District of Columbia trails · Metropolitan Branch Trail
Metropolitan Branch Trail
A 2.7-mile out-and-back in District of Columbia, with 106 ft of climbing. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
Essentially flat — no sustained climb anywhere along its 2.7 miles.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Getting there
Metropolitan Branch Trail junction. About 2 min drive (1 mi) from Washington. 38.90382, -77.00434 · 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 7:16 a.m. and sets at 6:31 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:58 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 15 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 5.4-mile round trip takes roughly 2 h 05 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 9:21 a.m. — 9 h 10 min before sunset.