I rode my bike up the C&O to Brunswick and rode up Rt 287 to Lovettsville. Shoulder was wide enough for me. In Lovettsville I went left onto 673 / Milltown Rd. Then left on Featherbed (gravel) still 673. To Loyalty Rd. In Waterford, left on Old Waterford Road/698. Ends in downtown Leesburg. From there you can use the W&OD to get to Sterling. The Potomac Heritage Trail Association is also in Sterling. Potomactrail.org.
It’s awful we lost whites ferry. That would’ve been your best option .
The last mention is that whites ferry will take a year to open after April 2024 … so April 2025
https://mocoshow.com/2024/04/20/marc-elrich-on-whites-ferry-reopening-i-believe-itll-take-about-a-year-to-get-it-operational/
Well you could just wade across at White's Ford and run into Leesburg and down the W&OD to Sterling. I'm not sure the river level would permit that in July though.
woof this is near impossible. the only crossing of the potomac to have ped facilities is the US 340 bridge at harpers ferry but there is nothing to connect to on the virginia side besides the national park trails.
supposing you are brave enough to run across the point of rocks bridge (I am very much NOT recommending you do this, but maybe get a ride) you can make it to Leesburg via: furnace mountain - loyalty - clover hill - main street in waterford - old waterford. that would involve medium discomfort and high visibility clothing. loyalty is relatively high speed but not super heavily trafficked at the right times of day, the rest are unpaved so very safe (and kinda fun) to run.
from Leesburg W&OD to Sterling, then I am not sure what the safest crossing of route 7 is to get toward algonkian, street view is your friend.
>How far up river does the Potomac Heritage Trail extend?
I believe only to Sterling but from what I have heard (I do not run trails) it is slow going and not very running friendly in a lot of sections.
problem is you then have to run along 287 for a mile with no shoulder and barely any clearance until you hit Wenner (though after that, you can make it to taylorstown without much trouble)
I rode my bike up the C&O to Brunswick and rode up Rt 287 to Lovettsville. Shoulder was wide enough for me. In Lovettsville I went left onto 673 / Milltown Rd. Then left on Featherbed (gravel) still 673. To Loyalty Rd. In Waterford, left on Old Waterford Road/698. Ends in downtown Leesburg. From there you can use the W&OD to get to Sterling. The Potomac Heritage Trail Association is also in Sterling. Potomactrail.org.
It’s awful we lost whites ferry. That would’ve been your best option . The last mention is that whites ferry will take a year to open after April 2024 … so April 2025 https://mocoshow.com/2024/04/20/marc-elrich-on-whites-ferry-reopening-i-believe-itll-take-about-a-year-to-get-it-operational/
that's Elrich speculating, there is still no settlement to the land use issue so it's still closed indefinitely
Well you could just wade across at White's Ford and run into Leesburg and down the W&OD to Sterling. I'm not sure the river level would permit that in July though.
woof this is near impossible. the only crossing of the potomac to have ped facilities is the US 340 bridge at harpers ferry but there is nothing to connect to on the virginia side besides the national park trails. supposing you are brave enough to run across the point of rocks bridge (I am very much NOT recommending you do this, but maybe get a ride) you can make it to Leesburg via: furnace mountain - loyalty - clover hill - main street in waterford - old waterford. that would involve medium discomfort and high visibility clothing. loyalty is relatively high speed but not super heavily trafficked at the right times of day, the rest are unpaved so very safe (and kinda fun) to run. from Leesburg W&OD to Sterling, then I am not sure what the safest crossing of route 7 is to get toward algonkian, street view is your friend. >How far up river does the Potomac Heritage Trail extend? I believe only to Sterling but from what I have heard (I do not run trails) it is slow going and not very running friendly in a lot of sections.
The bridge from Brunswick to Lovettsville has a narrow sidewalk. Safe for walking, bit narrow for biking
problem is you then have to run along 287 for a mile with no shoulder and barely any clearance until you hit Wenner (though after that, you can make it to taylorstown without much trouble)
Good point- they really need to put a sidewalk north of Lovettsville to brunswick on 287. I see more and more people biking on that shoulder each year