Rock Creek Park


Rock Creek Park is truly a gem in our nation's capital. This 1,754 acre city park was officially authorized in 1890, making it the third national park to be designated by the federal government. It offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge, recreation, fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and thousands of years of human history.

Ample parking for hiking, biking and visiting the Nature Center is located at 5200 Glover Rd, NW. Rock Creek Park is a large urban park stretching from the Maryland - DC border to the Potomac River. Rock Creek Park also administers 99 separate neighborhood small sites. A large network of public roads provide access to all points administered by Rock Creek Park.

  • Arts and Culture
  • Live Music
  • Auto and ATV
  • Scenic Driving
  • Astronomy
  • Planetarium
  • Stargazing
  • Biking
  • Fishing
  • Food
  • Picnicking
  • Golfing
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Horse Trekking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Paddling
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Stand Up Paddleboarding
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Playground
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

  • Architecture and Building
  • African American Heritage
  • Arts
  • Poetry and Literature
  • Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
  • National Cemetery
  • Colonization and Settlement
  • Engineering
  • Farming and Agriculture
  • Plantations
  • Forts
  • Industry
  • Mills
  • Landscape Design
  • Military
  • Infantry and Militia
  • Artillery
  • Battlefields
  • Monuments and Memorials
  • Music
  • Schools and Education
  • Social Movements
  • Civil Rights
  • Wars and Conflicts
  • Civil War
  • Women's History
  • Animals
  • Birds
  • Tortoises and Turtles
  • Climate Change
  • Forests and Woodlands
  • Deciduous Forests
  • Geology
  • Night Sky
  • Astronomy
  • Trails
  • Unique Species
  • Endangered

Rock Creek Park's Boulder Bridge

Stone bridge and fall leaves

Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park

Rocks in the Creek

Water swirls around large boulders in a creek. Trees in autumn colors line the bank

Rock Creek in Autumn

Nature Center

a one story building nestled among green leafy trees

Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium

Rocks in Rock Creek

Dark boulders scattered through a narrow creek. Green trees rise up on either bank.

Rock Creek

Peirce Mill

A stone mill house

Peirce Mill