Grist Mill Park

Although I managed to get a walk here, I really can’t recommend it. In fact, I’m including it only because every listing I found for it elsewhere mentions that it has walking/hiking trails. There are indeed a number of places where there are paths leading into the woods- but they were all too narrow or rugged even for my jogging stroller to enter.

This is not a place to “get away from it all.” You’ll hear lots of traffic noise. I don’t know if this was a particularly high siren day, or if the park is near the fire station/hospital, but I heard a lot of them while I was there.

There is a paved walking trail that starts near the park entrance and continues toward the dog park. The trail picks up on the other side of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, and there is a crossing, if you want to make it. I felt that the business of the street and lack of a traffic signal meant that crossing was not for me and my bitty man. But if you want to walk the trail, it does keep going, and it is paved and plenty stroller friendly.

Within the park itself, I managed to get a walk, but only by going over grass a lot. If you’re fit and you have a jogging stroller, you might enjoy heading back behind the baseball diamond to see the pond, and there is a dirt path that runs back from the pond, but it had such a huge rut eroded across it that I couldn’t get the stroller across to explore it. Overall, I was disappointed.

Trail surface: Paved
Freedom Coded: Yellow, except near the pond.
Double stroller accessible: Yes. The paved trails are wide and level.
Stroller type: Any for the trail, definitely a jogger within the park.
Distance: I followed the trail until it ran out on my side of the street and the round trip to my car was a little over half a mile.
Loop: no.
Shade cover: no
Restrooms: portolets
Parking: ample, in the lot.
Getting There: Grist Mill Park
4710 Mt Vernon Memorial Hwy
Alexandria, VA 22309

About Meghan

I like blues, punk, crime drama, mysteries, knitting, science fiction, having boys, and keeping active. I am a cat person, although I think dogs should have equal opportunities. When I'm not here, you'll find me on our main site, or out and about with my kids!

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