The Valley Trail is closed between the Juniper Spur and Holly trails due to unsafe conditions, including a downed tree across the trail.
Please abide by trail closure signs.
For visitor safety, the southern end of the Glover Archbold Trail is under an emergency closure until further notice due to aerial hazards. Please follow the posted detour along Foxhall Rd. / 44th St. NW / P St. NW. More
Park Closures
Nature Center and Planetarium temporarily closed for repairs
The Nature Center and Planetarium will be closed Feb 3-April 2, 2025 for repairs to the HVAC system. Check the calendar for program offerings at other park locations.
Temporary restrooms and a handwashing station will be available near the building.
Part of Fort Totten Park remains closed for public safety
Out of an abundance of caution, Fort Totten Park will remain closed east of Fort Totten Drive, south of Gallatin Street/Metropolitan Branch Trail and north of Brookland Ave NE/Farragut St. due to the investigation involving two WWI-era munitions found. More
Temporary Nighttime Road Closures for Deer Management
From November 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the NPS may temporarily close select park roads between 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. to conduct deer management operations. Per the Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium, trails and other park areas close at sunset.
More
Joyce Road NW is closed from the entrance of Rock Creek Park Golf Course to Missouri Ave NW while the bridge over Luzon Branch is replaced. Detours will be in place during the closure period.
A recent three-year project to completely rehabilitate Beach Drive is done! Enjoy this smooth surface for scenic drives, walks, bicycling, skating, etc.
What did we do?
Over the last three years, the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration have:
Resurfaced 6.5 miles of road.
Installed new pavement markers, center-line rumble strips, guardrails and road signs along the whole road.
Repaved parking lots along the full length of Beach Drive.
Improved safety markings and crosswalks throughout Beach Drive.
Replaced traffic signals and streetlights.
Rehabilitated or repaired six bridges.
Protected Rock Creek Park's ecological resources and historic landscape by working within the existing road's footprint.
Slide to see before and after
Left image
Beach Drive in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey
Right image
Beach Drive in 2019
Credit: NPS / Rachel Hendrix
New bio-retention ponds help improve water quality in Rock Creek Park by reducing stormwater runoff from Beach Drive.
NPS / Jonathan Shafer
How did we do it?
The rehabilitation project involved full-depth pavement reconstruction. This means we dug out and recycled whole sections of road and put in a new, gravel base before we put asphalt on top of it. In all, we:
Recycled more than 23,000 tons of asphalt.
Recycled more than 110,000 square yards of concrete from of the former road's surface and foundation.
New trees planted during rehabilitation project next to resurfaced Rock Creek Trail.
NPS / Mike McMahon
Besides replacing the road surface, we also worked with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and DC Water to coordinate construction on roads and pipes in and near Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service values our partners' contributions to this project.
Workers planted more than 300 new, native trees along Beach Drive. They also worked to resurface parts of the paved, multi-use trail that runs next to the road. When you want to go for a hike or bike ride, be sure to read up on tips to plan your visit.
Beach Drive near Joyce Road NW
Left image
Beach Drive near US Park Police Station in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey
Right image
Beach Drive near US Park Police Station in 2019
Credit: NPS / Rachel Hendrix
New pavement, railing and signs near the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Left image
Beach Drive before rehabilitation in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey
Right image
Beach Drive after rehabilitation in 2019
Credit: NPS / Jonathan Shafer
All of Beach Drive will reopen to drivers on Friday, Sept. 27 around noon. This means the three-year rehabilitation project on Beach Drive is now complete!
The National Park Service (NPS) has completely resurfaced Wise Road in Northwest Washington in time for the start of the school year. On Friday, Aug. 23, Wise Road NW, which connects Oregon Avenue NW and Beach Drive, will reopen before the afternoon rush hour.
Beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, Wise Road NW between Oregon Avenue NW and Beach Drive NW will close to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists until fall. The closure is to allow construction on Beach Drive and to completely resurface Wise Road.
The three year project to completely rehabilitate Beach Drive is entering its final phase. After the evening rush on or about Monday, July 9, the National Park Service anticipates reopening Beach Drive between Broad Branch Road/Blagden Avenue NW and Joyce Road NW in Rock Creek Park. When that section of road opens, we will immediately begin work on the final section from Joyce Road to the Maryland - District of Columbia Border.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in collaboration with the National Park Service will begin resurfacing the Piney Branch Parkway on Tuesday, May 29.
The National Park Service (NPS) invites residents, drivers, and trail users to an informational meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland about construction on Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park.
The National Park Service will close one lane on the Piney Branch Parkway this Monday, April 30 between 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. to allow workers to mill and overlay (resurface) about 550 feet of the road with an experimental asphalt, fiber mix.
To better facilitate emergency response for U.S. Park Police during construction, Morrow Drive NW will close to vehicle traffic at 9:30 a.m. Monday, February 5 and remain closed until Fall 2018. The road will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists.
At midnight tonight, Beach Drive closes to all users (cars, bikes and pedestrians) between Park Road/Tilden Street NW and Joyce Road NW, which is just south of Military Road NW. Ross Drive and Ridge Road will also close to vehicles but will remain open to cyclists and pedestrians.
Get ready, get set, and go for a smoother and safer drive on the southern section of Beach Drive. The newly reconstructed road and paved multi-use trail between Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway and Tilden Street NW are expected to reopen on August 28, pending any weather delays. New closures and associated detours will go into effect immediately after Segment 1 reopens.
202-895-6000
Rock Creek Park's main phone line.
On the weekends when the administrative offices are closed, call 202-895-6070 to reach the Nature Center.
