September brings cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and some of the best walking conditions of the season. For longtime Arlingtonians, the ninth month of the year also recalls a picture-perfect September morning in 2001 when blue skies were suddenly darkened by billowing black smoke emanating from the Pentagon. Twenty-three years later, memories of that day still elicit a visceral response in our collective consciousness.

Each year, we honor those lost that day at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and in Shanksville, Pa.; the first responders who followed; and the families and friends left behind. Here in Arlington, annual gatherings and events are held at the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Bozman County Government Center, police and fire stations, schools, and other sites around the County.

In 2023, the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance inaugurated a new tradition of commemorating September 11th in Arlington–the Tour de Trail: Pentagon Memorial Walk. Dedicated to honoring the heroes of 9/11, this inspiring celebration of resilience and unity returns in 2024.

The 2nd Annual Tour de Trail will take place Saturday, October 5, from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Starting at the Water Park in National Landing, the 3.5-mile loop route will take walkers to the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and back again.

Speakers along the route include Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Retired U.S. Army Colonel Robert Dannemiller, who was working in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and Advisory Board Member Thomas Heidenberger, a retired U.S. Airways pilot whose wife, Michele, was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 77.

Connecting Three 9/11 Sites

The Tour de Trail: Pentagon Memorial Walk and other September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance activities around the region are the result of more than two decades of work to establish the September 11th National Memorial Trail, a route linking the National September 11th Memorial & Museum in New York City, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial here in Arlington, Va., and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pa.

The idea for a National Memorial Trail originated in Arlington in 2001, just a few blocks from the Pentagon, just a few days after 9/11, as conservation and recreation leaders from across the country convened to attend the Mid-Atlantic Governors Conference on Greenways, Blueways and Green Infrastructure. At the concluding forum, conference chair David Brickley, director of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, presented a vision for creating a multi-use trail as a perpetual memorial to those lost. Soon thereafter, the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance was formed.

Over the next two decades, working with local communities, state governments, environmental agencies, transportation departments, railroad corporations, non-profit organizations, elected officials, stakeholders, and individuals, the Alliance cobbled together 30 trail segments and 14 projects across Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to create a 1300-mile trail route linking the three 9/11 sites. And on October 13, 2021, President Biden marked the 20th anniversary by signing bi-partisan legislation to formally designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail.

The Virginia Connection

The September 11th National Memorial Trail through Maryland, Washington D.C., and northern Virginia comprises two routes: a northwest to southeast route for those traveling from the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania toward the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, and a southwest to northeast route for those traveling from the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial toward New York City and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The Arlington Connection

To make the September 11th National Memorial Trail a reality, Alliance members conducted site visits, built relationships, negotiated agreements, raised funds, and in some cases, broke ground across six states and the District of Columbia. Involved with the Alliance since 2013 and a longtime member of the Capital Trails Coalition Steering Committee, Brenner recalls that, unlike other areas and states where the National Memorial Trail “may be the only game in town,” walk-friendly Arlington required little extra effort to connect with the full 1300-mile trail.

The 2024 Pentagon Memorial Walk marks a milestone in the completion of the September 11th National Memorial Trail with the addition of a trail connection through Long Bridge Park to the new dual-use side path adjacent to Boundary Channel Drive and under I-395.

This new side path leads to the trail that hugs the Pentagon Lagoon, which in turn connects to the Mount Vernon Trail near the 14th Street Bridge. This is a great alternative for locals/commuters wanting to avoid the busy Mount Vernon Trail.

The Pentagon Memorial Connection

Register here for the 2nd Annual Tour de Trail: Pentagon Memorial on Saturday, October 5. The cost is $40.00 per person. Children under 13 are free. All proceeds from the walk support the efforts of the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance to create and maintain the 1300-mile, multi-use National Memorial Trail, connecting the three locations impacted by the events of 9/11.

To learn about other fall awareness-raising activities being sponsored by the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance, including two bike tours in Pennsylvania, visit the 911 Trail website.

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