Definitely drive with caution up to the parking lot because there are tons of pedestrians and bicyclists along the side of the road and they don't always move over, so better safe than sorry. The parking lot is small and difficult to navigate and people always have to u turn to exit, so when entering this lot please try to stay to one side to let other people get out. The trails are a little confusingly marked but I just followed the instructions on Peninsula Open Space Trust's website for a nice little lollipop route of 3.5 miles. You can see some horses and birds and nice wildflowers, and during our visit, we saw a rattlesnake. Definitely keep your distance from the wildlife. read more

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Back to this trail starting from Van Ness Street after a couple of years and this time didn't encounter the swampy area which seems to be cleared up so we were able to emerge onto Reservoir Road with no problems. However our plan to reach the end on Canal Road was thwarted as the trail is again blocked before that with a metal fence but no signage explaining the reason. As before had to retrace our steps and exit via Georgetown U campus. Still this is a very shaded and easy trail without a lot of foot traffic - most of the people we saw seemed to be from the apt or condo buildings right next to the park walking their dogs (most of them unleashed as usual although none seemed unruly). read more

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The Glover Archbold Trail is a beautiful urban hike just north of Georgetown that takes you through quaint neighborhoods like Foxhall Village and the Palisades all the way up to Tenleytown. It's well-marked and will take you through streams, hills, and fallen trees. If you're into D.C. history, there's an abandoned streetcar track from 1896 in the south part of the trail. read more

Beautiful flat dirt trail that feels serene and secluded and only a stone's throw away from the bustling city! Our dog enjoyed the trail and we passed lots of dog walkers along the way (there aren't waste disposal bins though!). There's a lot less foot traffic on this lesser known trail than Rock Creek Park (intersects with the Western Trail). The full trail starting from Cathedral Heights on Massachusetts Avenue to Foundry Branch Valley Park in Georgetown is around 5 miles. The trail is shaded with a canopy of pine trees and a nice creek. We walked over a log and saw a family of white tail deer at dusk. As you inch closer to Georgetown, the trail is overgrown, look out for poison ivy and bring bug spray! The trail has many entrances as we entered mid-way through the Glover Park Community Gardens on New Mexico Ave and 42nd Street. We spent about an hour leisurely walking 2.5 miles and landed at Georgetown Athletics Center, it was too dark to walk through Foundry Park. We walked 1/2 a mile down Canal Road past the Key Bridge to M Street. Wonderful underdog local trail that gets overlooked for the more popular Rock Creek Park. Great for fall foliage and furry friends! read more

Really lovely and substantial wooded area next to Georgetown University that extends north almost to Tenleytown. There are also a couple of swaths of victory gardens-small plots for those that live here. The southern end also has a tunnel that leads to the Canal towpath and the Capital Crescent Trail. Only in DC do you get this kind of isolation inside a city. Great place for a relaxing walk/run that gets you out of the local hubbub without having to drive anywhere. read more

This was an unexpected but lovely experience, even with the brisk morning wind and walking through the wispy woods. As someone who grew up mostly in the cities, seeing a wild deer grazing and jumping around the wood was truly invigorating and the clear blue sky with the hyperoxygenated state was wonderful. I strongly recommend stopping by, even if just for a 10 min walk. read more

Glover Archbold Trail - Hiking Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Went to this park for the Foundry branch trolley trestle ruins. First of all the trails are poorly marked if at all. After spending 2 hrs the ruins are no where to be found. The people in the park with their pets don't obey the rule/ law. Too many were letting their dogs run free. read more

This trail is located right in front of my place. I come here 2 or 3 times each day to walk my dog. I usually take my dog for morning walk around 7 am when there are not too many dog and people jog around yet. It's usually start to get crowded around 7.30 - 9 am when people start to jog and wan their dog. It has small creek. My daughter and my dog love the creek so much. Perfect place to splash around during the hot day. Bring some snack, blanket to sit and you are all set for simple yet nice picnic with your kids. I have to say that this trail is super clean. I mean for a trail full with people walking their dog, I don't see many dog pup around. It's clean. People scoop after their pet, which is very nice read more

Glover Archbold Trail - Spring flower - Hiking Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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It's refreshing to find a trail in DC that is separate from Rock Creek Park, and I personally think this might be the perfect trail run in DC. The trail has a few different entrances, I picked it up on Massachusetts Ave and ran it about 3 miles down to the exit on Reservoir road. I found this trail the day after it poured down rain and still felt pretty safe running it. The trail is flat and fairly wide the whole way through.There are a few bridges and streams that I had to slow down for, but I appreciated the change of pace. During the spring, the trail is filled with bright green foliage, nice gurgling streams, and tons of wildlife. I was about 4 feet away from a deer at one point! I would recommend this trail for walking or running, solo or group trips, and a good one for the family. read more

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This is a great trail for running and it's a nice haven from dc traffic. It's obviously beautiful, especially with the fall foliage. BUT I live in the area and I have personally known several people who were crime victims in the park, even during broad daylight. Just be cautious if you're alone and be aware of your surroundings. There are lots of people in certain areas of the park, so stick to those if you can. Or better yet, take a buddy and explore! read more

3.25 stars Either people can not read or they choose not to and just abandon all common sense. LEASH YOUR DOGS!! You might have the "friendliest" dog in the world but a stranger does not know that. Plus that very same stranger might have a dog that does not take too kindly to unleashed dogs approaching them. I have seen some really nasty stuff between two dogs that are strangers. I mean, it really is just common sense. And someone who sees a huge dog running towards them might do what they can to defend...JUST. LEASH. THE. DANG. DOG. End rant. Aside from the rant, once you are done with the major scenic areas in the city, this is a nice little 3.5 mile or so walk that starts around Van Ness, west of Wisconsin Ave, and ends around Canal street. From Canal Street, you can eventually get to Gtown. I like this peaceful little oasis off of Wisconsin and the only downfall is the few times it intersects with a few streets, such as Mass Ave, Cathedral and Reservoir. Parts of the trail past Reservoir do not strike me as being well maintained (at one point you cross a pretty decent stream with no bridge, you need to hop from rock to rock). You have some odd train (?) tracks at the end of the trail near Canal which probably only 10% of the locals know about (the ones who are avid bikers and hikers). read more

This is a great little hike/walk that takes you from the AU Metro to Georgetown. You want to head to Georgetown to grab a beer? Take this trail down and back and feel good about getting your exercise on as you pound the suds. You can also just do the loop, which is about 9 miles or so. A pretty walk that almost feels like your really out in nature. Except for when you're crossing streets (like Foxhall Road) in order to continue on your way. Connecting/looping with the Capital Crescent Trail is also a good way to change things up a bit. Either way, it beats pounding pavement! Just watch out for bikers once you get out of the more wooded areas, 'cause they're often out there too. read more

I love hiking this trail early on Sunday mornings, it relatively empty and really feels like you're in the wild while still being in DC--definitely reccomend It for people who love the outdoors and authentic nature trails but don't want to drive out to VA or MD. Also if you make to the very end you can walk right up to the Potomac river ! read more

This is a great trail! I love it! It's one of those trails that you start running on and suddenly you realize you are only hearing the babbling brook, the chirping birds and the leaves rustling from the squirrels and then you think--I'm in the middle of DC! It's wonderful...easy to find thanks to Greg M's directions (corner of Van Ness and Wisconsin...go on Van Ness behind the Ruby Tuesday and there's an open field and you'll see a trail which you follow into the woods). It's serene and it's gorgeous. The trees offer a cooling canopy and it's just beautiful. As a woman running alone in the woods, I try to be aware of my surroundings. I felt very safe here. Excellent trail! read more

This is a great trail! Sometimes it gets kind of crowded, especially between Glover Park and Reservoir Rd, but there are plenty of place to go "off trail" for a little more privacy. read more

Glover Archbold Trail - Off the beaten path, between Mass Ave and Cathedral Ave. - Hiking Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is one of my favorite trail in DC. Not very long or too challenging, but it is very serene and relaxing to walk in forest like environment in the middle of the city. As other reviewers indicated, it runs from Van Ness Street all the way to Georgetown. Nice walk to start a day on weekends. This trail is excellent for walking, running, and playing with dogs. Maybe even fun to meditate. Just remember to spray bug repellent all over before you go there. read more

This place is like a little swath of air conditioning in the middle of the city. In the summer it's like 10 degrees cooler than even shady areas like the Capital Crescent. One of my favorite places to run. The path is about 3 miles long, running from Van Ness all the way down to the Georgetown canal. In that stretch you only cross 3-4 streets and they're all pretty calm. Since it is very bendy, wooded, and rolling, the varied terrain keeps things interesting. To find the path from the south you have two choices: --from the Capital Crescent trail: find the tunnel under the canal. This is located about 1 mile west of the key bridge. Go through tunnel, take path to canal street, turn right on canal street. Path is about 50 feet up on your right. --from canal street: just find the path mentioned above. It's about a mile west of the key bridge, shortly after the entrance ramp to Georgetown. From the north just find Johnson's Flowershop at the corner of Van Ness and Wisconsin. There is a field just across the street that leads to the path read more

I live close to the park and have to say it is amazing having this much green and wooded area around DC. I have chosen to give the park one less star because there seems to be a majority of people thinking that walking your dog in the park without a leash is OK! I have had my dogs attacked numerously in the park due to people thinking their dogs are Gods gift to earth, then have the audacity to call me an animal abuser when I keep their well behaved dog from killing my dogs and myself. Other than the horrible dog issues the park is very low crime and is absolutely beautiful during the spring and summer. read more

Love this trail! Not very difficult, although there are several points where you need to cross creeks which involves balancing on stones and such. There are lots of roots and stones around, so I would recommend wearing mid-ankle trail running shoes/hiking boots, as I have come close to twisting my ankle a couple times when I didn't. I love bringing my dog on this trail, as it's incredibly conveniently located to our place, and convenient to a lot of neighborhoods in Northwest. I will, however, add that it is NOT the perfect place to have your pet off-leash as another commenter said, as there are signs posted around saying to not do that. (And it's awesome to be respectful of everyone else who wants to use the trails, including on-leash dogs who are terrified of other dogs.) No bikes on various points of trail. read more

I've only hiked this route once-actually on New Year's morning 2010 so it's been on my mind as this year draws to a close. When my pal and I traversed the route it was still snowed in from the December blizzard, but it was amazing. We started at the trailhead on Van Ness St after taking the Metro to Tenleytown. The trail descends into the stream valley pretty quickly and you enter a world of massive, centuries plus old trees and steep slopes that nearly hide the apartment buildings and houses that line the canyon. We passed some great old storm sewer outlets made of ancient red brick. The entrances into them are covered with wrought iron bars, presumably to keep the gators out of the stream or the hobos from going in to the secret underground world of DC. There are a few road crossings during the route, including Mass Ave, but most of the time you're going parallel to the creek on this gorgeous tree lined route. There is one long straight section where you walk atop a long concreted over sewer tunnel. I imagine this is where you'd pick up some time if you were jogging. The trail lets you out on Canal Rd west of Georgetown after about three miles. From there we walked along the road up to the Key Bridge and crossed to the Rosslyn Metro. If you want to see the wilder side of upper NW this trail can't be beat. there is more rugged territory in Rock Creek, but I love this walk best. read more

This is its own kinda reworked WMATA line: Washingtonians Moving Ass Tread Aerobically! The Glover-Archibald Trail is an excellent running trail as well as nature trail for a meandering ramble in the woods. It stretches from Tenleytown in the north to Georgetown in the south. You'll cross streets, lawns and creeks; hop logs, dogs and frogs along the way. read more

Perfect for having your pet without a leash! Amazing in October when you can see the different shades of nature on falling leaves. So romantic! read more

Ha so I sprained my ankle here. It's pretty rocky, the trail winds, and you may need to jump around puddles. There are so many connecting trails that you could easily end up farther in the park than you intended or back on the street. With that said, it's still beautiful and a nice, natural respite from the city. I like the trek from Glover Park to Georgetown. Don't run-- just walk. :) read more

Great park in NW, DC. Come out here and enjoy the beautiful, quiet trails of Glover Archbold park.

So I just moved to Glover Park and wasn't so sure about the possible running routes in the area. I'm pretty familiar Rock Creek, but didn't know there were so many other great trails in DC. Apparently you don't have to be near Rock Creek to have a great trail run that can go on for miles. I discovered there was a trail entrance literally two blocks from my apartment.. can't get better than that. Haven't explored it fully yet, but did find out that about a mile down it hits Reservoir Rd, then crossing over that hits the canal about another half mile down.. then you can go forever on either the Capital Crescent Trail or the C&O Canal. Can go Capital Crescent up through Bethesda, or C&O along the Potomac River either up through MD and further.. or down to Georgetown.. lots of wonderful options! Would highly recommend checking out this trail to anyone in the area who wants to get outside.. just don't go in the dark (gets quite dark.. go figure) read more