George Washington Memorial Parkway · VA
River Trail
The park’s signature hike, skirting the clifftops above Mather Gorge with spectacular views of the Potomac’s rapids. Rocky, uneven footing with some scrambling.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the hiking plan today.
Today's best: hiking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- − 86°F air — Above hiking's comfort zone (32–85°F)
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − NWS alert active — Check the alert before heading out
- − 80 min of daylight — You need at least 82 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 1.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 232 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.9879, -77.2476 — VA.
Park
Part of George Washington Memorial Parkway (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is River Trail?
River Trail is a 1.5-mile route with 232 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at River Trail?
River Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages River Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
River Trail is in George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.