Rock Creek Park

Map showing TRACK Trail path through Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park’s TRACK trail is located along Rock Creek between Broad Branch Road and Porter Street, NW. The trail is 0.9 miles long, a 1.8 mile round-trip. Along the way you will encounter bridges, wayside exhibits, plants, animals, and the historic Peirce Mill.

Rock Creek Park’s TRACK trail is located along Rock Creek between Broad Branch Road and Porter Street, NW. The trail is 0.9 miles long, a 1.8 mile round-trip. Along the way you will encounter bridges, wayside exhibits, plants, animals, and the historic Peirce Mill.

Rock Creek Park was founded in 1890 as one of the first federal parks. Its establishing legislation, cites the area's natural beauty and high public value. When the park was established, it was on the edge of the growing city and was already a favorite area for rural re-treat. In the establishing legislation, Rock Creek Park was 'dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United States." The park would "provide for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, animals, or curi­osities within said park, and their retention in their natural condition, as nearly as possible."

Track an adventure here
Collectible sticker for Rock Creek Park

Location Details

Recreational Features: Paved Bike Path, Picnic Tables, Interpretive Programs, Birding
Amenities: Restrooms, Nature Center
ADA Compliant: Partial
Seasonality: Open all year
Paved path through dense vegetation
Two-story stone building
Stone picnic shelter
Fork in a paved path
Paved path passing under a bridge
Stone bridge over creek
Tree leaning over creek
Small waterfall beyond a fence
tree trunk with mushrooms growing on it

Adventures for Rock Creek Park

Hiking

Animal Athletes

Difficulty:
Easy
Trail length:
1.80
The Animal Athletes adventure challenges kids to exercise with the animals. This brochure gives kids eight different animal exercises they can do along the trail. From hummingbird hand-swings to frog hops, kids are sure to have fun getting in shape with the animals during their outdoor adventures.
Birds of Washington DC brochure thumbnail
Hiking

Rock Creek Birds

Difficulty:
Easy
Trail length:
1.80
The Birds of the Greater Washington DC Area brochure shows kids where to look for different birds along the trail. The brochure contains illustrations of some of the more common woodland birds and information on how to identify them through various clues.
Hiking

Nature's Hide & Seek

Difficulty:
Easy
Trail length:
1.80
The Nature's Hide & Seek brochure is designed so that kids of all ages can walk along the trail and discover common things that are often overlooked in nature. Some of them are hard to find, others are easy. Best of all, the adventure never ends because every time you walk the trail you will discover new things hiding in nature.
Need for Trees brochure thumbnail
Hiking

Rock Creek Need for Trees

Difficulty:
Easy
Trail length:
1.80
By following the picture and textual clues found in "The Need for Trees" brochure, you will discover six of the more common trees found in Rock Creek National Park. During your adventure, you will learn about the need we, and other animals, have for trees and about the roles they play in the forest.

Directions

4100 Broad Branch Rd NW
Washington, DC 20008
Latitude: 38.943770900000
Longitude: -77.050396600000

Rock Creek Park Track Trail Access

The Rock Creek Park Track Trail is located parallel to Beach Drive between Broad Branch Road NW and Porter Street NW. Refer to a park map.

Directions to the North Trailhead:

The north end of the trail is accessed from the Picnic Grove 2 West parking lot off of Broad Branch Road NW and Beach Drive NW.

Directions to the South Trailhead:

The south end of the trail can be accessed by Metro Bus H 2, H 3, and H 4. No parking is available at this location. The trail head is on the paved path along Rock Creek off of Porter Street NW. The trail is under the Porter Street Bridge, near the paths foot bridge. The trail head is approximately 1000 yards from the Porter Street bus stops.

Partners

The TRACK Trail program is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.

The Rock Creek Park TRACK trail was made possible by a partnership between the National Park Service and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's Kids in Parks program. This project was financed in part by the National Park Service’s CONNECT TRAILS TO PARKS program, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System in 2018.