Six of the easiest family walks near Washington, DC are Rock Creek Park, the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, the National Mall, Great Falls Park, the C&O Canal Towpath, and the Underground Railroad Experience Trail. All six are free and flat enough for little legs. Four of them are suitable for strollers.
Rock Creek Park: 30 Miles of Trails in Northwest DC
It’s impossible to talk about a family walk in Washington without mentioning D.C.’s largest and best-known park. With a whopping 30 miles of trails, there are dozens of quick-and-easy routes that you can discover with your family every day this spring. We recommend starting near the park’s Nature Center or the National Zoo, then branching out from there.
Nature Center
5200 Glover Road NW
Washington, D.C. 20015
(Near the intersection of Military Road NW and Glover Road NW)
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail — Southeast DC
The gorgeous four-mile pathway opened in 2016 and has quickly become one of D.C.’s most beautiful walking trails. With paths on both sides of the Anacostia River, your family’s springtime walk won’t be lacking for gorgeous riverbank views. Be sure to keep an eye out for passing cyclists!
Anacostia Park
1900 Anacostia Drive
Washington, D.C. 20020
National Mall and Tidal Basin — Downtown Washington, DC
Easily Washington’s most iconic stroll, the National Mall is the perfect place for a springtime walk with the family. From the historic monuments to family-friendly museums, you can’t escape the awe-inspiring views. Be sure to plan your National Mall walk while the National Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place for a doubly memorable family walk!
Washington Monument
2 15th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20024
Great Falls Park — McLean, Virginia
Visit the National Park Service website for Great Falls before you go to help you choose which trail you’ll take based on level of difficulty, whether you’ll be pushing a stroller, etc. North River Trail to Riverbend County Park, designated “Easy,” runs next to the Potomac River and affords views of wildflowers, beavers, herons and even the occasional bald eagle. The trail links to Fairfax County Park Authority’s Riverbend Park and its 10 miles of hiking trails.
Great Falls Visitors Center
9200 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, Va. 22102
C&O Canal Towpath — Georgetown, Washington, DC
It’s true that the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail extends some 180 miles beyond D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood to not-so-nearby Cumberland, Maryland, but there are plenty of smaller sections perfect for a springtime family walk. Our recommendation is to start at the towpath’s brick-lined walkways behind Georgetown’s M Street. If you start early enough in the day, the trail can be a quiet refuge from the busy city for you and the family to take in the surrounding Colonial architecture.
Georgetown
29th Street NW, south of M Street
Washington, D.C. 20007
Underground Railroad Experience Trail — Sandy Spring, Maryland
Washington parents will love this trail for both its notable history of sheltering enslaved freedom seekers on their way to the free town of Sandy Spring and for its flat, two-mile walking trail suited for families of all sizes and skill levels. If you make it to the Friends Meeting House at the end of the trail, take your kids to the 300-year-old white ash tree, just off the main path.
Woodlawn Manor
16501 Norwood Road
Sandy Spring, Md. 20860
Chris Dooly is a freelance writer, actor, filmmaker and youth mentor from the Washington, D.C. area. He lives with his wife Olivia and their dachshunds Han Solo and Legolas. He is passionate about entertainment, politics and Dungeons & Dragons. Learn more at dmforadventure.com and jackandgraceproductions.com.
