HIKING VIRGINIA

As far back as 1866, people recognized Rock Creek’s natural beauty and fought to protect it. It would be another quarter-century before an actual park came into being. Long, narrow, and heavily wooded, this 10-mile-long park is a twisty green stripe through a sea of urbanism. It is also a magnet for hikers, joggers, horseback riders, and others. The spacious northern section of the park is big enough to hold them all. Here, it is hilly and wooded, with room to roam.

THE RUNDOWN

Start: Rock Creek Nature Center

Distance: 7.1-mile loop

Hiking time: 2-3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate due to distance and some confusing trail junctions

Trail surface: Paved paths, dirt woodland paths, and roads

Land status: National park

Nearest town: Washington, DC

Other trail users: Horseback riders, joggers, walkers, in-line skaters, and cyclists

Accessibility: The Edge of the Woods Trail at the Nature Center is paved and has a rope guide for the visually impaired.

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Trail contact: Rock Creek Park, 3545 Williamsburg Lane NW, Washington, DC; (202) 895-6000, www.nps.gov/rocr

Schedule: The park is open daily during daylight hours.

Fees/permits: None, except for groups using picnic areas.

Facilities/features: There are restrooms at the Nature Center and a chemical toilet at the Boundary Bridge parking area. The Nature Center features natural history displays and a planetarium. Throughout Rock Creek Park are historic buildings, tennis courts, a golf course, and an equestrian center.

NatGeo TOPO! map: Washington West

Other maps: PATC Map N: Rock Creek Park Area

Special considerations: The park closes sections of Beach Drive to cars from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and federal holidays for recreational use by hikers, bicyclists, runners, and in-line skaters. Closed sections are: Beach Drive north from Broad Branch Road to Military Highway; from Picnic Area 10 to Wise Road; and West Beach Drive to the Boundary Bridge parking area. Bingham Drive and Sherrill Drive are also closed weekends and federal holidays.

In the south region of the park, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway traffic flow is altered for weekday rush-hour traffic. From Connecticut Avenue, it is one way going south from 6:45 to 9:30 a.m., and one way going north from 3:45 to 6:30 p.m. Also, access streets like Glover Road, Ross Drive, Bingham Drive, and Sherrill Drive are not maintained after heavy snowfall or in icy conditions.

From northern Virginia, cross the Potomac on I-66/US 50 (Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge). Take the Independence Avenue exit (right lane) and keep right to merge onto Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. In 0.7 mile, continue straight at an intersection with Virginia Avenue. As road signs indicate Connecticut Avenue approaching, stay right and follow signs for the National Zoo and Beach Drive. (Note: The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway ends at Connecticut Avenue; Beach Drive becomes the main north-south route through Rock Creek Park.) Continue straight on Beach Drive at Klingle Avenue on the left and Piney Branch Parkway on the right. There is a traffic light at Beach Drive and Park Road/Tilden Street. In 0.3 mile past this, bear left at an intersection with Blagden Avenue. At 100 yards past this, turn left off Beach Drive onto Broad Branch Road. (Note: Beach Drive from this point north to Military Road is closed on weekends and holidays.) Immediately turn right on Ridge Road NW, following signs for the Rock Creek Nature Center. In less than 1 mile, fork left and uphill, avoiding Ross Drive, which forks right and downhill. In 0.4 mile past this fork, bear right onto Glover Road and then turn right into the Nature Center parking area.

From downtown Washington, DC, follow directions above from the intersection of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Virginia Avenue. Or, take New Hampshire Avenue north from DuPont Circle for 0.6 mile. Turn left onto 16th Street NW and in 3 miles, turn right onto an entrance ramp for Military Road. In 1 mile, turn left onto Glover Road. In quick succession, bear left at a fork and then turn left onto the Nature Center parking area.

From Maryland and I-495/Capital Beltway, take exit 31B/Georgia Avenue, following signs for Georgia Avenue South and Silver Springs. Once on Georgia Avenue, stay in either of the two right lanes so that in 0.3 mile from I-495, you can exit right onto 16th Street. In 3.1 miles, turn right and merge onto Military Road. In 1 mile, turn left onto Glover Road. In quick succession, bear left at a fork and then turn left into the Nature Center parking area. Trailhead GPS: N38 57.594′ / W77 03.103′. DeLorme: Maryland/Delaware Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 46, B3.

Rock Creek Park, at its broadest, is only a mile wide. It is a nearly 10-mile-long narrow stream valley park that passes as the long green swath of trees separating downtown Washington, DC, and Georgetown. But to look at it as a single homogenous unit is to miss the small details that make moving between the upland woods and streamside a joy.

Unmarked, but well used, are several angler’s paths through floodplains along Rock Creek. If you’re hiking the Valley Trail, you’ll find one in a wide bend in the river north of Riley Spring Bridge; the other is between West Beach Drive and Boundary Bridge. They are the proverbial low road, alternatives to the higher, drier route of the official Valley Trail.

One advantage in following them is personal satisfaction. These unmarked paths bring you close to the creek. On a sandbar, a few tree logs that washed downstream in a high flood sit high and dry, perfect perches for a snack and relaxing. The stream is a melodious riffle, not so loud that you can’t hear bird chatter. Rock Creek in calm water reflects back yellow and red leaves on overhanging trees, making a shimmering mirage of color.

In terms of plants, the floodplain just feels different from the upland. Here there is more smooth alder, but less holly, which is abundant in the understory of the drier forests that cover the stream valley’s sloping hills. There is American hornbeam, a skinny tree whose ripply trunk and tight gray bark give the appearance of muscles. It’s an apt comparison; this tough, heavy wood was preferred for making handles for axes and sledgehammers.

Yellow poplar and American beech are two of the main trees you’ll find in an upland forest, but in the floodplain, they’re replaced by eastern black walnut. Donald Culross Peattie, in his book A Natural History of Trees, ranks black walnut second only behind pecan in usefulness. Indians chewed the bark to ease toothaches, and processed black walnut shells are “soft grit abrasives” and as such are perfect for “cleaning jet engines, electronic circuit boards, ships, and automobile gear systems.”

The northern section of Rock Creek Park is the perfect spot to “converse” with both the upland woods and streamside floodplains. A long stretch of the Western Ridge Trail, north from Bingham Drive to Beach Drive, covers hilly terrain. It is the largest chunk of unspoiled woodland in the park, with only Wise Road bisecting it. This is the territory of the great horned owl and the screech owl.

A detour from this heavy upland forest down along Pinehurst Branch leads to other discoveries. By October, hackberry trees are in fruit along the Pinehurst Branch Trail, offering songbirds like the cedar waxwing valuable fuel. There are three shallow-water fords across the branch on our route; the last is a scramble up the stream bank to dry ground. The trail uphill is a narrow path that in summer almost disappears beneath the crowded shrub understory. In no time you’re standing atop a knoll amid red oaks and tulip poplars. In this spot, in a park that records 2 million recreational visits annually, you can hear an acorn drop.

MILES AND DIRECTIONS

0.0Start from the front entrance of the Rock Creek Nature Center. Follow a paved path west past the Edge of the Woods Trail on the right. Where the path Ts, turn right (north) onto the green-blazed Western Ridge Trail, which here shares the route with a paved bike path. Walk downhill to four-lane Military Road and cross straight over.

0.2Turn right at an interpretive sign for Fort DeRussy. In the next 0.1 mile, you will veer left off the paved path as Western Ridge Trail becomes a wide dirt trail. Soon after this, make a right (north) turn at a double green blaze as Western Ridge Trail becomes a narrow woods trail. Side trip: The wide dirt path that continues straight from this double green blaze is a horse trail. In 200 yards or so, it passes the ruins of Fort DeRussy, a Civil War-era defense. This is also the return leg of this hike.

0.5Turn left at a double green blaze for Western Ridge Trail. Note: Straight ahead is Cross Trail 5 (CT 5), which descends to Milkhouse Ford on Rock Creek.

0.6Emerge from the woods and trace a horse pasture fence on your right. At the end of the fence line, turn right (north) and walk between the pasture and a community garden on the right. The trail meets a paved road. Turn left (west) on the road, keeping a line of stubby wooden posts on your right.

0.7Turn right onto a paved path marked by a wooden post with a green blaze for Western Ridge Trail. Note: This path is immediately past a gated road that will parallel the trail for a few hundred yards.

0.9Cross Bingham Drive diagonal left. On the far side, Western Ridge Trail is still a paved path. Within a hundred yards, follow Western Ridge Trail as it forks left. Walk another 20 feet and turn right (north) on Western Ridge, which is now a path of dirt and crushed rock.

1.1Stay straight on the green-blazed Western Ridge Trail at a junction with Cross Trail 3 (CT 3).

1.3Western Ridge Trail veers right at a fork in the trail. Follow it a few feet downhill to a four-way trail junction. Turn right (east) onto Pinehurst Branch Trail and descend to cross the stream at a picturesque wading pool. This trail is for foot traffic only and is one of the most scenic in the park.

1.6Cross Pinehurst Branch again at another scenic spot. The stream, now on your left side, makes a wide bend. At low water, exposed stream rocks are a perch to sit and soak in the scenery.

1.7Pinehurst Branch Trail reaches a four-way trail junction. Turn left (east) and descend the stream bank to cross Pinehurst Branch. On the opposite side, turn left (north) and start to climb an unnamed, unmarked footpath. The route is steep on a narrow footpath that in summer is nearly overrun by shrubs and small trees.

1.8At a T junction with another unnamed, unmarked trail, turn left (west).

2.1Turn right (north) onto the green-blazed Western Ridge Trail.

2.2Stay straight (north) on Western Ridge Trail at a junction with Cross Trail 2 (CT 2), which heads downhill to the right to Riley Spring Bridge on Rock Creek.

2.5Cross Wise Road and reenter the woods on Western Ridge Trail, which here is a dirt footpath.

2.9Western Ridge Trail ends at Beach Drive. Walk straight across the road, and reenter the woods at a wood trail sign that marks the trailhead for the blue-blazed Valley Trail. Briefly, this dirt footpath skirts the Boundary Bridge parking area on your left. Note: There is a chemical toilet at the parking area.

3.0Turn right (north) and follow Valley Trail, now a wide, graded path of dirt and crushed rock, across Rock Creek on the Boundary Bridge. A few feet past the bridge, veer right (east) off Valley Trail onto a well-trod but unmarked angler’s path. Note: The angler’s path and Valley Trail are near West Beach Road. We prefer the angler’s path—the low road, if you will—because it keeps us close to the creek and is good for bird sightings like great blue heron.

3.6Merge with Valley Trail just before a bridge on West Beach Drive. Veer right onto the blue-blazed Valley Trail and pass beneath the bridge.

4.2Climb Valley Trail to a junction with the yellow-blazed Pine Trail. Turn left (east) onto Pine Trail and begin climbing. Side trip: At this junction, turn right instead and walk 0.1 mile to an overlook onto Rock Creek. After enjoying the view, return to Pine Trail and resume this route.

4.4Pine Trail levels at a junction with Holly Trail. Turn right (south) onto Holly Trail and immediately begin to descend on a narrow dirt footpath. Climb into and out of a seasonal stream in a steep-sided gully. Note: Straight uphill on Pine Trail leads to 16th Street NW.

5.0After a steep descent on Holly Trail, reach a T junction with the blue-blazed Valley Trail. Turn left (south) onto Valley Trail. Soon after, the trail passes beneath Sherrill Drive Bridge. Keep an eye out for a blue blaze on the bridge abutment.

5.1Stay straight (south) on Valley Trail as Whittier Trail branches left (east). For the next 1.5 miles, Valley Trail is a wide, flat streamside dirt path.

5.6Follow Valley Trail as it veers left (southeast) and uphill as a narrow, rocky footpath. Note: The streamside trail that continues straight from this junction is Cross Trail 5. It crosses Rock Creek at Milkhouse Ford. Note: The crossing at Milkhouse Ford leads to Western Ridge Trail and the Nature Center.

5.8Pass by a Park Service bathroom on the right side of Valley Trail.

6.0A series of switchbacks carries the Valley Trail off the hillside and down to Beach Drive. Turn left (south) and walk along the road shoulder beneath the Military Road bridge. When you see the road shoulder getting pinched into a narrow strip of grass by the looming hillside on your left, cross Beach Road and continue south on the paved bike path.

6.2Reach the intersection of Joyce Road and Beach Drive. Turn right (west) onto Joyce Road. Cross Rock Creek and immediately, on the other side, turn right (north) onto a paved bike path. Follow it as it passes beneath Military Road. Rock Creek is through the trees off to the right.

6.4Turn right (north) onto an unnamed horse trail that crosses the bike path. Walk a few feet to where the horse trail forks. Here, bear left and begin an uphill climb. Note: The right fork trail goes north alongside Rock Creek to Cross Trail 5 and eventually Milkhouse Ford.

6.8Pass the spur trail to Fort DeRussy on the right. Within 200 yards, merge onto the green-blazed Western Ridge Trail by continuing to walk straight on the dirt trail. Avoid the green-blazed leg of Western Ridge Trail that heads right (north) at this merge. After walking a few hundred feet more, veer right onto a paved bike path, which shares the route with Western Ridge Trail.

6.9Turn left (south) on the combined bike path/Western Ridge Trail. Walk downhill to Military Road and cross over. The path then climbs uphill alongside Glover Road.

7.0Turn left at a sign for the Nature Center

7.1Arrive back at the Rock Creek Nature Center

Destination D.C., 901 Seventh St. NW, Fourth Floor, Washington, DC; (202) 789-7000; www.washington.org

Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Rock Creek Park, 3545 Williamsburg Lane NW, Washington, DC; (202) 426-0486; www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/cbarron.htm. Hosts summer entertainment from Shakespeare to jazz and reggae music.

Rock Creek Shopping Center on Grubb Road, Silver Springs, MD, features two local favorites: The Parkway Deli, (301) 587-1427, www.theparkwaydeli.com, and The Daily Dish Restaurant, (301) 588-6300, www.thedailydishrestaurant.com.

There are five REI stores in the northern Virginia/Maryland area, including a flagship store in downtown Washington, DC. Visit www.rei.com for store locations, addresses, hours, and phone numbers.

Ranger-led horseback tours are offered in the park. There are also a host of ranger and junior ranger programs led from the Nature Center.

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, 118 Park St. SE, Vienna; (703) 242-0315; www.potomacappalachian.org. Maintains the Valley Trail, the Western Ridge Trail, and the connecting trails.

11.ROCK CREEK PARK