I left one off the list, but had already written this, so then I had 13. Enjoy!
Just north of the District Boundary on the east side of the Anacostia lies Dueling Creek. Technically, the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail ends at a parking lot about 700 feet from the Creek, but a small connection to it would be easy. A short trail along the stream has the potential to create some neighborhood connections, but even a short trail has some serious barriers to overcome.
The mouth of the creek is in Colmar Manor Community Park, which was built on an old landfill site in the 1980's. It sits just north of Fort Lincoln Cemetery. A trail from the existing ATTS terminus to the Anacostia along the creek would have a recreational value, but if it could be extended south between the Anacostia and the Cemetery to New York Avenue, Fort Lincoln Drive and/or the Arboretum then it would have some transportation utility, more so if the New York Avenue bridge gets a bike crossing as is often suggested.
North of the park road, the creek runs in a concrete channel passing under the low traffic streets of Lawrence and 37th before reaching the Dueling Grounds, from which the creek gets its name, and Bladensburg Road. The section of trail would be the easiest to built, but could also be considered redundant to the park road. A facility alongside the road might be easier and have less environmental impact.
There is some talk of this. In August, Anacostia Heritage Trails Area, Inc. and the town of Colmar Manor hosted a community planning meeting on a new Dueling Creek Heritage Trail. They considered adding a short trail segment along the lower part of the creek. They identified four possible routes between the trail and the park near Bladensburg Road.
A grade separated crossing of Blandesburg would really open up Colmar Manor to the trail; but it would be expensive, perhaps prohibitively so depending on the expected use.
Between Bladensburg Road and the Camden Line railroad the creek runs naturally between parking before reaching a small residential area. A trail on this section would make sense on its own, since it would create a shorter connection between Cottage Terrace and the closest Bladensburg Road crosswalk. In the 2009 Port Towns plan, this area is meant to be a park, but no trail is identified along Dueling Creek at all.
Getting across the railroad tracks is similar in difficulty to getting across Bladensburg Road. On the other side the creek is again in a concrete channel to Wells Avenue with absolutely no room on the sides. The nearest pedestrian crossings of the railroad tracks are about 1000-1700 feet away.
East of Wells, the creeks is encased in a concrete box, the top of which, with some improvement, could serve as a bike path to 35th Street. Parts of it appear to be on private property, which would be a significant complication.
A trail from 35th to the river would be a great amenity, but it would be expensive and difficult. From the railroad to the river would be easier and useful, even it it required an at-grade crossing at an uncontrolled crosswalk. But it's not without complexities and limitations which explains why it's last on this list.
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