Rock Creek Park — Adams Morgan Access Points
Rock Creek Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States and Adams Morgan sits right on its eastern edge, giving residents and visitors near-instant access to forested trails, a rushing creek and genuine wildlife within a five-minute walk of 18th Street's busiest bars. The contrast is startling and wonderful.
Getting Into the Park
The most direct Adams Morgan entry is via the trail head near the intersection of Calvert Street NW and Rock Creek Parkway — descend the steps and within 60 seconds the city noise drops away behind a canopy of tulip poplars and oaks.
The Valley Trail and the Western Ridge Trail together form a network of more than 30 miles; even a 45-minute out-and-back along the creek bank feels restorative and completely removed from urban life.
What to Look For
Great blue herons stalk the shallows of Rock Creek year-round; red-tailed hawks are common overhead and white-tailed deer are frequently spotted in the early morning near the park's interior meadows.
The park also contains the remains of Civil War-era Fort DeRussy, a Union fortification whose earthwork walls are still clearly visible from the trail — history and nature on the same walk.
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