Home.8 March 2003
The hike begins at 6:30am in Ashburn - you are hiking the W&OD Trail (Washington & Old Dominion).
The first restroom stop is 2 miles from the start at Smiths Switch Station - on your right hand side will be a portable toilet and a telephone.
The second restroom stop is 7 miles from the start at Ferndale Avenue at the Herndon Community Center. To get to the restroom or to the telephone, cross Ferndale Avenue, turn right off the path, go past the baseball field, past the covered picnic area, past the kids' playground (you will see outdoor restrooms - they are closed), and go to the large building in front of you - Herndon Community Center.
The first food stop is at Old Reston Road, 10 miles from the start. This stop is right on the path - you can't miss it. Food and drinks will be provided, as well as foot care first-aid supplies. Remember you have to check-in!
Restrooms are at Wiehle Avenue, about 3/4 mile past the first food stop. Use the McDonald's or Pizza Hut restrooms; both restaurants allow hikers to use their facilities.
The second food stop is at the Vienna Community Center, just after you cross Maple Avenue, approximately 16 miles from the start. The food stop will be on your right hand side. As before, food, drinks and foot care/first-aid will be provided. Restrooms are in the Community Center.
The third food stop is at Leesburg Pike and West Street in Falls Church, on your left immediately after you come off the overpass, about 20 miles from the start. This is the last stop before the finish of the 25-mile hike. Food, drinks and foot care/firs- aid will be provided. Restrooms are at a nearby gas station.
As you come into Arlington on the path you will need to pay attention to where you are going. When you come to Lee Highway (at this point called Washington Street) the crossing is very dangerous. After you cross the road, stay on the W&OD Trail, walking next to I-66. The path comes out onto a street, which you will need to follow into Benjamin Banneker Park. Enter the park, cross the bridge over Four Mile Run and turn left onto the path. As you approach Bluemont Park, look for a small signboard shelter and water fountain on the left that marks the point where the Custis Trail splits off to the left from the W&OD Trail. Follow the Custis Trail all the way to Stafford Street, the exit to St. Agnes. On the Custis Trail you will be walking along I-66. Watch for various paths splitting off to the right. You will be heading east on the Custis Trail.
25-mile hikers finish at St. Agnes, and at this point get picked up by their parents, (unless you win the bet with Mr. G. to treat you to dinner at Joe's Pizza). To get to St. Agnes, exit the path at Stafford Street, turn right and walk to the Stop sign, turn left and walk north on Stafford Street to St. Agnes and check-in with a parent waiting there to call your parents.
50-mile hikers will not go to St. Agnes, but will continue on to Lyon Village, mile 26. Starbucks has restrooms and will allow you to use them. Few miles down the path is the Marriott Hotel, where restrooms are available as well.
From the Marriott, cross Lynn Street at the entrance to Key Bridge and walk down to the pedestrian/bicycle bridge that crosses over the GW Parkway onto Roosevelt Island, where you will pick up the Mt. Vernon Trail. Follow the Mt. Vernon Trail to the next food stop at Gravelly Point.
Gravelly Point, at mile 31, is near Reagan National Airport. Food, drinks and foot care/first-aid will be provided, at this stop, where restrooms are also available.
From Gravelly Point you will walk past Reagan National Airport and pick up the Four Mile Run Trail, forking off to the left (west) and then bending around to the right to go under the bridge that carries the Mt. Vernon Trail southward. Signs clearly mark the route. You will follow this trail along the Four Mile Run and come out where Glebe Road splits into South Glebe Road and West Glebe Road.
Make a left turn onto West Glebe Road, crossing over Four Mile Run, go past the Pizza Hut, and turn right on to Valley Drive (cross at a pedestrian crossing). Walk past Charles Barrett School and some high-rise apartments until you reach a stop sign. Bear right off of Valley onto Custis Drive and go past some garden apartments until you reach Gunston Road, where you turn right and take the overpass that crosses over I-395 into Shirlington.
As you come off the overpass, turn right onto 28th Street and right again at either Quincy or Randolph to go one block to Arlington Mill Road; cross over carefully and turn left. This is actually the Four Mile Run Trail (the W&OD originates in Shirlington but on the other side of Four Mile Run and Four Mile Run Drive). Hikers can stop next in Shirlington, mile 35 and, again, if desired, buy their own food. There are numerous restaurants in Shirlington for restroom stops.
From Shirlington take the Four Mile Trail to Walter Reed Drive, where you turn right and cross Four Mile Run Drive. You then turn left on the path, which is the W&OD Trail. The trail then crosses George Mason Drive and Columbia Pike and goes through Glencarlyn Park into Bluemont Park.
Bluemont Park (the covered picnic area by the tennis courts) is the last stop where food and drinks, and foot care/firs- aid will be provided. Those hikers going for the whole "50" will pass this area five times, mile 38, 41, 44, 47 and 50. You will be well fed and there will be plenty to drink each time you pass by, and of course foot care/first-aid will be provided. Unfortunately, restrooms in this area are generally locked; however you will be passing the Holiday Inn each time you make the loop (at Fairfax Drive, one block from Glebe Road).
The loop that you have to walk 4 times to make the whole "50"is as follows: Four Mile Run Trail to Custis Trail to Bluemont Junction Trail, and again, Four Mile Run Trail to Custis Trail to Bluemont Junction Trail, etc. etc., etc. The Bluemont Park stop (after the last "loop") is the ending point of the 50-mile hike. Kudos to all who make it this far!
Home.