Fee applies
Explore the Outdoors at Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is truly a gem in our nation's capital. This park offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge with majestic trees, wild animals, fresh air, recreational opportunities, and thousands of years of human history.
Come explore Rock Creek Park! A natural oasis in our nation's capital, the park was officially authorized in 1890, making it the third-oldest national park designated by the federal government. Today, Rock Creek Park manages 99 pieces of land and nearly 3,000 acres in northwest and part of northeast Washington, DC. Park sites offer visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge with majestic trees, wild animals, fresh air, recreational opportunities, and thousands of years of human history!
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Fees
For information about permits and fees, please visit the Permits page. (This includes picnic groves, athletic fields that require reservations, weddings, research and special park use.) If you require additional information, please contact Rock Creek Park Permits at 202-895-6013 or via e-mail.
Fees Apply
No
Seasons
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Time of Day
Day
Accessibility
Service Animals Service animals are allowed in national parks. For a definition of a service animal, please see the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) definition. Facilities Nature Center and Planetarium: Fully wheelchair accessible. Persons with wheelchairs or with mobility concerns can use an outside accessible ramp to reach the planetarium or lower level of the Nature Center. Peirce Mill: The lower two levels are wheelchair accessible (separate entrances). The third and fourth floors are only attainable by ascending steep stairs. Staff will provide a description of equipment found on the upper levels for any visitors unable to reach them. Old Stone House: The first floor of the house and a portion of the adjacent garden are wheelchair accessible. The upper floors are reached by narrow winding stairs. Staff will provide a photo tour of the upper floors for any visitors unable to reach them. Meridian Hill Park: The northern portion of the park is wheelchair accessible from 15th Street NW and Euclid Street NW. Due to its historic architecture, the south end of Meridian Hill Park is not currently wheelchair accessible. A new rehabilitation project will provide wheelchair accessibility to the lower section of the park by summer 2022. Trails The Edge of the Woods Trail is located next to the Nature Center. This 1/4-mile paved loop is fully accessible. Programs Assistive listening devices are available by request for ranger-led program with three days of advance notice. If you would like to request an American Sign Language interpreter, please notify us two weeks in advance. Contact us.
Pets
Yes — It is park policy for all pets to be kept on leashes at all times. This is for the safety of your pet, our visitors, and the park itself. Pets may not be left unattended tied to an object. Visitors with pets must pick up all pet waste and dispose of it in a trash receptacle. Rules apply to all of the Rock Creek Park sites including Battery Kemble Park, Montrose Park, Glover Archbold Park, Dumbarton Oaks Park, and Meridian Hill Park.
Reservations
No — Reservations All group activities of 25 or more people in Rock Creek must be registered under a special use permit. For more information call our Special Park Uses Ranger at (202) 895-6000 or e-mail us.
Location
Rock Creek Park