Alexandria, VA · mostly separated · paved

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (East)

2.1 mi Out-and-back 33 ft gain

2.1-mile paved route with 33 ft of elevation gain, signed as part of the regional cycle network, route reference “NHT”, operated by United States Department of Interior, National Park Service, mostly separated from motor traffic.

Live · updated Jul 12, 11:08 AM ET

Today's verdict

Thunderstorms in the forecast — lightning and cyclists are a bad combination.

Thunderstorms — lightning and cyclists do not mix — get off the road before they arrive.
37 mph wind — gusty and hazardous on exposed bridges and overpasses.
Pavement: wet — wet during the likely ride window — reduced braking, road spray, limited visibility to drivers.

0 /100

skip

0 Bike commuting

0 Road

0 E-bike

0 Bike-share

Best for bike commuting today

Route map

Orange marker is the start. Click the map to enable scroll-zoom — the polyline is approximate; use Ride with GPS or Komoot for turn-by-turn.

Atmosphere

Air temp

81°F

Cloudy
Wind

37 mph

E
Rain

28%

Next 24h: 0.00"
Humidity

70%

Surface & daylight

Pavement

wet

paved surface
Sunrise

5:52 AM
Sunset

8:33 PM

566 min remaining

Best time today

5 PM looks best — 84°F · 9 mph E wind · cloudy. 6 PM is a close second (25/100).

12 PM

82°

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

8 mph E

—

1 PM

83°

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

9 mph E

—

2 PM

83°

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

9 mph E

—

3 PM

84°

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

9 mph E

—

4 PM

84°

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

9 mph E

—

5 PM Best

84°

Cloudy

9 mph E

6 PM

82°

Mostly Cloudy

9 mph E

7 PM

80°

Mostly Cloudy

7 mph E

8 PM

78°

Mostly Cloudy

6 mph E

Wind on this route

37 mph crosswind — expect a 37 mph headwind on the return.

Currently 37 mph from the NE (50°). Relative to this ride's overall bearing, a crosswind.

Leg 1 Bearing 12° · quartering headwind 0.2 mi
Leg 2 Bearing 21° · headwind 0.2 mi
Leg 3 Bearing 254° · tailwind 0.2 mi
Leg 4 Bearing 256° · tailwind 0.2 mi
Leg 5 Bearing 278° · quartering tailwind 0.1 mi
Leg 6 Bearing 311° · crosswind 0.2 mi
Leg 7 Bearing 288° · quartering tailwind 0.2 mi
Leg 8 Bearing 9° · quartering headwind 0.1 mi

Elevation profile

80 ft gain 244 ft loss Max 194' Min 0' 1.8 mi sampled

Score breakdown

81°F air Within comfort range, outside ideal

-3

−

37 mph wind Gusty and hazardous on exposed bridges and overpasses.

-36

−

Strong crosswind 37 mph crosswind — expect a 37 mph headwind on the return.

-3

−

Thunderstorms Lightning and cyclists do not mix — get off the road before they arrive.

-45

−

Pavement: wet Wet during the likely ride window — reduced braking, road spray, limited visibility to drivers.

-32

About this route

Distance: 2.1 mi one-way (double for round-trip)
Elevation gain: 33 ft
Surface: paved
Shape: Out-and-back
Traffic exposure: mostly separated
Activities: road cycling · e bike · commuting · bike share-touring
Cycle network: RCN · route NHT
Operator: United States Department of Interior, National Park Service
Start: 38.7969, -77.0034
City hub: Alexandria, VA
OSM: relation 13354024

Description sourced from OpenStreetMap relation tags and member-way geometry.