District of Columbia trails · Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
A 5.3-mile out-and-back in District of Columbia, with 35 ft of climbing. Managed by the National Park Service.
Elevation profile
Essentially flat — no sustained climb anywhere along its 5.3 miles.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Getting there
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail access. About 13 min drive (6 mi) from Washington. 38.91829, -76.94155 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:49 a.m., the sun rises at 7:15 a.m. and sets at 6:31 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:57 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 15 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 10.6-mile round trip takes roughly 3 h 57 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:13 a.m. — 7 h 18 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Anacostia Riverwalk Trail + Unnamed trail + Benning St Bridge — 5.7 mi loop, 195 ft gain
- Anacostia Riverwalk Trail + ART West - Water Street + Unnamed trail — 5.7 mi loop, 195 ft gain
- Unnamed trail + Anacostia Riverwalk Trail + ART West - Water Street — 6.1 mi loop, 237 ft gain
Across the border
- Continues into MD as Anacostia Riverwalk Trail — view on the map
Nearby trails
- Ponds Trail — 0.3 mi
- Watts Branch Trail — 1.3 mi
- Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail: A Self-Reliant People — 1.3 mi
- Greater H Street NE Heritage Trail: Hub, Home, Heart — 3.3 mi