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National Mall, Washington, DC

Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicFreeHistory Buff

National Mall

Between Constitution and Independence Aves, from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

The National Mall runs from the foot of the U.S. Capitol toward the Potomac River, and it spans about 1.9 miles from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial. The park protects more than 1,000 acres of greenspace around its monuments and memorials. You can join a nighttime walk with a park ranger, take a bike tour or ride a paddle boat. Riding up the Washington Monument needs a timed-entry ticket.

  • #national park
  • #monuments
  • #memorials
  • #walking

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to National Mall, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Free

    Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

    Free

    See modern and contemporary art in a drum-shaped Smithsonian museum on the National Mall, with a sunken sculpture garden beside it.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

    Free

    The Hope Diamond, the Nation's T. rex, and Henry the elephant, the Mall's busiest free museum packs the whole natural world under one green dome.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Iconic

    National Archives Museum

    Free

    Stand before the originals: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in the marble Rotunda.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    United States Botanic Garden

    Free

    Wander a glass conservatory of tropical, desert and orchid rooms beside the U.S. Capitol, then the outdoor gardens.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Tidal Basin

    Free

    Walk the path around a 107-acre basin lined with cherry trees, past the Jefferson, FDR and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Key Bridge Boathouse

    Under $25

    A Georgetown boathouse on the Potomac renting kayaks, canoes and paddleboards with guided tours available.

    2.7 mi awayMore like this