Rock Creek Conservancy/NPS Sign about Stay Dry, Stay Safe
Rock Creek Conservancy
Stay safe while enjoying Rock Creek Park! Swimming and wading are not allowed due to high bacteria levels.
Stay out of the water to protect streambanks, plants and animals and keep you and your family (including pets!) safe from illness.
Rock Creek has high levels of bacteria and other infectious pathogens that make swimming, wading, and other contact with the water a hazard to human (and pet) health. Please protect yourself and your pooches by staying on trails and out of the creek. All District waterways are subject to a swim ban - this means wading, too!
Scrambling in and out of the creek can also erode stream banks, which can negatively impact habitat for the park’s aquatic wildlife.
On a summer afternoon, the air by the creek can be up to 17 degrees cooler than air over Georgia Avenue. Cool off with a hike near the creek and enjoy the sounds of the water burbling by.
