Columbia Pike to CC Trail

[DismalScientist]

I’ve decided you need hills. Take Walter Reed/Fillmore to Clarendon and then Military to Chain Bridge. From there it is a simple portage to the CCT.

[dasgeh]

@elbows 65287 wrote:

I’m interested in riding from the Drafthouse area to the Capital Crescent Trail. I do this ride enough that I really should do some route-consideration but not enough to have done the route-considerdation yet. I usually ride this route on the weekends (typically need to be in Montgomery County by 9 or 10ish on Saturday mornings to play ultimate).

I have yet to try riding through Ft Myer. Can I really do this despite the gate closures (http://www.arlnow.com/2013/02/11/fort-myer-gate-changes-to-impact-cyclists/)? Can I trust the google cycle directions?

Thanks.

I LOVE riding through Fort Myer. It can help you in three ways:

1) All the time: you can by pass the pesky Columbia Pike/Washington Blvd interchange (and the pesky hill up to the Air Force Memorial) by taking the gate at 2nd St S and working your way to the Henderson Hall gate at Southgate Road and Orme St. S. You should be able to do this 24/7/365 and in both directions. From the HH Gate, the Washington Blvd Trail (along 27) will take you to Memorial Bridge.

2) Restricted times: you can enter the 2nd St S and take it to the Wright Gate, but only 5am – 6pm http://www.jbmhh.army.mil/web/jbmhh/JBMHH%20Maps%20&%20Directions/JBMHHMapsDirections.html . From there I guess you would take Meade to Key Bridge into Rosslyn.

3) Most beautiful: enter through 2nd St S, go down the hill through the cemetery. Either take the Memorial Bridge, or take the trail by 110 over to the Iwo Jima and to the Key Bridge. You can only go downhill through ANC and only when the cemetery is open. Seriously, best commute in DC.

That said, why not take the “secret trail” the North side of 50, behind Long Branch Elem. to Lyon Park, then Pershing to Danville or Barton (depending on hill appetite) to any of the 500 ways to Rosslyn from Courthouse? Avoids the yuckiness that is Fillmore around 50.

[KLizotte]

@dasgeh 65397 wrote:

All the time: you can by pass the pesky Columbia Pike/Washington Blvd interchange (and the pesky hill up to the Air Force Memorial) by taking the gate at 2nd St S and working your way to the Henderson Hall gate at Southgate Road and Orme St. S. You should be able to do this 24/7/365 and in both directions. From the HH Gate, the Washington Blvd Trail (along 27) will take you to Memorial Bridge.

I have a non-military federal ID; will this allow me into the Fort? I would LOVE to be able to bypass Columbia Pike in order to get to Clarendon.

[dasgeh]

@KLizotte 65412 wrote:

I have a non-military federal ID; will this allow me into the Fort? I would LOVE to be able to bypass Columbia Pike in order to get to Clarendon.

Any government issued photo identification will get you on base. If it’s a CAC card (the common id card federal agencies use) you just flash it and they wave you through. If it’s anything else, you have to wait while they write down your info (a minute or two)

[KLizotte]

@dasgeh 65429 wrote:

Any government issued photo identification will get you on base. If it’s a CAC card (the common id card federal agencies use) you just flash it and they wave you through. If it’s anything else, you have to wait while they write down your info (a minute or two)

Yeah! I’ve always avoided going from Pentagon City to Clarendon/Ballston because of the horrors of the Pike (which is silly given how close the two neighborhoods are).

[elbows]

After 10 years of riding around Ft Myer, I finally rode through it and Arlington Cemetery for the first time yesterday. Still don’t have everything figured out, but appreciate everyone’s pointers. The ride through the cemetery was awesome albeit a little sad to think about the coming destruction of the forest.

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 65397 wrote:

I LOVE riding through Fort Myer.

3) Most beautiful: enter through 2nd St S, go down the hill through the cemetery. Either take the Memorial Bridge, or take the trail by 110 over to the Iwo Jima and to the Key Bridge. You can only go downhill through ANC and only when the cemetery is open. Seriously, best commute in DC.

which roads do you take through the cemetery?

[dasgeh]

@americancyclo 90287 wrote:

which roads do you take through the cemetery?

There’s only one way you’re allowed to go through the cemetery, and it feels like you’re on one road the entire time (no turns at intersections, though the road is turny). You go through the ANC Gate, right by the chapel, which puts you on Meigs Road in the cemetery. At some point that becomes Sherman Drive and at some point that becomes Schley Drive (I grew up in Charlotte so roads-changing-names is natural to me). At the bottom of the hill, once you’ve exited the cemetery, you turn left on Memorial Ave towards Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial. In case it’s not completely obvious, there’s usually a person there directing you to turn, because bikes are not allowed on any other roads in ANC.

Shown on a map.https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bob+%26+Edith%27s+Diner,+2310+Columbia+Pike,+Arlington,+VA+22204/Lincoln+Memorial,+2+Lincoln+Memorial+Cir+NW,+Washington,+DC+20037/@38.8851769,-77.0616846,19z/data=!4m44!4m43!1m35!1m1!1s0x89b7b6b8e23e8e87:0x4de71ae23b67d1af!2m2!1d-77.082283!2d38.86362!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0801719!2d38.879822!3s0x89b7b692ba826463:0xde5417c382f3b32e!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0769054!2d38.8799298!3s0x89b7b6ed602eb805:0x41e689f385e352ef!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0668616!2d38.8832158!3s0x89b7b6fa17a5d519:0xc44ba36edd5e3978!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0638125!2d38.8841717!3s0x89b7b6f96706ebbb:0x905870569fd6becc!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0631507!2d38.8844126!3s0x89b7b6f94931c4e7:0x5b95dcc72b816414!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0526729!2d38.888479!3s0x89b7b6ffa9deaa2f:0x2af9134097466f1f!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b771e0906287:0x1049d1c9c95c2eb6!2m2!1d-77.050176!2d38.889269!3e1

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