W&OD Regional Park

The W&OD Trail
Arlington to Purcellville, Va

The W&OD, short for Washington and Old Dominion Regional Park, is one of the most popular running locations in the Washington area. This 45 mile long and about 100 feet wide is a converted rail line

A L S O :

The Potomac Pedalers W&OD Trail Page

The W&OD Trail "Jogging"

Potomac Pedalers Multi-Use Trails

Washington Area Rails-To-Trails
The Washington & Old Dominion Trail

starting in a semi-urban area of Arlington, and heading west through the suburbs and farmlands to the foot of the mountains in Purcellville. Being a former rail line, the W&OD is notable for its lack of hills. There are a few rolls, but generally the trail is flat. Generally, the trail parallels Route 7 as it heads toward the countryside.

For the really adventurous, future plans for the W&OD indicate a connection of the western end of the trail with a new trail that extends from Purcellville to Harper's Ferry, an intersection with the C&O Canal Towpath. This loop would be more than 80 miles. Currently, many trail users are using White's Ferry to cross over the Potomac to the C&O Canal.

Having lived along, or near the W&OD for most of my life, I have put in thousands of miles on the trail. I have been using the trail long enough to remember trains running on it! Despite the near total lack of trail side water, it is a very good place to run. Outside the Beltway the trail is frequently uninterrupted by crossroads for long stretches. These long, flat sections are perfect for long runs.

The W&OD west from Vienna has a parallel packed cinder surfaced horse trail. A bit more rolling than the paved trail, the horse trail is a nice, soft surface that is much easier on the legs than pavement. However, be careful when approaching a horse when running here. Take the safe route and walk past the horse. Some horses are better behaved than others.

The W&OD is lined with historical sights, passing many small towns along its way to the mountains. From the trail's beginning in Shirlington to the western terminus in Purcellville, the scenery is incredibly varied.

If you feel very adventurous, the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club is putting on a race that covers the full length of the W&OD Trail 45.5 miles.

The following are the maps of the trail, and the elevations for different points along the W&OD. The trail is generally flat for its length, and there are no real hills of note.

map

Purcellville Station 533'

Ivandale Road 459'

Clarks Gap 582'

King Street, Leesburg 317'

Tuscarora Creek 267'

Sycolin Creek 244'

Ashburn Road 295'

map

Beaverdam Road 225'

Broad Run 234'

Church Road 288'

Sterling Boulevard 321'

Mile Marker 21.5 393'

Sunset Hills Station 398'

Difficult Run 225'

Cedar Lane 414'

Sandburg Street 407'

map

Interstate 495 419'

Broad Street 337'

Lee Highway 300'

Bluemont Junction 206'

Columbia Pike 125'

Walter Reed Drive 65'

Links

Comments, advice, submissions, and other stuff can be sent to JeffReed88@Yahoo.com