Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls – Crossing Over the C&O Canal loop from Wiehle–Reston East

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls – Crossing Over the C&O Canal loop from Wiehle–Reston East

Hard

4.5

(2751)

7,149

riders

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls – Crossing Over the C&O Canal loop from Wiehle–Reston East

09:00

121km

570m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 29, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 34.5 km for 296 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

5.17 km

LOVE sign on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Monument

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail is a paved two-lane bike that runs for 45 miles. This segment between Vienna and Reston has relatively few road crossings. You share the trail with hikers and other trail users.

Tip by

34.6 km

Cedar Island Conservation Park

Nature Reserve

36.2 km

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Lake

43.0 km

Widewater

Lake

44.6 km

Great Falls Park on the C&O Trail

Highlight • Waterfall

Located at mile 14.3 on the C&O Canal Towpath in Potomac, Maryland, Great Falls Park is a must-visit highlight for hikers, cyclists, and history buffs alike. A short boardwalk leads …

Tip by

44.8 km

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Highlight • River

Great Falls has a scenic Horseshoe Bend where the river curves in a horseshoe shape around a rocky outcrop. It's a nice spot to stop for photos on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail.

Tip by

45.1 km

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Highlight • Trail

The Great Falls of the Potomac is a place with various rapids and small falls in the Potomac. The place marked here may only be entered on foot. Bicycles and dogs 😜 must stay outside.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

49.3 km

Swains Lock

Highlight • Historical Site

These are hard to come by along the C&O canal and usually hidden. Always nice to know where to get water.

Tip by

55.5 km

Dierrsen Wildlife Management Area

Nature Reserve

57.0 km

Pennyfield Lock

Highlight • Monument

Lock 22, aka Pennyfield Lock, was built between 1829 and 1831, and the name came from the misspelling of the Pennifield family name. It has been restored and offers overnight stays to recreate the rustic feeling from that period.

Tip by

82.7 km

Crossing Over the C&O Canal

Highlight • Bridge

It's just a shame that cycling is only allowed on the paved road. The many earthy trails to the right and left of the road are very tempting for a mountain biker. Unfortunately explicitly forbidden.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

87.1 km

Potomac River

Highlight • River

The Potomac River, stretching 405 miles from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, ranks as the fourth-largest river on the East Coast. Swimming is prohibited in …

Tip by

121 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

56.5 km

45.1 km

8.69 km

7.84 km

1.50 km

1.19 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

61.0 km

47.9 km

7.86 km

3.16 km

943 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (150 m)

Lowest point (0 m)

Weather

Today

Monday 20 July

31°C

17°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.7

301

Custis, Washington-Old Dominion, and Mount Vernon Trail Loop

02:00h

33.2km

190m

Moderate

4.8

272

Rock Creek and Capital Crescent Trail Loop

02:17h

36.5km

190m

Moderate

4.4

Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail

03:51h

65.7km

350m

Easy

4.9

104

Washington & Old Dominion Trail

01:29h

25.4km

140m

Moderate

3.0

Needwood Loop

02:39h

31.2km

160m

Moderate

2.5

Upper Potomac River Loop around northwest of Washington, D.C.

01:44h

26.7km

340m

Moderate

5.0

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath

04:42h

62.8km

90m

Moderate

3.7

Washington, Alexandria & Arlington loop

02:55h

48.9km

290m

Moderate

4.5

Alexandria Loop

01:37h

26.4km

180m

Moderate

5.0

Fairfax County Parkway Trail

02:22h

40.4km

250m

Easy

Manassas National Battlefield Park loop

01:25h

19.9km

130m

Moderate

4.3

C&O Canal and Agricultural Reserve Loop

02:31h

41.0km

210m

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls – Crossing Over the C&O Canal loop from Wiehle–Reston East

LOVE sign on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail

Great Falls Park on the C&O Trail

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Swains Lock

Pennyfield Lock

Crossing Over the C&O Canal

Potomac River

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️