The Guns of Autumn: Forts Foote and Washington

Beautiful fall colors and a fee-free National Parks weekend should make for a scenic walking tour of these two historic landmarks that once stood watch over the sea access to our Nation’s capital.

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This is a two-part walk, first Fort Foote and then Fort Washington. The walks are described in the route section immediately below, and the driving directions to and between the two forts are in the Event driving directions further below.

The route:

The Fort Foote walk is a very short and easy stroll; about a half mile through the woods. The surface is dirt, fairly level, and the visit should take only about 20 minutes. If that seems like a long time for such a short distance, it is because everyone will probably want to take time to examine the enormous 15-inch Rodman guns sitting out in the middle of the woods!

The Fort Washington walk is another story. Depending on our stop at Fort Foote, we should arrive around 11:30 am or shortly thereafter. The surface is dirt and paved, and is rugged with steps in several places. The total distance is 3.5 miles and will take about 1.5 hours. From the meetup point in front of the Visitor Center, we’ll walk past the fort’s Sally Port down to the Potomac waterline, turn left and follow the trail along the coast all the way to the park’s southeast boundary, where the trail goes uphill to Battery Wilkin. From there the trail follows the park’s east boundary past Battery Meigs to the Swan Creek Inlet, where it turns back along the shoreline and part of a service road to the foot of the fort, where we’ll ascend the path to the Sally Port. From there we’ll break out for about an hour of unstructured exploration of the interior of Fort Washington and the adjacent water battery. The view from the ramparts is fantastic! Don’t forget to come back to the Visitor Center - about 2:30 pm, give or take a little, we’ll reassemble at the meetup point and get back in our cars for the short drive back to King Street Metro Station.

A Google map of the walking routes at both forts is here: http://tinyurl.com/navqbuy

The total event should take about 4 hours, including driving time to and from King Street Metro Station. The total walking distance is about 4 miles, plus probably another mile or two depending upon how much wandering around you do in Fort Washington!

NB: Drivers should make sure everyone they brought has a ride back to King Street Metro Station!

How to get to King Street Metro Station: King Street Metro is on the Yellow and Blue lines. To get there by car from the I-495 Capital Beltway, take exit 176B for VA-611 N/Telegraph Road and follow signs for VA-236 E/Duke Street towards downtown Alexandria. Turn left onto Diagonal Road, and the King Street Metro Station will be on your left.

Event driving directions:

Our first stop is at Fort Foote at 8913 Fort Foote Road, Fort Washington, MD. To get there from the King Street Metro Station parking lot, head southwest onto Diagonal Rd and take the first right onto Duke St, headed west. Merge right onto VA-241 S/Telegraph Rd via the ramp to I-95/Capital Beltway/Eisenhower Ave, then merge onto I-495 E/I-95 N via the ramp to Baltimore. On the Wilson Bridge, take exit 2A-2B for I-295 N toward Washington/National Harbor, and continue onto exit 2A for National Harbor. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Harborview Ave and merge onto Harborview Ave. Turn right onto Oxon Hill Rd, and another right onto Fort Foote Rd. Follow it around a bend to the left and the park entrance will be on your right. Total distance is 8.7 miles - about 16 minutes. A Google map of the driving route is here: http://tinyurl.com/q4hnae6

After our stop at Fort Foote, we’ll drive to Fort Washington at 13378 Fort Washington Road, Fort Washington, MD. From Fort Foote, turn right at the park exit onto Fort Foote Rd and follow it south and then east to Oxon Rd. Turn right onto Oxon Hill Rd, and the next right turn onto Livingston Rd. At the stoplight by the Shell Station, turn right onto Fort Washington Rd and continue along it through a traffic circle until you come to the fort entrance. Total distance is 6.2 miles - about 13 minutes. A Google map of the driving route from Fort Foote to Fort Washington is here: http://tinyurl.com/ne3ca7v

Where to meet: We'll meet on the east side of the King Street Metro Station by the bus and taxi stands.

What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired. The forecast is sunny and 58 degrees, so consider the layered look. A camera is a handy accessory.

Administrative stuff: There are public restrooms and drinking fountains at Fort Washington. (There is a restroom building at Fort Foote, but it is out of order and locked.) As a reminder, this is a kids-free zone, no one under 18 is permitted.

Cost: None.

Notes:

Fort Washington NPS website: http://tinyurl.com/owprtqy

Fort Foote NPS website: http://tinyurl.com/lh6slhm

NPS Feefree days: http://tinyurl.com/qa3qcv

Fort Washington park map (pdf): http://tinyurl.com/pokg294

Fort Washington topo: http://tinyurl.com/pjmcg9t

Fort Foote topo: http://tinyurl.com/q3qqusp

Fort Washington Fortwiki: http://tinyurl.com/qxf8sj4

Fort Foote Fortwiki: http://tinyurl.com/p6tajet