The Guide to Exploring and Running out of Georgetown
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath
The C&O Canal Towpath is a flat, crushed gravel path that runs for over 100 miles Northwest into Maryland. Every mile is marked, which is great for getting splits on your runs. There are two main entrances to the Canal from campus: either take 34th Street south across M Street and down the big hill, or go out the Canal Road entrance (near Leo’s/SW Quad), turn right, and look for a cement path that curves downhill into the woods and eventually into a tunnel. The Canal will be up the steps to the left at the end of the tunnel.
Capital Crescent Trail
Running next to the Canal is the Capital Crescent Trail, a paved bike path that runs into Bethesda. Every half-mile is marked on the path. Getting there is very similar to getting to the Canal: you can either take the 34th Street entrance and run about a quarter-mile on the Canal before going down some steps to the Capital Crescent or you can follow the same route out of the Canal Road entrance.
Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway
Another paved bike path is the Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway, which runs north from the east end of Georgetown, past Dupont Circle, through the National Zoo, and onward. Much of it is shaded—great for running in the DC heat. To get there, take P Street due west until just past Rose Park, where there will be what looks like a highway onramp on the right side of the road. Take that ramp downhill and turn left onto the sidewalk.
Glover-Archbold Trails, Dumbarton Oaks Park, & Battery Kemble Park
Just northwest of campus, the Glover-Archbold Trails begin. There are innumerable different dirt routes in the woods that surround the trails, which you can enter most easily at the northeast corner of Reservoir & 44th Street. If you run around in there enough, you will find Dumbarton Oaks Park and Battery Kemble Park, two great places to run.
The Monuments & National Mall
A classic DC (and GRC) run is the monument run. There are a couple of ways to get down to the general monument/Mall area. The easiest way to remember is to take Wisconsin Avenue all the way down to the waterfront, turn left, and hug the bank of the Potomac all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial. Cross the Lincoln Circle to get to the Reflecting Pool, World War II Memorial, Washington Monument, and Mall. An alternative is to start out on the Canal, going east until you run into Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway. Take a right there, and just continue running next to the Parkway until the Lincoln. It’s a very scenic trip between Georgetown and the monuments, and the scale, grandiosity, and history of the monuments can’t be topped.
The Tidal Basin, West Potomac Park, & Haines Point
To get to the Tidal Basin/West Potomac Park/Haines Point area, start out the same way as the monument run. When you get to Lincoln Circle, instead of heading along the reflection pool, keep going around the circle, to the south of it. There you will eventually run into Independence Drive and Ohio Drive. Both will take you to the Tidal Basin area, where you can do loops and check out the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. If you’re looking to see Hains Point (one of DC’s most talked about running spots), take Ohio, which runs along the river. It is incredibly scenic and is highly recommended.
Downtown
If you’re not averse to many stoplights or too much concrete, it can be a fun run to stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue and check out a few DC landmarks. The World Bank, the IMF, and the White House are all within just a couple of miles. The easiest way to get there is to go to 29th Street & M Street, where M Street splits into Pennsylvania Avenue. Take Pennsylvania all the way down to the White House. If you continue on, you can take a slight left on New York Avenue or turn onto G Street after the White House.
The Palisades: MacArthur Boulevard
A nice neighborhood to the northwest of DC, the Palisades provide a fairly scenic route. Take Reservoir Road west out of campus until it meets up with MacArthur Boulevard. Continue on MacArthur to your heart’s content—it stretches into Maryland past the old Glen Echo Amusement Park.
The Other Side of the River: The Custis Trail, The Mt. Vernon Trail, Teddy Roosevelt Island, & the Potomac Heritage Trail
To take the Custis Trail, which is a paved path that rolls through some wooded areas and next to some highways, leave Georgetown down 35th St before crossing the Key Bridge. After getting across the bridge, you will reach a second stoplight. Turn right there to enter the trail.
You can also go the other way in Virginia by going out of Georgetown down 34th Street, which will lead you to the Mt. Vernon Trail, Teddy Roosevelt Island, and the Potomac Heritage Trail. After crossing the Key Bridge, continue running straight until just before you hit Lee Highway. You will see a two-lane bike path on your left. Continue on the path down the curvy bridge.
One option after the bridge is to turn around under it and take the Potomac Heritage Trail. Though not very smooth, it can be a lot of fun for an adventure. The further you go, the rockier the trail becomes, so continue at your own risk.
If you decide to continue going straight after the bridge, you will quickly encounter another bridge on your left that takes you to Teddy Roosevelt Island. There are some really nice dirt paths in the woods there, which make up some fairly long loops of a mile and more.
If neither of those options catch your eye, you can take the Mt. Vernon Trail all the way down the river. If you go the full 18 miles, you’ll run into George Washington’s old home, the trail’s namesake. Even if you don’t plan on going that far, it’s a nicely paved bike path with some very scenic views.
Finding a Track: American vs. Georgetown
Once, Georgetown had a 400m track of its own on top of what is now Yates (it’s even shown in The Exorcist—proof!) At some point during the 80s, that track was demolished in favor of North Kehoe Field, leaving Georgetown’s prolific XC/Track program without its own track. Luckily, the university was able to obtain usage rights at the track just above 39th & Reservoir. Unfortunately, that track is only 320m, not the standard 400m. Nonetheless, it does its job.
If you find yourself in desperate need of a 400m track, however, you can venture up to American University’s track, which is open for public use. To get there by roads, you can take Reservoir Road west, turn right onto Foxhall Road, and then turn right on Nebraska Avenue. American’s campus is pretty small, so you should be able to find the track. It’s located in the Northwest portion of campus. Alternatively, you can take the Glover-Archbold trails to Foxhall, but we recommend going with someone who knows the way. It’s easy to get lost back there.
The C&O Canal Towpath is a flat, crushed gravel path that runs for over 100 miles Northwest into Maryland. Every mile is marked, which is great for getting splits on your runs. There are two main entrances to the Canal from campus: either take 34th Street south across M Street and down the big hill, or go out the Canal Road entrance (near Leo’s/SW Quad), turn right, and look for a cement path that curves downhill into the woods and eventually into a tunnel. The Canal will be up the steps to the left at the end of the tunnel.
Capital Crescent Trail
Running next to the Canal is the Capital Crescent Trail, a paved bike path that runs into Bethesda. Every half-mile is marked on the path. Getting there is very similar to getting to the Canal: you can either take the 34th Street entrance and run about a quarter-mile on the Canal before going down some steps to the Capital Crescent or you can follow the same route out of the Canal Road entrance.
Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway
Another paved bike path is the Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway, which runs north from the east end of Georgetown, past Dupont Circle, through the National Zoo, and onward. Much of it is shaded—great for running in the DC heat. To get there, take P Street due west until just past Rose Park, where there will be what looks like a highway onramp on the right side of the road. Take that ramp downhill and turn left onto the sidewalk.
Glover-Archbold Trails, Dumbarton Oaks Park, & Battery Kemble Park
Just northwest of campus, the Glover-Archbold Trails begin. There are innumerable different dirt routes in the woods that surround the trails, which you can enter most easily at the northeast corner of Reservoir & 44th Street. If you run around in there enough, you will find Dumbarton Oaks Park and Battery Kemble Park, two great places to run.
The Monuments & National Mall
A classic DC (and GRC) run is the monument run. There are a couple of ways to get down to the general monument/Mall area. The easiest way to remember is to take Wisconsin Avenue all the way down to the waterfront, turn left, and hug the bank of the Potomac all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial. Cross the Lincoln Circle to get to the Reflecting Pool, World War II Memorial, Washington Monument, and Mall. An alternative is to start out on the Canal, going east until you run into Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway. Take a right there, and just continue running next to the Parkway until the Lincoln. It’s a very scenic trip between Georgetown and the monuments, and the scale, grandiosity, and history of the monuments can’t be topped.
The Tidal Basin, West Potomac Park, & Haines Point
To get to the Tidal Basin/West Potomac Park/Haines Point area, start out the same way as the monument run. When you get to Lincoln Circle, instead of heading along the reflection pool, keep going around the circle, to the south of it. There you will eventually run into Independence Drive and Ohio Drive. Both will take you to the Tidal Basin area, where you can do loops and check out the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. If you’re looking to see Hains Point (one of DC’s most talked about running spots), take Ohio, which runs along the river. It is incredibly scenic and is highly recommended.
Downtown
If you’re not averse to many stoplights or too much concrete, it can be a fun run to stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue and check out a few DC landmarks. The World Bank, the IMF, and the White House are all within just a couple of miles. The easiest way to get there is to go to 29th Street & M Street, where M Street splits into Pennsylvania Avenue. Take Pennsylvania all the way down to the White House. If you continue on, you can take a slight left on New York Avenue or turn onto G Street after the White House.
The Palisades: MacArthur Boulevard
A nice neighborhood to the northwest of DC, the Palisades provide a fairly scenic route. Take Reservoir Road west out of campus until it meets up with MacArthur Boulevard. Continue on MacArthur to your heart’s content—it stretches into Maryland past the old Glen Echo Amusement Park.
The Other Side of the River: The Custis Trail, The Mt. Vernon Trail, Teddy Roosevelt Island, & the Potomac Heritage Trail
To take the Custis Trail, which is a paved path that rolls through some wooded areas and next to some highways, leave Georgetown down 35th St before crossing the Key Bridge. After getting across the bridge, you will reach a second stoplight. Turn right there to enter the trail.
You can also go the other way in Virginia by going out of Georgetown down 34th Street, which will lead you to the Mt. Vernon Trail, Teddy Roosevelt Island, and the Potomac Heritage Trail. After crossing the Key Bridge, continue running straight until just before you hit Lee Highway. You will see a two-lane bike path on your left. Continue on the path down the curvy bridge.
One option after the bridge is to turn around under it and take the Potomac Heritage Trail. Though not very smooth, it can be a lot of fun for an adventure. The further you go, the rockier the trail becomes, so continue at your own risk.
If you decide to continue going straight after the bridge, you will quickly encounter another bridge on your left that takes you to Teddy Roosevelt Island. There are some really nice dirt paths in the woods there, which make up some fairly long loops of a mile and more.
If neither of those options catch your eye, you can take the Mt. Vernon Trail all the way down the river. If you go the full 18 miles, you’ll run into George Washington’s old home, the trail’s namesake. Even if you don’t plan on going that far, it’s a nicely paved bike path with some very scenic views.
Finding a Track: American vs. Georgetown
Once, Georgetown had a 400m track of its own on top of what is now Yates (it’s even shown in The Exorcist—proof!) At some point during the 80s, that track was demolished in favor of North Kehoe Field, leaving Georgetown’s prolific XC/Track program without its own track. Luckily, the university was able to obtain usage rights at the track just above 39th & Reservoir. Unfortunately, that track is only 320m, not the standard 400m. Nonetheless, it does its job.
If you find yourself in desperate need of a 400m track, however, you can venture up to American University’s track, which is open for public use. To get there by roads, you can take Reservoir Road west, turn right onto Foxhall Road, and then turn right on Nebraska Avenue. American’s campus is pretty small, so you should be able to find the track. It’s located in the Northwest portion of campus. Alternatively, you can take the Glover-Archbold trails to Foxhall, but we recommend going with someone who knows the way. It’s easy to get lost back there.