Trail Alert:
Please note that the Rock Creek Trail between P Street and Georgetown is closed for repairs.  Cyclists should follow the signed detour.

The scenic and popular Rock Creek Trail winds 25 miles from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to Lake Needwood Park in Montgomery County, Md.

The Montgomery County section is less congested, wider, and better maintained than the DC section, although it is open to car traffic.

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On weekends and holidays, the National Park Service closes Beach Drive to through motor vehicle traffic from Broad Branch Road to the Maryland line (a few stretches remain open to shared use with cars). 

The Algonquin Indians, the area's original settlers, fished from Rock Creek, hunted bison and deer, raised crops and quarried quartzite for weapons and tools in what is now Rock Creek Park. Later, European settlers built grist mills and a saw mill on the creek, where farmers brought corn, wheat, buckwheat and rye to be ground into flour or meal. Today the park and trail provide a refreshing escape to a more natural setting without leaving the city.

Adobe Acrobat PDF Map from the National Park Service

The trail's popularity and narrow width, however, make the Washington section highly congested, especially in fair weather and on weekends. Cyclists should observe caution, particularly at the dangerous car ramp intersections and the many sharp turns with short sight distances. Cyclists should expect toddlers, pets and other users along the path . Beach Drive connects with the Georgetown Branch Trail, which is an extension of the Capital Crescent Trail.  

For off-road enthusiasts, Rock Creek Regional Park, at the end of the trail, provides a mountain bike route around Lake Needwood.

LENGTH: 25.0 miles. 

TERRAIN: Level with minor hills. 6-8 feet wide asphalt trail, some roadwa

POINTS OF INTEREST:  Old Stone House, 3051 I Street NW, three blocks off the trail in Georgetown (open Wednesday-Sunday); Mount Zion Cemetery (oldest African-American buril ground in D.C.) The National Zoo, with more than 2,00 animals from around the world, including a panda bear from China; Pierce Mill at 5.4 miles, a restored 18th-century grist mill; Art Barn at 5.4 miles, a old carriage house exhibiting local art (closed Mondays, Tuesdays an holidays); Miller's Cabin at 7.5 miles; Meadowbrook Recreation Center an Candy Cane City playground at 10.8 miles; riding stable at 11.1 mile, Mormon Temple at 12.9 miles; and Lake Needwood Park at end.

FOOD: Your best food stops, in terms of convenience, are at the Zoo. Food also available at Calvert Street (up steep hill), Porter street exit, turn right up long hill to Connecticut Avenue NW,  and 22.8 miles (turn right on Baltimore Road to Bauer Drive). Water fountain along trail. 

MAPS AND INFORMATION: Rock Creek Park Official Guide available from National Park Service Rock Creek Park Headquarters, 5000 Glover Road NW Washington, DC 20015-1098 (202-282-1063); Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail available from MD-NCPPC Community Relations, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3760 (301-495-4600); ADC's Washington Area Bike Map; Lower Montgomery County Bicycle Route Map.

STARTS: Rock Creek Trail at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue NW ramp and Rock Creek Parkway near Georgetown in Washington, D.C. The starting point is within the Capital Beltway.

METRO STARTS: : From Foggy Bottom Metro station (Orange and Blue Lines), go north one block on 23rd Street NW to Washington Circle, and go 270 degrees counterclockwise around Washington Circle to Pennsylvania Avenue NW toward Georgetown. Go three blocks to Rock Creek Parkway ramp, on left, before the Four Seasons Hotel.