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The Capital Crescent Trail runs 7.7 miles from the mouth of Rock Creek in Georgetown to downtown Bethesda. It starts along the Georgetown waterfront, passes the Water Street trailhead by Key Bridge, and follows the Potomac River upstream past Fletcher's Cove. It then turns inland on the former B & O Georgetown Branch. It crosses the C & O Canal on the Arizona Avenue Trestle, passes under MacArthur Boulevard through the Dalecarlia Tunnel, and climbs gently along Little Falls Branch to Bethesda. The paved path is 10 feet wide and busy with commuters, walkers, and runners. Beyond Bethesda, the section to Silver Spring is closed for Purple Line construction.
Capital Crescent Trail
Your comfort. Prognosticated.
-Cory
In a typical year the Capital Crescent Trail has about 119 to 166 days of excellent weather for popular activities such as hiking, dog walking, birding, e-biking, running, biking, and walking, with April, October, and November the best months.
Hourly comfort scores for the next 15 days of weather, tuned to your activity and your own thresholds.
Plan your visit to this trail. Get the best windows for a comfortable outing.
Enjoy the Capital Crescent Trail!
In half of past years, color along the Capital Crescent Trail peaks November 2 to 9, typically around November 5. The trail has 30% deciduous coverage, with the majority being yellow-poplar, red maple, white oak, chestnut oak, black cherry, and black oak.
Coal for a federal heating plant at 29th and K Streets was the last freight the B & O Railroad's Georgetown Branch carried into Georgetown. Crews built part of the branch in 1892. The full line opened in 1910, along with the Roman arch Dalecarlia Tunnel. Below Bethesda, the rails followed Little Falls Branch toward the Potomac. They crossed the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on the Arizona Avenue Trestle and ran beside the canal into Georgetown. It was a freight line only, hauling mostly coal and building materials. Its customers included the Potomac Electric Power Company, the Washington Mill, and federal buildings. By the 1980s, the General Services Administration was the only customer left. The last train ran in June 1985, after Chessie officials judged one of the bridges unsafe. Advocates moved fast. In 1986 they formed the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail and picked the trail's name. Montgomery County bought the Maryland right-of-way in December 1988. In 1990, the National Park Service bought the District section for the C & O Canal National Historical Park. Groundbreaking came on September 30, 1992. The National Park Service paved its section in 1994. Dedication ceremonies opened the full trail in December 1996. In 2017, the section east of Bethesda closed for Purple Line construction.
