We envision the African American Heritage Trail as consisting of several interconnecting routes across the City of Alexandria. Together, these trails illuminate the history of the African American community over a span of several centuries. This trail highlights the contributions of Black Alexandrians, free and enslaved, to the history of Alexandria’s waterfront. We strive to forefront their experiences while recognizing that their voices are often not directly preserved in the historical record.
The South Trail Route is the second in a series of trails covering the waterfront. The African American Heritage Trail Committee created this walking tour, with the support of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
Alexandria’s African American history is told through an online StoryMap and can be experienced in-home on your computer or on your smartphone as you walk the trail along the Potomac River. This relatively flat walk takes you along the waterfront from the foot of King Street to Jones Point, a little over two miles in distance. The trail mostly follows level, paved surfaces, but there are some areas of moderate slope, gravel paths, and stairs. Included are alternate paths. The walking tour should take about 90 minutes at a leisurely pace. The walk back from the end of the trail is a little more than a mile, so plan accordingly or arrange for transportation from Jones Point.
This webpage presents more in-depth information about the stops highlighted in the StoryMap.