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.
About under an hour from Washington and under an hour from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- ClosurePartial Closure of Meridian Hill Park Upper-Level
The upper-level grass panels at Meridian Hill Park will be temporarily closed to the public from October 13 through November 9, 2026, to facilitate restoration work and protect public safety. Fencing and signage will mark the closure. The upper plaza, other portions of Meridian Hill Park, and nearby park areas will remain open to the public, though access to the turf areas will be restricted.
- ClosureLane Closures on Piney Branch Parkway
Temporary lane closures will occur on Piney Branch Parkway from Friday, October 9 to Tuesday, October 13, as DC Water will use daily flagging operations between 17th St. and the 16th St. bridge to install speed tables within their temporary roadway. Also during the week of October 13, the Federal Highway Administration will conduct roadway milling and paving operations in the area.
- ClosureNPS ↗Waterside Drive NW Road Closure Temporarily Delayed
The planned roadway closure has been temporarily postponed after crews discovered a large early‑1900s utility line during preliminary excavation. The construction team is evaluating the line to determine necessary steps before work can safely proceed. This precaution will help minimize disruptions and avoid unnecessarily extending the roadway closure.
- ClosureNature Center and Planetarium Closure
The Nature Center and Planetarium building is closed until further notice due to continued remediation. Check the park's calendar for changes to ranger programs and locations.
- ClosureNPS ↗Part of Fort Totten Park remains closed for public safety
Out of an abundance of caution, Fort Totten Park will remain closed east of Fort Totten Drive, south of Gallatin Street/Metropolitan Branch Trail and north of Brookland Ave NE/Farragut St. due to the investigation involving two WWI-era munitions found.
- InformationMeridian Hill Park Upper-Level Irrigation Repairs to Begin
Construction crews will begin work on the upper level of Meridian Hill Park the morning of October 7 to install a new irrigation system. Utility work will take place the morning of October 6. The work area will remain limited to the active construction footprint.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Rock Creek Park does not have an entrance fee.
Parking: There are 85 metered parking spaces in Rock Creek Park, located at Thompson Boat Center. As of January 1, 2024 the cost of metered parking is $2.30 per hour.
Hours
| Rock Creek Park lands | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Peirce Mill ↗Passport stamp
Peirce Mill, built in the 1820s, is the last operational grist mill along Rock Creek. The grounds are open according to general park hours.
- Nature Center ↗Passport stamp
The Nature Center is home to our Planetarium and nature exhibit area which features displays of plants and animals that can be found in the park. Most of Rock Creek park's public and educational programs begin at the Nature Center.
- Old Stone House ↗Passport stamp
Built circa 1765, Old Stone House is the oldest structure on its original foundation in Washington, DC. Old Stone House is open for visitors at the hours listed below. The grounds are open according to general park hours (sunrise to sunset).
Explore
Things to do
- Tennis in Rock Creek Park
Open play courts are available at Montrose Park, Francis Field off of 23rd St NW, as well as being the home to the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
Opens on the Park Service site - Horseback Riding in Rock Creek Park
For the horseback rider, 13 miles of dirt and gravel bridle paths crisscross the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Multi-Park Loop
Park your car and stretch your legs! Visit four different National Parks in Washington, DC and begin logging miles on seven different National Historic or National Scenic trails!
Opens on the Park Service site - Boating in Rock Creek Park
Rent kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards from one of two boat houses along the Potomac River.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Georgetown Waterfront60-160 Minutes
Explore the Georgetown Waterfront and imagine the changes the space has gone through.
Opens on the Park Service site - Biking in Rock Creek Park
Bicycling is permitted on paved surfaces in Rock Creek Park.
Opens on the Park Service site
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- Red Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
Embrace the outdoors, explore interactive exhbits and stand where history happened by taking the Red Line to visit some of DC's National Park Sites.
Opens on the Park Service site - Discover Meridian Hill Park1-2 Hours
Meridian Hill Park was designed and built between 1912 and 1936, and has been under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service since 1933.
Opens on the Park Service site - Golf in DC's National Parks
Visit one of three golf courses at National Parks in Washington, DC
Opens on the Park Service site - Rapids Bridge Hike
This 2-mile loop hike takes you through the forest and then parallels scenic Rock Creek before heading back uphill.
Opens on the Park Service site - Boulder Bridge Hike90-200 Minutes
Hike the 3.5-mile Boulder Bridge Loop from the Rock Creek Park Nature Center to one of the most iconic places in Rock Creek Park
Opens on the Park Service site - Survey Fort Stevens30-90 Minutes
Take a step back in time and imagine the sights and sounds of the Civil War at a Civil War Defense of Washington. Fort Stevens, now partially restored, was built to defend the approaches to Washington from the 7th Street Pike (now Georgia Avenue)…
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Fun with Flora and Fauna10/1604:00 PM · runs through Mar 26 · freeThe Nature Center and Planetarium is located at 5200 Glover Rd. NW Washington, D.C. 20015.
- Be a Junior Naturalist Hike10/1603:30 PM · freeThe Nature Center and Planetarium is located at 5200 Glover Rd NW Washington, D.C. 20015. Meet the ranger on the front porch.
- Books and Beyond with a Ranger at Peirce Mill10/1610:00 AM · freePeirce Mill is located at 2401 Tilden Rd. NW Washington, D.C. 20008.
- Building Camelot: JFK in Georgetown10/1602:00 PM · freeThe walk starts at the Georgetown Waterfront by Swedish Embassy on 30th street.
- Roosevelt at Rock Creek Park10/1610:00 AM · freePeirce Mill is located at 2401 Tilden St NW Washington, D.C. 20008
- Stitching Stories: A Social Stitch Circle at Peirce Mill10/1612:30 PM · freePeirce Mill is located at 2401 Tilden St NW
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- Ramble with a Ranger10/1710:00 AM · runs through Mar 27 · freeThe Nature Center and Planetarium is located at 5200 Glover Rd NW Washington, D.C. 20015.
- Ranger Tours at Peirce Mill10/1710:00 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freePeirce Mill is located at 2401 Tilden St NW.
- Ranger Tours at the Old Stone House10/1711:30 AM · runs through Mar 28 · freeThe Old Stone House is located on 3051 M Street NW
- After Emancipation History Hike10/1709:30 AM · freeMeet the park ranger by Peirce Mill Barn (2401 Tilden St. NW Washington, D.C. 20008).
News
- NPS Finalizes Agreement for Trail Reopening and Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge Removal ↗2026-07-15
The National Park Service is taking the next step toward authorizing the demolition of the Foundry Branch streetcar bridge in Glover-Archbold Park.
- Witness Civil War history at Fort Stevens Day on July 11 in Washington, D.C. ↗2026-07-01
The National Park Service and the Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington invite the public to Fort Stevens Day on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fort Stevens, 13th Street NW and…
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.
Local history books for Rock Creek Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 112× · Bald Eagle 26× · Osprey 12× · Peregrine Falcon 11× · Barred Owl 10× · Belted Kingfisher 8× · Greater Yellowlegs 8× · Lesser Yellowlegs 5×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 182 birds, 30 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech Owl · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Merlin · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Snowy Owl · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Black Duck · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue Goose · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Common Loon · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Green Heron · Horned Grebe · Northern Pintail · Red-breasted Merganser · Ring-necked Duck · Wood Duck · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Caspian Tern · European Herring Gull · Forster's Tern · Great Black-backed Gull · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pigeon · Mourning Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · Alder Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · American Yellow Warbler · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-Breasted Warbler · Belted Kingfisher · Black-Throated Green Warbler · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Bobolink · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-Sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Redpoll · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Eastern tufted titmouse · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · 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 · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prarie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Sedge Wren · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-Eating Warbler · Yellow-Rumped Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brown Rat · Common Muskrat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole · House Mouse · Meadow Jumping Mouse · Meadow Vole · Southern Flying Squirrel · Star-nosed Mole · White-footed Deermouse · mole shrew · mouse-eared bats
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Eastern Red Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Northern Bat
Also on the checklistCommon Opossum · Groundhog · House Cat (feral) · domestic dog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Golf in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Weather in D.C. is often erratic. Spring: Pleasant, Avg. High: 67° Avg. Low: 44.3°, Avg. Precipitation: 12.1” Summer: Hot & Humid, Avg. High: 87°, Avg. Low: 66°, Avg. Precipitation: 12.7”, July is the hottest month Fall: Pleasant, Avg. High: 69°, Avg. Low: 48.3°, Avg. Precipitation: 11.6” Winter: Mild, Avg. High: 45°, Avg. Low: 27.3°, Avg. Precipitation: 9.3”, Avg. Snowfall: 15.4” January is coolest month. Hurricanes may impact D.C. in late summer and fall. Light droughts are not uncommon in summer.
Questions people ask
Does Rock Creek charge an entrance fee?
No. Rock Creek is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Rock Creek?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Rock Creek right now?
6 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Partial Closure of Meridian Hill Park Upper-Level; Lane Closures on Piney Branch Parkway; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Rock Creek?
1,865,048 recreation visits in 2025, number 50 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Rock Creek?
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
When was Rock Creek established?
1897. It covers about 4.8 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Rock Creek?
Weather in D.C. is often erratic.
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.
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