99:
as part of a network of trails - including those along Lubber Run, Long Branch and from the
Claremont School - stretching from Falls Church to Route 1 on land the county already controlled. The trail could not connect to the George Washington Parkway because the railroad trestle then over Four Mile Run near Potomac yard left no room between the supports. In early 1966 a proposal for the trail was approved by the County Board and later that year Arlington County was one of 12 urban areas to receive a grant from the Department of the Interior as a demonstration of urban trails, the first such grants ever given. The Four Mile Run Trail was the first of these trails built, making it the nation's first shared use path built with federal funds. Secretary of the Interior
115:
paved, but it still had many low-water crossings and cinder-surfaced sections. By 1976, it was extended to
Shirlington. At Shirlington, it crossed I-95 on the Shirlington Overpass which had been opened in 1972. By 1977 it was extended west of Broad Street in Falls Church (along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) right-of-way). In 1980, as part of the construction of seven bridges across Four Mile Run - for Route 1, the Potomac Yard railroad, the main rail line and the George Washington Parkway - the Army Corps of Engineers built a section of the Four Mile Run Trail beneath the bridges from Route 1 to the Mount Vernon Trail. Later that spring, the gap between the new section and I-95 was opened.
32:
24:
118:
In 1981-82, the section of trail near
Brandymore Castle in Arlington was rebuilt in conjunction with the construction of I-66. The section of trail from the point where Four Mile Run emerges from under I-66 in Arlington County to the bridge over Four Mile Run in Banneker Park then became part of both
114:
In the following years, the trail was paved and expanded. By mid-1968, the trail had been extended south to Walter Reed Drive, though the bike trail ended at
Columbia Pike, and north to N. Van Buren Street in the Falls Church section of Benjamin Banneker Park. By 1971, most sections of the trail were
98:
The trail was the brainchild of
Arlington County Board member Thomas Richards, who had been elected in 1964. When he was snowed in at New York's LaGuardia Airport shortly after being elected he used the time, and a AAA road map of Arlington, to sketch out a trail system along Four Mile Run. He saw it
449:
422:
396:
355:
226:
641:
135:
146:. An underpass was originally to be built as part of the 1970's Four Mile Run project that built the I-95 to Mount Vernon Trail section, but it was not built at that time.
278:
251:
119:
trails. In the future, Arlington County would like to reroute the W&OD Trail to a separate route outside of the park, thus reducing the amount of joined trail.
517:
488:
636:
127:
84:
597:
72:
468:"Award of Contract No. 19-159-ITB to McDonnell Landscape, Inc. for Site Improvements at Benjamin Banneker Park, located at 1680 N. Sycamore St"
163:
108:
330:
215:
103:
had created the program in hopes that it would build support for trails legislation he was supporting. That legislation later became the
60:
131:
123:
646:
467:
95:
The trail opened on
September 4, 1967 as a four-mile, unpaved trail between Roosevelt Street and the Columbia Pike.
525:
496:
48:
31:
139:
104:
64:
52:
143:
68:
187:
580:
44:
17:
583:. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. 2013-12-04
630:
100:
80:
76:
56:
331:"Project will widen section of Four Mile Run to 12 feet, eventually remove fence"
107:. The trail was built adjacent to an existing hiking trail and the still extant
546:
Hodge, Paul (22 December 1977). "Hiking and Biking on the 'Virginia
Creeper'".
23:
524:. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington County Government. 2009-05-26. Archived from
495:. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington County Government. 2007-10-20. Archived from
612:
599:
130:
with the Four Mile Run Trail, but also allowed trail users to pass under the
299:
Huser, Paul (19 January 1966). "Cyclists, Hikers May Soon Have Own Trail".
450:"Seven Bridges Span Four Mile Run Flood-Control Project and Bicycle Trail"
256:
164:"W&OD and FMR Trails in Banneker Park to be improved, then rerouted"
87:
as it follows Four Mile Run, sometimes on the other side of the stream.
561:
Crosby, Thomas (12 May 1977). "....and You Can Join the Pedal Parade".
188:"Benjamin Banneker Park Framework Plan & Design Guidelines Report"
279:"Remembering Tom Richards: A Theodore Roosevelt for Arlington Parks"
518:"Arlington Enhances Scenic Four Mile Run Trail with New Extension"
30:
22:
27:
Map of the trail (omitting its northwesternmost 0.5 miles)
489:"Arlington Kicks Off Work on New Four Mile Run Trail"
142:
83:. The trail runs roughly parallel to parts of the
356:"Arlington's Major Trail is Along Four Mile Run"
122:In 2009, a trail extension was completed near
8:
642:Transportation in Arlington County, Virginia
397:"80 Miles of Bikeway Approved for Arlington"
128:Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail
85:Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail
225:. Arlington County government. May 2019.
73:Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
35:Joggers on the Four Mile Run trail, 2019
155:
252:"Arlington's Bicycle Trail Dedication"
7:
232:from the original on January 6, 2020
126:that not only linked the end of the
637:Parks in Arlington County, Virginia
314:"Arlington to Get Bicycle Trail".
14:
216:"Arlington County Bike Map: 2019"
105:National Trail System Act of 1968
448:Hodge, Paul (24 January 1980).
1:
663:
15:
613:38.8451247°N 77.0951816°W
43:is a 7-mile long, paved
16:Not to be confused with
618:38.8451247; -77.0951816
383:Washington Evening Star
197:. 2017-12-16. p. 1
647:Bike paths in Virginia
61:Benjamin Banneker Park
36:
28:
427:Northern Virginia Sun
401:Northern Virginia Sun
360:Northern Virginia Sun
301:Northern Virginia Sun
34:
26:
581:"Four Mile Run Park"
150:Notes and references
609: /
548:The Washington Post
454:The Washington Post
381:"Around the Town".
41:Four Mile Run Trail
69:Mount Vernon Trail
37:
29:
429:. 29 October 1976
109:W&OD railroad
79:empties into the
55:. It runs along
654:
624:
623:
621:
620:
619:
614:
610:
607:
606:
605:
602:
591:
589:
588:
567:
566:
563:The Evening Star
558:
552:
551:
543:
537:
536:
534:
533:
514:
508:
507:
505:
504:
485:
479:
478:
476:
474:
464:
458:
457:
445:
439:
438:
436:
434:
419:
413:
412:
410:
408:
393:
387:
386:
378:
372:
371:
369:
367:
362:. 16 August 1968
352:
346:
345:
343:
341:
326:
320:
319:
316:The Evening Star
311:
305:
304:
296:
290:
289:
287:
285:
275:
269:
268:
266:
264:
248:
242:
241:
239:
237:
231:
220:
212:
206:
205:
203:
202:
195:Arlington County
192:
184:
178:
177:
175:
174:
160:
49:Arlington County
662:
661:
657:
656:
655:
653:
652:
651:
627:
626:
617:
615:
611:
608:
603:
600:
598:
596:
595:
586:
584:
579:
576:
571:
570:
560:
559:
555:
545:
544:
540:
531:
529:
516:
515:
511:
502:
500:
487:
486:
482:
472:
470:
466:
465:
461:
447:
446:
442:
432:
430:
421:
420:
416:
406:
404:
395:
394:
390:
385:. May 16, 1971.
380:
379:
375:
365:
363:
354:
353:
349:
339:
337:
329:Cranor, David.
328:
327:
323:
318:. 24 July 1966.
313:
312:
308:
298:
297:
293:
283:
281:
277:
276:
272:
262:
260:
250:
249:
245:
235:
233:
229:
218:
214:
213:
209:
200:
198:
190:
186:
185:
181:
172:
170:
162:
161:
157:
152:
132:Shirley Highway
93:
45:shared use path
21:
18:Four Mile Trail
12:
11:
5:
660:
658:
650:
649:
644:
639:
629:
628:
593:
592:
575:
574:External links
572:
569:
568:
553:
538:
509:
480:
459:
440:
414:
403:. May 23, 1974
388:
373:
347:
321:
306:
291:
270:
243:
207:
179:
154:
153:
151:
148:
136:Interstate 395
92:
89:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
659:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
634:
632:
625:
622:
582:
578:
577:
573:
564:
557:
554:
549:
542:
539:
528:on 2009-05-29
527:
523:
519:
513:
510:
499:on 2012-02-14
498:
494:
490:
484:
481:
469:
463:
460:
455:
451:
444:
441:
428:
424:
423:"Bike-N-Hike"
418:
415:
402:
398:
392:
389:
384:
377:
374:
361:
357:
351:
348:
336:
335:The Washcycle
332:
325:
322:
317:
310:
307:
302:
295:
292:
280:
274:
271:
259:
258:
253:
247:
244:
228:
224:
223:BikeArlington
217:
211:
208:
196:
189:
183:
180:
169:
165:
159:
156:
149:
147:
145:
141:
140:W. Glebe Road
137:
133:
129:
125:
120:
116:
112:
110:
106:
102:
101:Stewart Udall
96:
90:
88:
86:
82:
81:Potomac River
78:
77:Four Mile Run
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
57:Four Mile Run
54:
50:
46:
42:
33:
25:
19:
594:
585:. Retrieved
562:
556:
547:
541:
530:. Retrieved
526:the original
522:News Release
521:
512:
501:. Retrieved
497:the original
493:News Release
492:
483:
471:. Retrieved
462:
453:
443:
431:. Retrieved
426:
417:
405:. Retrieved
400:
391:
382:
376:
364:. Retrieved
359:
350:
338:. Retrieved
334:
324:
315:
309:
300:
294:
282:. Retrieved
273:
261:. Retrieved
255:
246:
234:. Retrieved
222:
210:
199:. Retrieved
194:
182:
171:. Retrieved
168:TheWashCycle
167:
158:
121:
117:
113:
97:
94:
65:Falls Church
53:Falls Church
40:
38:
616: /
124:Shirlington
631:Categories
604:77°05′43″W
601:38°50′42″N
587:2014-03-31
532:2011-07-12
503:2011-07-12
236:January 6,
201:2020-08-02
173:2020-08-02
144:Alexandria
473:24 August
433:29 March
407:29 March
366:23 March
257:Facebook
227:Archived
111:tracks.
75:, where
340:23 July
263:25 June
91:History
67:to the
138:) and
284:8 May
230:(PDF)
219:(PDF)
191:(PDF)
71:near
59:from
475:2023
435:2023
409:2023
368:2023
342:2018
286:2024
265:2020
238:2020
51:and
39:The
63:in
47:in
633::
520:.
491:.
452:.
425:.
399:.
358:.
333:.
254:.
221:.
193:.
166:.
590:.
565:.
550:.
535:.
506:.
477:.
456:.
437:.
411:.
370:.
344:.
303:.
288:.
267:.
240:.
204:.
176:.
134:(
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
