Every year, state parks throughout the United States encourage people to start their year off right by going on a ‘First Day Hike,’ where they can both get some fresh air and also see the beautiful nature right outside their doors. Last year, nearly 55,000 people rang in the New Year this way, collectively hiking over 133,000 miles throughout the country!
If you spent your New Years Day like many of us, though – hanging out on your RESA couch! – you can still get a First Day Hike in your own way by going on a hike this month. Strap up your sneakers and check out these trails in the Washington DC area!
Rock Creek Park, located at 5200 Glover Rd, NW Washington, DC which will take you 15 minutes to arrive at by car, is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.
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.
Theodore Roosevelt Island, located at 700 George Washington Memorial Parkway McLean, VA which is about 13 minutes from home, is a living memorial to President Theodore Roosevelt boasting miles of wooded trails on an island.
In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of the outdoorsman and conservationist.
5200 Glover Rd, NW Washington, DC 20015
(202) 895-6000
700 George Washington Memorial Parkway McLean, VA 22101
(703) 289-2500
