C&O Canal ride in October

[Selkie]

I agree. The Mt. Vernon Trail on weekends is terribly crowded and dangerous. It's narrow, especially south of Old Town, and very curvy, hilly. I rode down to Mt. Vernon, using the trail, one Saturday. Left the house at 5:30am and it was OK on the way there. The way back to Arlington was the pits--too many Team in Training platoons hogging the trail who refused to move to the right, plus other joggers/walkers (IPOD wearers included) and either maniac male cyclists going too fast or hybriders weaving all over the place!! How about the National Arboretum? It's on NY Avenue in DC.

Capitol Crescent isn't that long and there are gravel areas -- I think in Bethesda (my husband loves that trail). I think it's mostly hill, too.