Western Ridge Trail

Name: Western Ridge Trail
Rating: 3.8

3.8 ( 4 )

Trail

3.7 mile 6.0 kilometer point to point
Intermediate

Elevation

Ascent: 219' 67 m
Descent: -331' -101 m
High: 307' 94 m
Low: 76' 23 m

Grade

Avg Grade: 3% (2°)
Max Grade: 14% (8°)

Dogs

Leashed

Driving directions Take a virtual tour

Zoom in to see details

Map Key

To-Do's
Check-Ins

Trail shared by Doug Hay

Weather

Getting forecast...

Current trail conditions

All Clear 52 days ago See History

Popular hikes nearby

View of Rock Creek from the Valley Trail

Rock Creek Park Loop: Western Ridge to Valley Trails

8.8 mi 14.2 km • Loop • 484 ft Ascent 147.49 m Ascent

Singletrack Washington, DC

( 20 )

Check out the Billy Goat Trail for great views of the Potomac.

Billy Goat Trail C Loop

2.9 mi 4.6 km • Loop • 140 ft Ascent 42.52 m Ascent

Singletrack Cabin John, MD

( 1 )

Short Overlook Loop

1.4 mi 2.2 km • Out and Back • 26 ft Ascent 7.98 m Ascent

Singletrack Great Falls, VA

( 5 )

Reston Loop

9.6 mi 15.4 km • Loop • 308 ft Ascent 93.95 m Ascent

Singletrack Reston, VA

( 11 )

Seneca Trails Route

32.4 mi 52.1 km • Loop • 1,421 ft Ascent 433.04 m Ascent

Singletrack Gaithersburg, MD

( 2 )

Navigate on-trail with our free app

Hiked this trail?

Add details to help others plan their adventure.

“A mostly smooth trail traversing the entire western side of Rock Creek Park.”

— Doug Hay

GPX File

Features Birding · River/Creek · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Description

Western Ridge Trail is one of the more popular trails through Rock Creek Park. Offering just under 5 miles of trail, this route will take you up and down the ridges offering views of the river and surrounding area. The trail itself switches a few times between hiking and biking during the first few miles, then ultimately to a shared hiking/horse trail for the last third or so. For the most part the trail is well marked (green blazes) and well defined, with moderate terrain. Once you move past the first section, the trail widens a bit with better footing.