Washington, D.C. rock creek park · Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

If you look on a map, Rock Creek Park is evidently the District's central respiratory system, bisecting the city north of the Anacostia River, and covering nearly 2,000 acres of thickly forested hills. It's a national park, full of deer (who overpopulate, due to lack of predators), squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, birds, and even a few coyotes. The paved biking/running trail is one of the nation's best, and it extends all the way from the Lincoln Memorial way out into Maryland (it also connects with the Mount Vernon trail in Northern Virginia). But there are tons more paths, from the hiking trail network to bridle paths, as well as a boatload of picnic spots, a golf course, a variety of Ranger-led/educational programs, and even a boat rental center on the Potomac. There are plenty of nice outdoor spaces just beyond the park itself. South of Massachusetts Ave, you can take a path west out to the beautiful Dumbarton Oaks estate and gardens, and then on to enormous Archibald-Glover Park, where the trails can lead you as far south and west as the C&O Canal and Palisades Park. Following the main Rock Creek trail along the creek itself all the way south will take you under the Whitehurst Fwy and down to the Mall, where joggers avail themselves of the incredible path right along the Potomac beneath the monuments.

Peirce Mill, Tilden St & Beach Dr NW, ☎ +1 202 282-0927, . A historic water-powered mill in the park and a national historic site, Peirce Mill and restrooms are currently closed to the public for repairs. The restrooms located at Picnic Grove 1 are still open. �

Rock Creek Golf Course, 16th St & Rittenhouse St NW, ☎ +1 202 882-7332, . dawn-dusk daily. The eighteen holes of golf in Rock Creek Park are a bit rough—some would say the fairways are starting to look like pasture. That's not to say you can't have a good experience here, as it is quite a novelty to play golf deep in the woods, despite being in the city. Golfers might want to consider the other two major courses in the city, though, at Hains Point (just across the water from the Mall) and at Langston. $16/nine holes, $23/eighteen. �

Rock Creek Horse Center—see district article.

Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium, 5200 Glover Rd NW, ☎ +1 202 895-6070, . W-Su 9AM-5PM. Deep inside the park, the Nature Center offers hands-on exhibits, guided nature walks, an "observation beehive," and a full planetarium. Especially good for kids. All free. �

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Washington, D.C. Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.