George Washington Memorial Parkway
Along the Western Bank of the Potomac River in Northern
Virginia
The George Washington
Memorial Parkway, also known as the "G.W. Parkway" was designed as a
grand gateway and greenway to the Nation’s Capital. The Parkway is an
oasis of greenery amid urban development with a variety of park sites
that provide opportunities for everything from quiet thought to nature
exploration to active recreation. It is located mostly in Northern
Virginia within Arlington and Fairfax Counties, and the City of
Alexandria with a short section over Columbia Island, which is within
the District of Columbia. It runs along the western bank of the Potomac
with it's northern terminus at the intersection of the Capital Beltway
(I-495) to its southern terminus at Mount Vernon , the Estate of George
Washington. At Mount Vernon, the parkway ends at a traffic circle, where
it joins State Route 235. It is separated into two sections joined by
Washington Street (Virginia State Route 400) in Alexandria (Old Town
Alexandria), Virginia. Along the G.W. Parkway. The northern
section extends from North Washington Street at First Street, at the
northern end of , to its terminus at Interstate 495, the Capital
Beltway, in Fairfax County, just south of the Potomac River. It serves
as the primary access point to
Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport. The parkway also provides automobile access to
Theodore
Roosevelt Island, the
LBJ National Grove, Gravelly Point Park,
Fort
Marcy, and Turkey Run Park. There are scenic view rest areas for those
wishing to view the Georgetown skyline and Potomac Palisades.
