Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park is an outdoor activity in Washington, DC, part of the Washington DC guide. Cost: free.

Beach Dr NW, at Tilden St NW (Peirce Mill) · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

Rock Creek Park is a 1,754-acre wooded valley along Rock Creek, created by Congress in 1890 and run by the National Park Service. You can hike, bike or ride its trails, picnic, and play the park's golf course or rent a horse for a trail ride. Peirce Mill, a water-powered grist mill built in the 1820s, stands at Tilden Street and Beach Drive. The Nature Center and Planetarium building is closed until further notice for remediation.

#urban park
#hiking trails
#national park service
#historic mill
#horseback riding

What's around here?

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

Sport & Outdoor
Family Favorite
Smithsonian's National Zoo
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Giant pandas, elephants, and 2,000 animal residents in Rock Creek Park, one of America's best zoos, and it's free.
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Nightlife
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Adams Morgan
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Bar-hop, eat and browse vintage and record shops along 18th Street and Columbia Road, lined with rowhouses and murals.
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Museums
Local Gem
Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Free
A Washington DC shrine and museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II, with exhibits on his life and papacy.
2.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sightseeing
Iconic
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Free
Walk through the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, with its mosaic domes, Crypt Church and dozens of chapels.
2.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Key Bridge Boathouse
Under $25
A Georgetown boathouse on the Potomac renting kayaks, canoes and paddleboards with guided tours available.
3.9 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Iconic
National Mall
Free
Walk the long green lawn from the U.S. Capitol toward the Lincoln Memorial, past monuments, memorials and Smithsonian museums.
4.8 mi awayMore like this