Plenty of free parking, even on a
beautiful Sunday afternoon!
Carderock Recreation Area is located on the Potomac River about 1 mile west of the Capital Beltway (near the American Legion Bridge). This little known recreation area is a great place to park your car and explore the C&O Towpath by bike. Downtown Washington DC is an easy 10 mile ride east on the unpaved towpath. Only 3 miles west is the majestic Great Falls.

Driving Directions: Carderock is extremely easy to reach, and it is only 2 minutes from the Capital Beltway (I-495), Maryland Exit 41. (Live photo of this exit)
  • From Maryland, take I-495 south (the Outer Loop for local folk) toward Northern Virgina. Take Exit 41, (last exit in Maryland, prior to the bridge) toward Carderock. This will put you on westbound Clara Barton Parkway.
  • From Virginia, take I-495 north (the Inner Loop for local folk) toward Maryland. After passing the George Washington Parkway exit, get in the extreme right lane as you cross the American Legion Bridge into Maryland. This is an exit only lane for the Clara Barton Parkway (Exit 41). Caution: The exit ramp forks very soon after you exit. Take the left fork for Carderock. This will put you on westbound Clara Barton Parkway.

Map of Carderock Area
Once on Clara Barton Parkway, you may note that David Taylor Model Basin is on your right (the very long building). Take the first exit off the parkway, making a left at the top of the ramp. This will take you right into the recreation area. After you pass under the canal through the tunnel, make a right at the stop sign for the least used parking areas.

The C&O Towpath, looking west toward Great Falls. The former canal bed is shown on the right (drained for repairs). The Carderock parking areas are located through the woods on the left.
Biking Directions:

From Carderock, the only biking option available is the very nice (but unpaved) C&O Towpath. The towpath is located on the other side of a small wooded area. It is accessed by a number of short connecting trails.

  • To reach Washington DC, turn right upon reaching the towpath. It is about a 10 mile ride to the Georgetown Waterfront. From here, you can reach the Mall area (where are the stuff is located) using the Rock Creek Trail.
  • To reach Great Falls, turn left upon reaching the towpath. The falls area is about a 3 mile ride. Recommend that you use the Bicycle Detour, otherwise you will need to carry your bike over the rocky breach area.

Issues:

Basically, there are very few problems with parking in this area.

  • During weekday rush hour periods, the access roads in this area can be extremely congested. Be patient during these time periods.
  • The ride to downtown Washingtion DC is about 30 miles round-trip, with over half on the unpaved C&O Towpath. If you wish to park a bit closer to downtown, try one of the smaller Clara Barton Parkway parking areas. However, these areas tend to fill up fast on nice weekends.