3,700 Volunteers. 8,523 Hours. The Mount Vernon Trail Is the Country's Trail of the Year.

The Mount Vernon Trail has been named the inaugural Trail of the Year by the Public Lands Alliance, the organization announced at its annual conference in Daytona Beach on February 23rd.

According to the Public Lands Alliance, the new award “recognizes a trail that has been created or modified to significantly improve the visitor experience.” The Mount Vernon Trail was “honored for transformative volunteer-led improvements enhancing safety and accessibility along the Potomac River.”

Those improvements, completed over 2024-2025 by the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail in partnership with the George Washington Memorial Parkway, included removing more than 1,000 trail bumps, patching 161 potholes, installing six new freeze-resistant water fountains with bottle fillers, and upgrading bike racks at multiple locations. The work was driven by 3,700 volunteers logging 8,523 hours.

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Public Lands Alliance and to continue bringing national attention and resources to the Mount Vernon Trail” said Judd Isbell, President of the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail. “This award reflects the dedication of our volunteers, donors, partners, and supporters who work tirelessly to continue to build a world class trail. We are so fortunate to work in partnership with the public servants at the National Park Service to make a direct impact on the trail.”

The Mount Vernon Trail runs 18.5 miles along the Virginia side of the Potomac, linking Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. Managed by the National Park Service, it's one of the busiest multi-use paths in the country, a daily artery for commuters and a go-to for runners, cyclists, and tourists alike.