Greenbelt Park
Enjoy affordable camping, hiking, and peaceful forest surroundings just ten miles from Washington, DC!
About under an hour from Baltimore and under an hour from Washington by car.
Alerts
- ClosureGood Luck Road Parking Lot Closed
The Good Luck Road Parking Lot is closed. Please use the main entrance located at 6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Greenbelt Park | Daily · 6:00AM - 10:00PM |
| Good Luck Road Parking Area | Daily · Closed |
| Sweetgum Picnic Area Gates | Daily · 9:00AM - 10:00PM |
Good Luck Road Parking Area: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | Closed |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year’s Day | Closed |
Sweetgum Picnic Area Gates: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 10:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year’s Day | Closed |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Greenbelt Park Campground | 173 sites | |
| $20 a night · The campground is open 24 hours a day, year-round, for registered campers and their guests. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Greenbelt Park Ranger Station ↗Passport stamp
The Ranger Station is located near the campground entrance, two miles from the park headquarters and park entrance.
Explore
Things to do
- Spring and Fall Campfire programs45 Minutes
Campfire Programs in the Greenbelt Park campground. Program begins at Sunset.
Opens on the Park Service site - Junior Ranger Programs at National Capital Parks - East30-90 Minutes
Become a Junior Ranger at parks across National Capital Parks – East! Explore, complete a booklet, and earn badges and certificates along the way!
Opens on the Park Service site - Collect all the National Capital Parks - East Passport Stamps5-10 Minutes
Start your stamp collection and celebrate every park you visit! Explore historic sites and scenic parks managed by National Capital Parks - East and collect a unique stamp at each one.
Opens on the Park Service site - Green Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
History, culture and nature come together to provide a variety of parks for visitors utilizing the Green Line. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Opens on the Park Service site - Yellow Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
Explore Washington, DC from top to bottom on the Yellow Line. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Opens on the Park Service site - Junior Ranger booklet- free15-30 Minutes
Greenbelt Park Junior ranger booklet
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 11Hide
- Perimeter Trail 5.2 miles60-120 Minutes
Park in the Sweetgum Picnic Area, pick up a park brochure (with trail maps and descriptions included in the brochure) and enjoy a 5.2 mile walk through Greenbelt Park. If walking, the Perimeter trail can be accessed at the park entrance.
Opens on the Park Service site - Dogwood Trail 1.6 miles30-60 Minutes
Dogwood trailhead with a trail going in to the woods of Greenbelt Park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Azalea Trail 1.2 miles30-60 Minutes
Walk the Azalea Trail through the forest of Greenbelt Park. (1.2 miles) Park across the street, pick up a park brochure (with trail maps and descriptions included in the brochure) enjoy a 1.2 mile walk.
Opens on the Park Service site - Camping in Greenbelt Park, Maryland
Greenbelt Park campground is located in Greenbelt Park, Maryland. Our entrance is at 6565 Greenbelt Road in Greenbelt, Maryland. Reservations are required through Recreation.gov $20 per campsite.
Opens on the Park Service site - Experience an Urban Oasis at Greenbelt Park1-2 Days
Just ten miles from Washington, D.C., Greenbelt Park is located in suburban Greenbelt, Maryland. The park features a 172 site campground with specific site reservations, nine miles of trails, and three picnic areas.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Campfire Program: Welcome to Washington!10/1606:30 PM · runs through Nov 13 · freeLoop B Campfire Circle, Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770.
- Maintenance Volunteer Event10/1709:00 AM · free · registration required6565 Greenbelt Road Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
- Campfire Program: Drum Circle with Katy Gaughan10/1706:30 PM · free
- Hike with A Ranger10/1801:00 PM · runs through Feb 28 · freeDogwood Trail Parking Lot on Park Central Road.
- Campfire Program: The Creepy Cryptids of Maryland10/2406:30 PM · free
- Movie Night! - Hocus Pocus10/3106:30 PM · freeLoop B Campfire Circle, 6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770
Show all 8Hide
- Campfire Program: Fall: Our American Landscape and the History of Thanksgiving11/0706:30 PM · free
- Campfire Program: The Revolution, Memorialization, and the National Mall11/1407:30 PM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 92× · Bald Eagle 19× · Peregrine Falcon 9× · Belted Kingfisher 8× · Barred Owl 4× · Trumpeter Swan 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 127 birds, 9 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsHarrier · Hawk · Osprey · american kestrel · barred owl · broad-winged hawk · cooper's hawk · great horned owl · red-shouldered hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & waderscanada goose · great blue heron · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsgreat black-backed gull · herring gull · killdeer · ring-billed gull · solitary sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesmourning dove · rock dove
WoodpeckersSapsucker · downy woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-bellied woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistNo common name · Sparrow · Thrush · Warbler · acadian flycatcher · american crow · american goldfinch · american redstart · american robin · barn swallow · bay-breasted warbler · belted kingfisher · black-and-white warbler · black-throated blue warbler · black-throated green warbler · blackburnian warbler · blackpoll warbler · blue grosbeak · blue jay · blue-gray gnatcatcher · blue-winged warbler · brown creeper · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · canada warbler · cape may warbler · carolina wren · cedar waxwing · chestnut-sided warbler · chipping sparrow · common grackle · common nighthawk · common yellowthroat · connecticut warbler · dark-eyed junco · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern phoebe · eastern wood-pewee · european starling · field sparrow · fish crow · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-winged warbler · gray catbird · gray-cheeked thrush · great crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · hooded warbler · house finch · house sparrow · house wren · indigo bunting · kentucky warbler · louisiana waterthrush · magnolia warbler · mallard · mourning warbler · nashville warbler · northern cardinal · northern mockingbird · northern oriole · northern parula · northern rough-winged swallow · northern waterthrush · orchard oriole · ovenbird · palm warbler · philadelphia vireo · pine warbler · prairie warbler · prothonotary warbler · purple finch · purple martin · red-breasted nuthatch · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · rose-breasted grosbeak · ruby-crowned kinglet · rufous-sided towhee · rusty blackbird · scarlet tanager · solitary vireo · song sparrow · swainson's thrush · swamp sparrow · tennessee warbler · tree swallow · veery · warbling vireo · white-breasted nuthatch · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · winter wren · worm-eating warbler · yellow warbler · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-throated vireo
Small mammalsEastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · White-footed Deermouse · mole shrew
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Red Bat
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
The Washington, D.C. area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate. Summertime is warm and humid, while winter can be cold and snowy. Spring: During these months of transition, the weather can alternate from warm, humid air coming from the south to cold, dry air coming from the northwest. Be prepared for changing conditions. Summer: The warmest months are June, July, and August, with average highs in the 80s (~31 ?) combined with high humidity. Fall: Expect a drop in temperature and humidity in September
Questions people ask
Does Greenbelt charge an entrance fee?
No. Greenbelt is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Greenbelt?
Standard hours are 6:00AM - 10:00PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Greenbelt?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Greenbelt: Greenbelt Park. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Which Greenbelt campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Greenbelt Park. Dump station: Greenbelt Park.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Greenbelt right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Good Luck Road Parking Lot Closed.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Greenbelt?
130,314 recreation visits in 2025, number 197 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Greenbelt?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Greenbelt?
The Washington, D.C. area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
