Ever get the feeling that you're pushing too hard at the edges, trying so hard to find new and exciting places to run that you manage to miss the great trails right under your nose? That's what happened to me with Battery Kemble Park, a tasty little trail-running enclave hidden in the affluent neighborhoods of northwest Washington that I've been commuting past for the last four years.

Battery Kemble is located in the rolling hills near American University. It's certainly not huge as far as parks go, consisting of little more than a stretch of land and a small clearing, but it's an excellent jumping off point for runs all over the area. Why run here? Because you can go as long or as short as you want; several different cross-town trails meet near the park and go all over the place, so the routes are nearly endless--connecting up with the Glover Archbold Trail, the Wesley Heights Trail, and the edge of Rock Creek Park among others for a good 20+ miles of distance. It is another one of those surprising oases right in the middle of the city.

I visited on a chilly Saturday afternoon, so the crowds were light and the trails wide open. But keep in mind that these trails are within shouting distance of several thousand homes and can get pretty crowded with dog walkers in nice weather. Connecting up with the Wesley Heights Trail, my plan heading in had been to run along the ridges through Glover Archbold Park and the Whitehaven Trail and make it all the way into Georgetown. But, thanks to some less-than-helpful trail markings, that's not really what ended up happening (more on that later.)

I'll just come out and say it: the terrain here is great. Such a nice variety of hills, drops, and ridges, you can get a good workout without getting bored. As opposed to the long, straight Potomac Heritage Trail in Virginia, you get distance and the kind of hilly, challenging variety that's hard to find in this area.

The bad news? Like most of the trails in the Rock Creek Park system, the Battery Kemble network is poorly marked at best. I won't lie to you, I got lost the last time I went out there and had to get back on track using the street signs. It's embarrassing, but worth passing along: these trails can be confusing and they're not for novices. At the very least, I recommend running with someone who knows the area well before trying a Battery Kemble run solo. The miles I did cover, however, were a lot of fun and offered some nice views of the creek and the neighborhoods. I never expected some of the hills that it tossed my way, so I definitely got the workout I was looking for.

Parking at Battery Kemble is tough-and-go at best (three spaces in the "lot," with some street parking in the surrounding neighborhood) but there are a number of other access streets for these routes, just check out a map of northwest. The trails themselves are well taken care of and generally pretty even underfoot. Keep an eye for side access branches, they add to the "unmarked trail jumble" that pervades throughout the area.

It's fairly easy to get to Battery Kemble Park from anywhere in DC/MD/VA. From downtown, take Macarthur Boulevard west out of the city and turn right onto Chain Bridge Road (there's no light at the intersection, but it's a little less than a mile past the reservoir.) About a mile up Chain Bridge you'll come to a parking "lot" and the park entrance on your right. The Battery Kemble Trail is down the hill near the stream. If you're coming from the Beltway, take the Macarthur Boulevard East exit at the American Legion Bridge and take a left onto Chain Bridge Road.

This is a great area for trail running with all sorts of nice routes to explore, but I'm only going to give it two Muddy Shoes out of five due to the spotty trail markings and general lack of parking. I would certainly think twice before sending a novice into this labyrinth--at least without someone to guide them--but I do feel like the trails and the variety are worth the hassle. Check this area out in the spring.

Tim Sprinkle has been running the trails of Northern Virginia from his home in Arlington for the last four years. In that time, he has only cleaned his shoes once.