Rock Creek Park Trail & Beach Drive

Every trail has a story to tell. For some, it's a story of the past - from Native American settlements to Civil War garrisons. For other trails, the story begins and ends with the environment - the degradation caused by our damaging habits and what we can do to buck the trend. Last but not least, the drama queen trails tell the story of political and administrative struggles - different user groups with different priorities.

Only in DC can the story of a trail span history, environment, and politics. Such is the story of the Rock Creek Park Trail.

The Rock Creek Park Trail winding along a stone wall

View the Rock Creek Park Trail Slideshow on Flickr

Paved Trail

The setting is Rock Creek Park, Washington DC's most popular green space not named the National Mall. The park hosts approximately 2 million visitors per year - many of whom tread on the paved Rock Creek Park Trail.

The 6.5 mile paved trail is is divided into sections detailed below (mileage markers in parentheses). The official southern terminus of the trail is just south of the Tidal Basin, parallel to Ohio Drive.

1. Tidal Basin to Georgetown/C&O Canal (2.1 miles): Part trail and part large sidewalk, this section is adjacent to the National Mall and the Kennedy Center. The C&O Canal intersection is your best Georgetown access point. 
2. Georgetown/C&O Canal to P Street Bridge (0.5): The P Street bridge is your last chances to exit the trail (safely, at least) until Connecticut Avenue. The bridge is just four blocks west of Dupont Circle.
3. P Street Bridge to Connecticut Avenue Bridge (1.3): The grandest of Rock Creek's bridges is Connecticut Avenue. This area features a very popular large grassy area at Shoreham Drive.
4. National Zoological Park (1.0): This section includes a 0.5 mile detour that avoids the Parkway tunnel, but it's only open from dawn to dusk. Zoo access is available at National Zoo Drive.
5. Zoo to Broad Branch Road (1.7): After winding 1.7 miles passed the Zoo, the paved trail ends at Broad Branch Drive.

The Boulder Bridge along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park

Beach Drive

Six and change miles of trail may be great for a jogger, but most cyclists will be itching for more. Riding on a weekend? You're in luck. Beach Drive, north of Broad Branch Road, is, in The WashCycle's words, DC's very own "ciclovia." On weekends, from 7 AM Saturday to 7 PM Sunday, this section of Beach Drive is closed to cars. For 36 straight hours every week, one of the region's most scenic roads is a two-wheeled and two-feet wonderland.

Beach Drive's car-free section lends itself to a two-part breakdown.

1. Broad Branch Road to Joyce Road/Military Road (1.6 miles): The crossing at Joyce Road provides trail access to the Nature Center.
2. Military Road to Maryland/DC border (2.7): The most remote-feeling section, the DC/Maryland border is the northern terminus of Rock Creek Park.

To view the full 10.8 mile excursion (Rock Creek Park Trail plus Beach Drive), check out this map featuring Google's new Bicycling map layer.

Trail Highlights

Several features and characteristics of the route make it a classic Washington DC outdoor adventure.

• Bridge Architecture: This is not an architecture website, but even a casual observer is awed by the massive concrete bridges crossing Rock Creek. The Connectict Avenue bridge is the largest, but Trail Voice's favorite is the tiny Boulder Bridge on Beach Drive.
• 19th Century History: Pierce Mill is the featured attraction, but we also like Mt. Zion Cemetery, a reminder of the vibrant history of free blacks in the District.
• Trail Connections: Rock Creek Park, in and of itself, features a vast network of natural surface trails. Cyclists and joggers/hikers can also take advantage of the following trail connections: National Mall, C&O Canal, Melvin C. Haven/Glover-Archbold Park, and Montgomery County's extension of the Rock Creek Trail.

Trail Future

The Car-free Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park

No stranger to the DC political scene, Rock Creek Park was a favorite getaway for Teddy Roosevelt and his unsuspecting foreign guests. Lately, it's been the scene of a different kind of politics. Loved to death by walkers, joggers, and stroller-pushers, the narrow, winding paved trail has long been a point of contention with cyclists; but that may change. After several years of WABA advocacy efforts, DDOT and the National Park Service have decided to widen the trail and improve the surface.

Park & Trail Volunteering

For the stewards among us, Rock Creek Park provides a full slate of volunteer opportunities including Bike Patrol, Pierce Mill guiding, and Nature Center programs. The busiest day of the Rock Creek spring volunteering season is April 10th in conjunction with the Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Visit our dedicated event page to learn more about joining the Trail Voice/Friends of Rock Creek's Environment team and thousands of other volunteers.

No other DC trail offers urbanites an experience quite like the Rock Creek Park Trail. Whether you visit to stretch your legs or take in the history, we think you'll enjoy the story.

Location / Directions: NW Washington, DC
Trail Distance: 10.8 miles total; Rock Creek Park Trail - 6.5 miles, Beach Drive - 4.3 miles
Surface / Difficulty: Paved; Easy
Trail Map: Map of Rock Creek Park
Administration: National Park Service
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter

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