East Potomac Park & Hains Point

In February 2008, a 27 year struggle came to an end. The struggling giant that is The Awakening emerged from his Hains Point perch only to be carted off and reburied in suburban Prince George's County. For many Washingtonians, it was the end of an era for East Potomac Park and Hains Point.

The Awakening will be missed, but East Potomac Park Park (EPP) should not be. With its riverside, tree-lined setting devoid of the bumper-to-bumper traffic mere meters away, EPP is exactly the kind of outdoors escape we all need.

View of the SW Waterfront from East Potomac Park

View the East Potomac Park Slideshow on Flickr

Geography

While many people refer to East Potomac Park as a "peninsula," the park is actually an island (look closely at the Satellite map), which was man-made in the late 1800's from Potomac River dredging material. Other noteworthy geographic facts include:

• The Jefferson Memorial anchors the northern tip of the island and Hains Point the southern
• The island is bordered by the Tidal Basin (north), Washington Channel (east), and Potomac River (west)
• Hains Point is referenced as the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia River

Outdoor Activities

Cyclist on Ohio Drive in East Potomac Park

By all accounts, the dominate feature of the 328 acre park is the golf course - or rather three golf courses (18-hole par 4, 9-hole Executive, and 9-hole short course). We can only imagine how valuable East Potomac Park is to downtown cubicle-dwellers who dream of donning a green jacket. Alas, this isn't a golf website so our Links analysis ends there.

For walkers, runners, and cyclists, EPP is an outdoor playground that can be as pleasant, or painful, as you make it. There are two main recreational components of the park:

• Paved Walkway - The narrow, paved walkway, which is in varying degrees of disrepair, lines up against the seawall. On weekends, it's a fishermen hot spot, but does anything ever bite?
• Ohio Drive Loop - Without a doubt, the loop is a local favorite for cyclists and runners. It measures 3.2 miles - an almost perfect 5K distance - and cars are few and far between.

Visit East Potomac Park on any sun-drenched weekend and you're bound to see a whole host of characters - from the speed-racer cyclist riding time-trail laps (Mayor Fenty style) to the stroller-pushing mom out for a visit to the playground.

Cherry Blossoms

Fifty weeks a year, East Potomac Park enjoys a serenity not found in its monument-wielding neighbor, the National Mall. Cherry Blossom Festival time, however, is somewhat of an exception. The park features 1,681 cherry blossom trees, many of which are the Kanzan varietal. Kanzan trees bloom about two weeks later than the Yoshino trees that dominate the Tidal Basin. Assuming the Kanzan blossoms last beyond the two-week window of festival madness, visit EPP and perhaps your DC Blossom experience can be one of peace and quiet.

Although East Potomac Park lost its favorite (aluminum) son, the park has certainly not lost its allure to Washington DC locals, and the occasional Cherry Blossom tourist, alike. 

Location / Directions: Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC
Park Size / Trail Distance: 328 acres; 3.2 mile loop
Surface / Difficulty: Paved; Easy
Administration: National Park Service

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