Woodrow Wilson Bridge Hike

When I told the kids we were going to hike over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge from Virginia into Maryland, they were thrilled! Actually, they weren’t. First we went to Jones Point Park, where Real Estate Dad incorrectly advised us we could get to the trail. We could not.

If you want to find the trailhead, set your GPS to Hampton Inn at 5821 Richmond Highway and park there or the office building next door. That’s alongside the beginning of the Virginia Side of the trail. You will walk along side Route 1, but then it dives off and you’ll come up along side 495, and you cross over 495 on N Washington St, make a left along the bridge and a quick right onto the trail. Follow the signs to Maryland! Note that if you don’t actually cross over this bridge and take the trail on the southern edge of 495, you will be on the Mount Vernon Trail.

Once we got alongside 495 and began the cross over the river, we learned something awesome at the first overlook. When you cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, you cross through ALL THREE jurisdictions. You start in Virginia, go through a slice of DC and then into Maryland! The brass lines in the trail mark the boundaries. 

Here’s another thing I learned! Mercina is a great sport for all my stupid ideas. Leia, not so much. 

This is more a trail for scenic views than for any type of relaxation. There’s no protection from the elements like you might get on other trails with trees. And walking along 495 is no joke, it’s loud and you’re just one Maryland drive away from getting turned into a pancake. Or fish food. If I did this one again, I would do it without kids and with earbuds. 

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