Getting Around DC
Biking in DC: Trails, Capital Bikeshare, and What Locals Know
Biking in DC is more practical and more enjoyable than most people expect — and more nuanced than the bike lane signs suggest. Here’s what you actually need to know.
Capital Bikeshare: The Starting Point
Capital Bikeshare is DC’s public bike share system — over 700 docking stations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia with both pedal bikes and e-bikes available. It’s how most people start biking in DC and how many continue for years.
- Single ride: $1 unlock fee + $0.05/minute (pedal) or $0.10/minute (e-bike)
- Day pass: $8 for unlimited 30-minute rides for 24 hours
- Monthly membership: $17/month for unlimited 30-minute pedal bike rides
- Annual membership: $85/year — the best value for regular riders
E-bikes are available at select stations, marked with a lightning bolt in the app. They cost slightly more per minute but make DC’s hills and longer distances significantly more manageable. Worth it for commutes or anyone who doesn’t want to arrive sweaty.
See our full DC bike rental guide covering Capital Bikeshare, Lime, Veo, and what to know before you ride.
DC’s Best Bike Trails
Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT)
The Metropolitan Branch Trail is DC’s most important urban bike trail — an 8-mile protected path running from Union Station north through Eckington, Brookland, and Fort Totten to the Maryland line. It’s off-street the entire way, connects to Metro at multiple points, and passes through some of DC’s most interesting neighborhoods. Flat, fast, and safe — the trail that changed bike commuting in DC.
C&O Canal Towpath
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath begins in Georgetown and runs 184.5 miles to Cumberland, Maryland. The towpath is unpaved (crushed limestone) but flat and scenic throughout. For DC cyclists, the Georgetown-to-Great Falls section — about 14 miles each way — is the most popular ride, arriving at Great Falls where the Potomac drops 76 feet in less than a mile. One of the best half-day bike rides from DC.
Rock Creek Park Trail
Rock Creek Park has nearly 1,800 acres of wooded trails running through the heart of Northwest DC — from Georgetown north to the Maryland line. The main paved trail follows Beach Drive NW and is closed to car traffic on weekends, making it one of DC’s best car-free cycling corridors. The park also has unpaved mountain bike trails for more technical riding. See our full Rock Creek Park trails guide.
Mount Vernon Trail
The Mount Vernon Trail runs 18 miles along the Virginia side of the Potomac — from Theodore Roosevelt Island south to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Paved, mostly flat, and offering continuous Potomac River views. Access from DC via the Key Bridge from Georgetown or the 14th Street Bridge. The section between Roosevelt Island and Old Town Alexandria is one of the most popular recreational rides in the entire DC region.
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is 20 miles of paved trail running along both banks of the Anacostia River — connecting Anacostia, Navy Yard, the National Mall, and points north and south. One of DC’s most underutilized trails and one of its most scenic for riders willing to explore Southeast DC. The trail connects directly to Nationals Park — making it the best car-free approach for cyclists from across the city.
15th Street Protected Bike Lane
The 15th Street NW protected bike lane running from Pennsylvania Avenue north to Columbia Heights is DC’s best on-street cycling infrastructure — a fully separated two-way cycle track with its own signal phases. It’s the model for what DC protected lanes should look like and the most comfortable on-street riding in the city.
On-Street Biking: What to Know
Pennsylvania Avenue NW has a protected cycle track between the Capitol and the White House — one of DC’s most iconic bike routes and surprisingly safe given the traffic volume.
Traffic circles are DC’s biggest cycling challenge. Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Thomas Circle all require confident lane positioning. Take the lane in circles — don’t hug the edge where drivers can’t see you.
Dooring zones — the 3-4 feet immediately adjacent to parked cars — are where most DC cycling accidents happen. Stay out of the door zone even when it means riding further into the lane.
DC bike laws: Cyclists must follow traffic laws — stop at red lights, signal turns, yield to pedestrians. Sidewalk riding is legal in DC except in the Central Business District. Helmets are required for riders under 16.
Biking to the Monuments
The National Mall is one of DC’s best cycling destinations — the paved paths along the Mall are accessible to bikes and put you at monument level without fighting parking. Lock your bike at Capital Bikeshare stations near each monument entrance or at NPS bike racks.
The best cycling approach to the Lincoln Memorial is via the Rock Creek Park trail south to the Tidal Basin. For the Capitol, the Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track delivers you directly. For the Smithsonian museums, ride along Jefferson Drive SW on the south side of the Mall.
🏨 Staying Near DC’s Bike Trails?
Hotels in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Dupont Circle put you within easy reach of the C&O Canal, the Mall trails, and Capital Bikeshare stations.
Quick Reference: Biking in DC
- Best trail system Rock Creek Park — paved and unpaved, car-free weekends
- Best commuter trail Metropolitan Branch Trail — Union Station to Maryland
- Best scenic trail Mount Vernon Trail — 18 miles along the Potomac
- Best long ride C&O Canal Towpath — Georgetown to Great Falls (14 mi each way)
- Best on-street lane 15th Street NW protected cycle track
- Best Southeast trail Anacostia Riverwalk — 20 miles, flat, paved
- Best bike share Capital Bikeshare — 700+ stations, $85/year annual
- E-bikes Available on Capital Bikeshare — lightning bolt in app
- Traffic circles Take the lane — don’t hug the edge
- DC bike law Follow traffic laws, helmets required under 16
- Monument access Bikeshare stations at all major Mall monuments
📘 Parking While You Ride
If you’re driving to a DC trailhead and parking while you bike, the DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide covers every zone and time restriction so your car is where you left it when you get back.
Bottom Line
Start with Capital Bikeshare and the C&O Canal towpath from Georgetown — those two alone give you a completely different version of DC. For commuting, the Metropolitan Branch Trail is the one that changes how you think about getting around the city. Rock Creek Park on a weekend morning, car-free on Beach Drive, is one of the best things DC offers.
Getting around DC without a car?
Get the Free DC GuideThis post contains affiliate links. If you book through our links we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.