Route Help – What is a safe route to bike from Landmark Area to Crystal City?

[nhatquynhle]

I am moving to an apartment complex on Edsall Road and looking for help to find a safe route to go from my apartment to Crystal City.

I currently live very close to the Four Mile Run Trail (I’m spoiled due to the easy access!) so I think the real question is how do I get to Four Mile Run Trail from Edsall Road?

Thank you everyone for reading my post and helping me.

Best,
QQ

Topic

[bobco85]

Without knowing exactly where on Edsall Road your apartment is, I can give this advice depending on which of the 2 parks you are closer to: Bren Mar Park and Stevenson Park. For the most part, your goal will be to get to the Holmes Run Trail, as you have a couple of options from there.

If you are closer to Bren Mar Park:

• use the industrial area across Edsall Rd from Bren Mar Park to get to Pickett St which will take you to the Cameron Station neighborhood which has a trail to take you to the Holmes Run Trail; you can also just stay on Pickett St and cross Duke St to get to Holmes Run Trail as well
• from there, if you want a flatter route, follow the Holmes Run Trail southeast -> Eisenhower Ave Trail -> King St Station -> Potomac Yard Trail -> Crystal Drive
• if you don’t mind hills, you can use the Holmes Run Trail northwest to get to Fillmore Ave -> Beauregard/Walter Reed -> Four Mile Run Trail
• https://goo.gl/maps/M5P1wK2g6aL2 has the selections including the middle path which I do not recommend

If you are closer to Stevenson Park:

• use Stevenson Road -> cross Van Dorn St and go through the apartment complex -> Reynolds St -> cross Duke St and again go through the apartment complex -> Paxton St -> Holmes Run Pkwy -> Holmes Run Trail
• same directions as the Bren Mar Park ones when you get onto Holmes Run Trail
• https://goo.gl/maps/LfpBS6wPEuD2 is what I used for direction ideas

Hopefully this helps. I moved to Alexandria (Mark Center area) a few months ago from Buckingham (near Ballston in Arlington), and things are very different from what I’m used to, so I can empathize with you on the added challenge.

[nhatquynhle]

Thank you so much for your help. I actually went for a recon ride today and it’d be most beneficial for me to take the route through Bren Mar Park.

Thanks a lot again!

@bobco85 127542 wrote:

Without knowing exactly where on Edsall Road your apartment is, I can give this advice depending on which of the 2 parks you are closer to: Bren Mar Park and Stevenson Park. For the most part, your goal will be to get to the Holmes Run Trail, as you have a couple of options from there.

If you are closer to Bren Mar Park:

• use the industrial area across Edsall Rd from Bren Mar Park to get to Pickett St which will take you to the Cameron Station neighborhood which has a trail to take you to the Holmes Run Trail; you can also just stay on Pickett St and cross Duke St to get to Holmes Run Trail as well
• from there, if you want a flatter route, follow the Holmes Run Trail southeast -> Eisenhower Ave Trail -> King St Station -> Potomac Yard Trail -> Crystal Drive
• if you don’t mind hills, you can use the Holmes Run Trail northwest to get to Fillmore Ave -> Beauregard/Walter Reed -> Four Mile Run Trail
• https://goo.gl/maps/M5P1wK2g6aL2 has the selections including the middle path which I do not recommend

If you are closer to Stevenson Park:

• use Stevenson Road -> cross Van Dorn St and go through the apartment complex -> Reynolds St -> cross Duke St and again go through the apartment complex -> Paxton St -> Holmes Run Pkwy -> Holmes Run Trail
• same directions as the Bren Mar Park ones when you get onto Holmes Run Trail
• https://goo.gl/maps/LfpBS6wPEuD2 is what I used for direction ideas

Hopefully this helps. I moved to Alexandria (Mark Center area) a few months ago from Buckingham (near Ballston in Arlington), and things are very different from what I’m used to, so I can empathize with you on the added challenge.

[Author]

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