Mount Vernon Trail Named 2026 Hall of Fame Trail
The route from Roosevelt Island to George Washington’s estate began with two Alexandria women and a petition. It is now one of America’s most celebrated trails.
Alexandria, VA – The Mount Vernon Trail has always had scenery going for it. The Potomac, the woods, the marsh, the views—hard to lose with that lineup. Now the 18.5-mile route has a national honor to match.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has named Virginia’s Mount Vernon Trail its 2026 Hall of Fame Trail after it received 58 percent of the public vote. The route stretches from Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, linking Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County along the way.
For residents south of the Beltway, that recognition belongs not just to a picturesque bike ride but to a daily community asset. The trail passes Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve and Fort Hunt Park before it reaches Mount Vernon, offering runners, walkers, cyclists and birders a front-row seat to one of the region’s most beautiful—and busiest—corridors.
The trail’s origin story is about neighbors showing up. In the early 1970s, Alexandria residents Ellen Pickering and Barbara Lynch pushed for a safe place to walk and bike. Their work helped create the first segment, and volunteers literally helped build it. More than five decades later, that spirit continues through Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, whose volunteers pick up litter, trim vegetation and help keep the route welcoming.
“The Hall of Fame designation is a testament to the impact individuals have when they show up for trails,” Judd Isbell, president of Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, said in announcing the honor.
The recognition comes at a useful moment. The trail is part of the growing Capital Trails Network, intended to connect more than 1,000 miles of trails across Virginia, Maryland and the District. But the Mount Vernon Trail remains distinctive because it is equal parts transportation route, nature walk and history lesson.
One minute, a rider is passing a marsh where osprey and eagles are part of the scenery. The next, they are pedaling toward the home of the nation’s first president. It is the sort of place that makes visitors feel lucky to be here and locals remember that their regular Saturday ride is, frankly, a little ridiculous in the best possible way.
The national designation recognizes the views and history, certainly. But it also recognizes the people who have kept showing up for the trail—from the women who got it started to the volunteers who still care for it today.
