Barcroft - Four Mile Run

It’s been a while since we visited the Barcroft Fitness Center along Four Mile Run, and we always seem to head upstream from there. Let’s switch it up and hike downstream to Four Mile Run Park!

The route: From the Barcroft Sport and Fitness Center, we’ll thread our way south through the ballfields to Four Mile Run Trail and head downstream, following it all the way to Four Mile Run Park, just off Mount Vernon Avenue, and return.

The hike is out-and-back, 2.7 miles each way, for a total of 5.4 miles of smiles. The surface is paved throughout and fairly level.

A Google map of the route: http://tinyurl.com/p9brlp6

Where to meet: We'll meet in the parking lot in front of the fitness center.

How to get there: Barcroft Sport and Fitness Center is about a mile west of I-395 along South Four Mile Run Drive. From I-395S, take Exit 7 (Shirlington), turn right on S. Shirlington Road, the 2nd left onto S Four Mile Run Drive, and the fitness center will be on your left. From I-395N, take Exit 6 (Shirlington), a slight left at the fork for N Quaker Lane (follow signs for Shirlington) followed by a slight right onto S Shirlington Rd, turn left onto S Four Mile Run, and proceed to the fitness center, which will be on the left. (Sorry, Metro riders will have to make carpooling arrangements in the comments section. Bus 22A, which serves the fitness center, currently does not run on Sundays.)

What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired. The forecast is cloudy and a high of 52 degrees, so consider the layered look.

Administrative stuff: There are public restrooms and drinking fountains at the Barcroft Sport and Fitness Center, and a porta-john at the turnaround point in Four Mile Run Park. As a reminder, this is a kids-free zone, no one under 18 please.

Notes:

Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center: http://tinyurl.com/yc78uya