It’s easier to get in touch with nature in an urban setting like D.C. than you might think. Here are some of the most scenic places to take a walk or a hike when the weather gets nice.
1. Great Falls National Park
9200 Old Dominion Dr.
McLean, VA 22102
Entrance Fee: $5
Take the Billy Goat Trail to find plenty of photo-ops with natural waterfalls and rock formations. The only downfall of Great Falls is that it’s not on the metro system, so find a friend with a zipcar and spend the day hiking, biking or picnicking on the Potomac.
2. Rock Creek Park
Nature Center and Planetarium at 5200 Glover Road NW, Washington, DC 20015
Rock Creek Park has plenty of trails that can be reached close to campus. To start from the beginning, take the E2/E3 bus from the Friendship Heights Metro station to the Rock Creek Nature Center and Planetarium, a mini-museum of sorts where you can walk around before grabbing a map and heading out. You can take a path all of the way to the National Zoo or Cleveland Park. This route takes about three hours to complete, but you can get off the trail at any time.
3. Theodore Roosevelt Island
Rosslyn Metro Station
Take the Blue or Orange Line to the Rosslyn Metro Station, then cross the Key Bridge and take the downstream trail across the parkway and into the parking lot for Theodore Roosevelt Island. The island is home to miles of trails that wind through swamps and forests and border the Potomac River.
4. Hillwood Museum and Gardens
4155 Linnean Avenue NW
Tickets: $10 with Student ID
The former home of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, this majestic home and its land makes for a day well spent, especially in nice weather. The house itself is filled with Russian decorative art and artifacts. The elaborate gardens include a Japanese-themed area and are worth a visit on their own.
5. Enid A. Haupt Garden
Independence Avenue SW
On the other side of the Smithsonian Castle is a hidden gem away from the throng of tourists on the National Mall known as the Enid A. Haupt Garden. During the spring, when the magnolias are in bloom, the gardens are the perfect place for a picnic, for people-watching or for a people-watching picnic.
