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This 3.1-mile trail runs from Van Ness Street, four blocks south of the Tenleytown Metro station, to
the Potomac River and the Capital Crescent Trail (trail A) and
C&O Canal Tow Path (trail B). Along the way, there are signed
intersections with the Wesley Heights Trail (trail E), which
connects
with the Potomac River to the west, and the Whitehaven Trail
(trail G),
which connects with Rock Creek Park to the east. The distance between these trail intersections is
about one-half mile. It is about 2 miles from the Wesley Heights
Trail
(trail E) intersection to the Potomac River.
The 183-acre Glover Archbold Park was donated to the city in 1924 by Charles C. Glover and Anne
Archbold (a former Riggs Bank executive and Standard Oil of New Jersey heiress, respectively) to
be used as a bird sanctuary. It contains trees that are 150 to 200 years old.
Near the Potomac River, the trail passes below Canal Road and the C&O Canal in a stone-lined
tunnel that is part of the original C&O Canal construction. The tunnel provided access to the
Potomac River for the Foxall Foundry, which was one of Georgetown's largest industries, producing
cannons and munitions from 1803 to 1854.
At Reservoir Road, the trailhead going north is opposite 44th Street. Going south from Reservoir
Road, you must cross an open, grassy field (the trail is not marked here) to reach the trail, at the
bottom of the field. Unfortunately, the northern end of the trail, a 0.6-mile stretch between
Massachusetts Ave. and Van Ness Street, is closed temporarily so that toxic PCBs, dumped by the
Naval Security Station, can be removed.
From the northern end of
the trail, you can walk east six blocks on city streets to the Melvin Hazen Trail (trail K), or nine blocks to the Soapstone Valley Trail (trail M), both of which connect to Rock
Creek
Park. This makes it possible to complete a 7.5-mile loop, using trails M (from Soapstone Valley), J,
H (or I), and G.
To go from the Glover Archbold trail to the Melvin Hazen Trail (trail K), you can go right (east) on Van Ness Street for four blocks and turn right on Reno Road for two blocks. A more scenic but complicated route goes right (east) on Van Ness for three blocks, right (south) one block on 37th Street, left (east) one block on Tilden Street, right (south) one block on Idaho Ave., and left (east) one block on Springland Lane. To go from Glover Archbold Trail to the Soapstone Valley Trail (trail M), go right (east) on Van Ness for seven blocks, then go left (north) on Connecticut Avenue for two blocks and turn right on Windom Place. Walk down the driveway alongside the apartment building and look for a trail sign on the left.
Metro Access: From the Tenleytown
Metro station, walk south four blocks on Wisconsin Avenue,
and go left one block on Van Ness Street.
This 1-mile trail connects the Dumbarton Oaks arm of Rock Creek Park with the Foundry Branch
valley in Glover Archbold Park. To reach this trail from the Dumbarton
Oaks
Trail (trail I) at its east end, walk west along Whitehaven Street, cross Wisconsin
Avenue, and continue west for two blocks on Whitehaven Parkway to 37th Street. Alternatively,
you
can use the trail on the hillside immediately above (north) of Whitehaven Parkway.
At 37th Street, continue west across a grassy field to the trailhead. After climbing a hill, continue
west across another ball field. Trails resume on either end of the west side of this ball field,
converging in the woods after skirting a public garden. The trail drops into Foundry Branch valley
and connects with the Glover Archbold Trail (trail F).
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