Virginia's Mount Vernon Trail Named to Rails to Trails Hall of Fame

The honor highlights a project rooted in 1970s grassroots activism. Founded by Alexandria residents Ellen Pickering and Barbara Lynch, the trail was designed to provide safe access for pedestrians and cyclists. Today, it serves as a cornerstone of the Capital Trails Network, a developing system intended to link over 1,000 miles of paths across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. With 53% of that network now complete, the project is credited with boosting regional economic activity and improving public health; Arlington, for instance, has repeatedly earned the title of "Fittest City in the U.S." due in part to such accessible infrastructure.

Beyond its utility as a transportation artery, the trail functions as a corridor of American history and ecology. It guides users past the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the 18th-century waterfront of Old Town Alexandria, and the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve. Judd Isbell, president of the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, noted that the designation serves as a testament to the thousands of volunteers who maintain the path. The trail outperformed two other nominees, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Historic Battlefield Trail in Texas, to secure the 2026 title.