Swanson Trail
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 83 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Is Swanson Trail open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for National Capital Parks.
As of · Source: NPS · National Capital Parks. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Swanson Trail is a short, out-and-back mountain biking route in Virginia's National Capital Parks, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is about 0.74 miles long, with a low point of 64 feet and a high of 158 feet, making it a gentle climb of about 83 feet one way. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 77°F and October highs around 70°F, while July averages about 90°F. Main Trail lies about 0.2 miles away, and Garden Trail and Gravel Pit Road are each about 0.4 miles off. For a longer outing, Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas is about 8 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Terrapin Adventures19 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit Swanson Trail
Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
45° / 28°
9 wet
Feb
48° / 30°
8 wet
Mar
56° / 36°
10 wet
Apr
68° / 46°
12 wet
May
77° / 57°
12 wet
Jun
85° / 66°
11 wet
Jul
90° / 71°
11 wet
Aug
88° / 69°
10 wet
Sep
82° / 62°
9 wet
Oct
70° / 49°
9 wet
Nov
58° / 39°
9 wet
Dec
49° / 32°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Natl Arboretum Dc, MD, 2.4 mi away at 50 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
RIDE
Main Trail
Next door
0.23-mile gravel road out-and-back in Virginia, managed by the National Park Service.
RIDE
Garden Trail
Next door
0.26-mile moderate singletrack in Virginia, National Park Service-managed out-and-back trail.
RIDE
Bama Trail
~1 min drive
0.20-mile easy singletrack out-and-back in Virginia, rated green circle.
RIDE
Rough Woods Trail
~16 min drive
0.22-mile out-and-back trail in Maryland with 52 ft gain and mixed surface.
RIDE
Gravel Pit Road
Next door
0.10-mile gravel road out-and-back in Virginia managed by the National Park Service.
RIDE
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
~14 min drive
0.44-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail in Maryland.
RIDE
Garden Passage Trail
Next door
0.47-mile out-and-back singletrack in Virginia managed by the National Park Service.
RIDE
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
~15 min drive
0.21-mile easy singletrack on Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail in Maryland
RIDE
Garden Loop Road
Next door
0.26-mile gravel road loop in Virginia, managed by the National Park Service.
RIDE
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
~15 min drive
0.71-mile out-and-back singletrack with 51 ft elevation gain on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
