Capital Crescent Trail

Capital Crescent Tail, looking towards the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC
NPS

The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way and extends from Georgetown, DC, to Bethesda, MD. The National Park Service manages and maintains the 3.7 miles of the trail in the District of Columbia. The Maryland section of the CCT is managed and maintained by Montgomery County, MD.

Suitable for walkers, joggers, bikers, and rollerbladers, the CCT is one of the most heavily trafficked rail trails in the United States

The alignment of the trail is situated within the bed of the former Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which operated from 1910 until 1985. The NPS acquired the right-of-way to the lower 3.7 miles in the 1990s and subsequently constructed the paved, shared-use trail as it currently exists in 1994.

Please follow these basic biking regulations:

15 MPH maximum speed limit on towpath
Ride single file
Stay to the right except when passing
Yield right-of-way to all pedestrians, horses, and mules
Walk bikes over aqueducts and through tunnels
Sound devices (bell, horn, etc.) are recommended and should be sounded within 100' of approaching others
Helmets are required in accordance with county ordinances. Children under the age of 18 are required to wear helmets in Montgomery County, MD, and children under the age of 16 are required to wear helmets in other areas of the park.

E-Bikes

E-bikes are allowed in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park where traditional bicycles are allowed. E-bikes are prohibited where traditional bicycles are prohibited. Except where use of motor vehicles by the public is allowed, using the electric motor to move an e-bike without pedaling is prohibited. The term e-bike means a two- or three- wheeled cycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 horsepower).

Trail areas where the e-bikes are allowed include the Towpath, Berma Road, and Capital Crescent Trail. A person operating an e-bike is subject to the following sections of 36 CFR part 4 that apply to the use of traditional bicycles: Sections 4.12, 4.13, 4.20, 4.21, 4.22, 4.23, and 4.30(h)(2)-(5).

Except as specified in the Superintendent's Compendium, the use of an e-bike within Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is governed by State law, which is adopted and made a part of the Compendium. Any violation of State law adopted by this paragraph is prohibited. The maximum speed on designated routes within the park is 15 m.p.h.