biking thru Fort Myer?

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  • May 26, 2010 at 1:26 am #909462
    acorn
    Participant

    Hi- I’m returning to bike commuting, and I was wondering if it is still possible to bike through Fort Myer. I used to go through the Henry gate on Rt 50/Pershing but I think that is closed now – is the only option the 2nd St entrance? Do they let bikers through?

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  • May 26, 2010 at 11:44 am #923473
    Dirt
    Participant

    I haven’t tried this year, but I used to go bowling in Ft. Myer on a regular basis. They always let me in with no problems. They searched my gear bag pretty thoroughly since I don’t have a military ID.

    May 31, 2010 at 1:21 am #923482
    Fulton
    Participant

    I ride through Fort Meyer at least once a week and have never had a problem.

    Henry Gate opens at six and closes at six. Show any government-issued ID (driver’s license, agency ID, whatever), and they’re happy to let you through. If there’s ever a need to register people or to conduct inspections, the guards are courteous and efficient.

    It’s a beautiful ride through the base. After entering Henry Gate, go to the T-intersection and turn left; turn right at the yield sign after the Town Hall; go by the Officers Club and some beautiful residences; and head on down the hill toward the Iwo Jima Memorial. The ride home is all up-hill, but the low (and well-behaved) traffic makes it easy. Just be sure to get back to Henry Gate by six o’clock, or you’ll have to go over to Second Street.

    June 15, 2010 at 4:44 pm #923558
    BlackHawk
    Participant

    I actually tried this route thru Fort Myer on Bike to Work day but did not realize the gate to Arlington National was closed until 8AM.

    As I was trying to get thru to Memorial Bridge, what should have been my route??

    thanks I’m such a newb,
    Caleb

    June 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm #923559
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    Caleb–where is it that you are coming from?

    June 15, 2010 at 4:53 pm #923560
    BlackHawk
    Participant

    Ballston to Cap Hill.

    Edit: Looks like I could have gone north around Ft Myer to Marshall Dr and it would have taken me to Memorial Bridge… or I guess I could go way north to Custiss trail then down Mt. Vernon over Mem Bridge. That seems LONG for a first time commute lol!!

    June 15, 2010 at 5:41 pm #923562
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    Yup, that is one option, or you could take the Custis to the Key Bridge and through Georgetown if you don’t mind riding on the streets.

    Google Maps has a bicycle routing function now that is pretty good too.

    June 16, 2010 at 7:50 pm #923565
    Mark Blacknell
    Participant

    Marshall Drive works, yes, but if I were making your commute, I’d head right down Wilson/Clarendon Boulevard until you get to Courthouse, bearing right on 15th St. until you hit Rhodes/Queen, and take a right on that across 50, taking the left on the other side, roll through the Iwo Jima section (i.e., cross the sidewalk onto the path/road on the other side), and jump onto the trail when you cross Marshall. That’s how I get from VA Square to Memorial Bridge 4x a week.

    July 14, 2010 at 11:52 am #923654
    Brendan von Buckingham
    Participant

    I’ve done both Key-Georgetown-Pennsylvania Ave and Marshall-Memorial-Independence. I find the Key Bridge option far safer. The NPS must not care about bike people because their are plenty of death-spots between the Cemetery and Independence.

    January 5, 2011 at 12:41 am #924314
    Fulton
    Participant

    @BlackHawk 657 wrote:

    I actually tried this route thru Fort Myer on Bike to Work day but did not realize the gate to Arlington National was closed until 8AM.

    As I was trying to get thru to Memorial Bridge, what should have been my route??

    thanks I’m such a newb,
    Caleb

    The Fort Meyer gate (called Henry Gate) at the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and Pershing Drive is open at 6-8am and 4-6pm.

    Remember that, in addition to the path through the cemetery, there’s a road within Fort Meyer that takes you safely down to the base’s Wright Gate, which is near the Netherlands Carillon, and then down to the path that runs along Route 110 over to the main gate of the Cemetery and safely off to Memorial Bridge. To take that route, you turn LEFT onto Sheridan Avenue, then RIGHT onto Jackson Avenue, and then down the hill to Marshall Drive, which goes to Wright Gate.

    January 5, 2011 at 7:11 pm #924340
    baiskeli
    Participant

    @BlackHawk 659 wrote:

    Ballston to Cap Hill.

    Edit: Looks like I could have gone north around Ft Myer to Marshall Dr and it would have taken me to Memorial Bridge… or I guess I could go way north to Custiss trail then down Mt. Vernon over Mem Bridge. That seems LONG for a first time commute lol!!

    That’s my commute. I take Fairfax Drive to Wilson and cut left to get to Key Blvd., then left again to the Custis trail at Lee Highway to connect to the Mt. Vernon Trail and the bridge. Pretty low traffic and minimal hillage.

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