8-Week Walking Challenge

Featured Maps

Spice up your daily walks by adding variety to your routine. Each week, explore a new part of Arlington with our featured walks. You’ll get in your steps and discover something new.

Featured Walks

Week 8: Halls Hill/High View Park

This walk will take you around Halls Hill/High View Park, a North Arlington neighborhood steeped in community and tradition. After the Civil War, Halls Hill was a segregated African-American neighborhood. Many residents were descendants of slaves. The neighborhood was walled off and fenced in by developers from the early 1900s until the 1960s with permission from County Government. As with many neighborhoods near major metropolitan areas, Halls Hill began gentrifying in the early 2000s and is now only 22 percent African-American. Learn about its history on this walk. All information on this tour, including this introduction, has been adapted with permission from Wilma Jones, a lifetime resident of Halls Hill and author of “My Halls Hill Family,” a book that chronicles her experience growing up there.

The descriptions on this tour were taken directly from a walking tour brochure that Ms. Jones created and are used with her permission. Her work was part of a project of the John M. Langston Civic Association that was funded through a grant from Virginia Humanities.

Major Points of Interest: Memory Bricks, Fire Station 8, Segregation Wall
Distance: Appx. 1.5 miles
Time: Appx. 45 minutes

Week 7: Glencarlyn

This loop walk will take you around the quaint and historic Glencarlyn neighborhood. Check out a few pieces of Arlington’s history before descending on the trail to Glencarlyn Park, where you can enjoy nature and visit a survey marker placed by George Washington in 1785.

Major Points of Interest: Carlin Hall, Glencarlyn Park, George Washington’s 1785 Survey Marker
Distance: 1.4 miles, round trip
Time: About 45 minutes

Week 6: Lubber Run and Arlington Forest

This loop walk is a wonderful, meandering stroll through Lubber Run Park and along shady neighborhood streets. Check out the Lubber Run Community Center and stop for coffee or a bite to eat at a popular neighborhood shopping plaza. There are a couple of really steep hills on this walk, so take breaks if needed.

Major Points of Interest: Lubber Run Community Center, Lubber Run Park, Sense of Place Café, “The Butterfly House”
Distance: 1.5 miles, round trip
Time: About 45 minutes

Week 5: Columbia Pike’s East End

This walk is mostly a straight shot down Columbia Pike along the sidewalk. It’s a lively, character-filled neighborhood brimming with diverse cuisines, welcome public spaces, and historic landmarks.

Major Points of Interest: Penrose Square, Freedman’s Village Bridge, U.S. Air Force Memorial
Distance: 1.25 miles, one way; 2.5 miles, out and back
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, one way; 2 hours, 30 minutes, out and back

Week 4: Bluemont and Bon Air

This walk through a woodsy, green neighborhood includes a mix of flat terrain and hills. Enjoy parks, trails, and some hidden gems in a small retail cluster with shopping and dining.

Major Points of Interest: Pupatella, Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden, Southern Shreve Cemetery
Distance:
3.25 miles
Time: Appx. Appx 1 hour, 15 mins., walking at a leisurely pace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3: Crystal City and the Long Bridge Park Esplanade

This flat, urban walk is a loop that starts and ends at the Crystal City Metro. The new Long Bridge Park Esplanade is a flat, continuous path where you can do some concentrated walking. There are lots of wonderful photo opportunities on this route so get ready to take some pictures!

Major Points of Interest: Crystal City Water Park, Long Bridge Park Esplanade, Long Bridge Aquatics Center
Time: 1 hour, walking at a leisurely pace
Distance: Appx. 2.75 miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2: Court House to Clarendon

This mostly urban walk starts at the Court House Metro and includes a couple of good retail stops. It also features some natural beauty that will help you recharge, including a visit to the Barton Park Labyrinth. This walk is hilly and challenging, so you’ll get in some good cardio on this one! Remember to pace yourself, drink water, and take breaks as needed.

Major Points of Interest: Mural by SatONE, Bayou Bakery, Barton Park Labyrinth, Rocky Run Park
Distance: 2.5 miles, with an option to end at the 1.5-mile point
Time: Appx. 50 minutes for the full walk, 35 minutes for the shortened version, walking at a leisurely pace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 1: Virginia Square to Ballston

This urban but low-key walk starts and ends at the Virginia Square Metro and takes in the colorful sights and sounds of these two bustling neighborhoods.

Major Points of Interest: Ridge Sculpture and Oakland Park, Mosaic Park, Ballston Quarter, Welburn Square
Distance: Two miles, with an option to end at the 1.3-mile point.
Time: Appx. 45 minutes for the full walk, 30 minutes for shorter version, walking at a leisurely pace

Ballston

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