillum, MD (1 · 4 mi)
• Running trails in Takoma Park, MD (5 · 4 mi)
• Running trails in Bethesda, MD (1 · 5 mi)
• Running trails in Arlington, VA (3 · 5 mi)
• Running trails in Hyattsville, MD (7 · 5 mi)
• Running trails in University Park, MD (1 · 6 mi)
• Running trails in Riverdale, MD (1 · 6 mi)
• Running trails in Silver Spring, MD (7 · 7 mi)