Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail

The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail is a partnership of locally-managed trails in a 425-mile corridor between the mouth of the Potomac River at the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Highlands in western Pennsylvania.

The trail corridor offers a variety of recreational and educational opportunities. Seventeen trails are currently recognized as segments of the National Scenic Trail:

- The 184.5-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, managed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (301-739-4200)

- The 17-mile Mount Vernon Trail and the 10-mile Potomac Heritage Trail within the George Washington Memorial Parkway (703-289-2500)

- The 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, managed by Laurel Ridge State Park, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (724-455-3744)

- The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, between Cumberland, Md., and Pittsburgh, Penn., is managed by the Allegheny Trail Alliance, a coalition of local and state organizations and agencies (888-ATA-BIKE)

- The 27-mile Prince Georges County Potomac Heritage Trail On-Road Bicycling Route (301-952-3661)

- A one-mile trail in Piscataway Park (301-763-4600)

- A 4.5-mile trail in Prince William Forest Park (703-221-7181)

- About 7.7 miles of trails in northern Fairfax County in Riverbend Park (703-759-9018), Great Falls Park (703-285-2965), and Scott's Run Nature Preserve

- A 15-mile linear park system in eastern Loudoun County, Va. (703-777-0343)

- The 23-mile Alexandria Heritage Trail in Alexandria, Va., (800-388-9119)

- And the two-mile Government Island Trail, Aquia Creek Water Trail, and planned five-mile Historic Falmouth-Ferry Farm Trail in Stafford County, Va. (800-325-2059).