Washington D.C. is more than just politics! It's a thriving sport and adventure destination too. Here's my step-by-step guide to hiking Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. including the best trails to take, a Presidential story and how to get to the hiking start point.
-------------------
HI! I'm Sports Travel Tom. If you liked this video I would love you to SUBSCRIBE and join my community on the following channels:
Website: www.sportstraveltom.com
Instagram: @sportstraveltom
TikTok: @sportstaveltom
X: @sportstraveltom
--------------------------
Other videos you may like:
HOW TO HIKE TO THE UAE'S HIGHEST PUBLIC POINT AT JEBEL JAIS:
• JEBEL JAIS: How to HIK...
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO HIKING THE BREAKNECK RIDGE HIKE IN NEW YORK'S HUDSON HIGHLANDS:
• A full guide to the in...
REACH THE TOP OF PITTSBURGH ON THIS BRILLIANT INNER_CITY HIKE:
• Pittsburgh is a city f...
______________
If you are travelling and without those things such as cars, finding great adventures and then reaching them can often be tricky, especially if you are staying in a city.
Much like the incredible Hudson Highlands 90 minutes from New York City on the train, Washington D.C. also has great access to brilliant adventures.
Rock Creek Park is no exception. The park is enormous and sits north of the Downtown area of the city. It is infact America's 3rd established National Park back at the end of the 19th Century and now it is a paradise for hikers, cyclists, joggers and picnic lovers!
Please see below to follow how I hiked from top to bottom of Rock Creek Park, a duration on 7 miles but all fairly flat with some undulation along the way.
- Take a bus from Downtown to Silver Spring - it will cost you $2.
- At Silver Spring bus station, change onto the Number 1 bus towards Friendship Heights and get off at Grubb Road. It'll take just a few minutes.
- Stock up on supplies such as water at Rock Creek Shopping Centre and grab breakfast at the iconic Parkway Deli.
- Head south on the road for a few minutes then turn right onto the Boundary Trail.
- You'll soon come to a junction with the Valley Trail. Here you need to turn left.
- When you arrive at the T-Junction, keep to the right and keep Rock Creek on your right hand side.
- Walk underneath the small road bridge, then over a foot bridge.
- You can turn off the main trail to the right to find a nice pebble beach area for a resting stop.
- Carry on south on Valley Trail until you come to Picnic Grove 6. Here there are restrooms, picnic benches and plenty of areas to relax. This is about the half-way mark.
- Track back to where Picnic Grove 6 opens up and step down to where the ld Milk House Ford used to be.
- Here, you can either cross the river along the rocks, or use the bridge close by.
- Head west on the yellow marked trail and follow it around to the left.
- Eventually you will come to the former sight of Fort DeRussy - an old Civil War fort that served to protect the city of Washington.
- Carry on back down the path until you get back to the flowing Rock Creek.
- Cross the bridge back over the water and then turn right to rejoin the Valley Trail.
- Continue south past the likes of Rapids Bridge and Boulder Bridge.
- Boulder Bridge is another nice spot for a rest.
- As you then pass Pulpit Rock, you will turn right onto the Roosevelt Trail which links you to the Western Ridge Trail.
- From here, head south again for a few minutes until you reach Peirce Mill where you can call it a day.
- From Peirce Mill, you can either get a ride sharing lift or walk to nearby Cleveland Park along Tilden Street then south on Connecticut Avenue where you will find shops, restaurants and bars for a well deserved pot hike refreshment.
From Cleveland Park you can also take the bus back to Downtown.
I loved this first adventure in Washington D.C. - a perfect start to exploring the city through sport & adventure. In next week's episode, I'm joining one of America's longest serving soccer supporters groups to showcase exactly how you should attend a DC United game.
Thanks for watching.