Rock Creek Park Spring Jaunt via Cleveland Park

Spring is going full force in Rock Creek Park. The monsoons of this week should make glorious flowers on a warm Sunday.

The hike will start at noon. Meet on the TARGET side of Connecticut Avenue by the Cleveland Park Metro exit

❶ What we’ll do:

• Departing from Cleveland Park Metro Station, on the TARGET side of Connecticut Ave NW, we’ll walk north a half block and turn right onto Porter Drive and follow it east to Rock Creek. From there we’ll walk north through beautiful Rock Creek Park, along Western Ridge Trail, Beach Drive, and Valley Trail to Rapids Bridge, where we'll turn around and retrace our route. In addition to the beautiful fall colors, we’ll pass a couple of historic sights along our way:
• Boulder Bridge, one of the earliest extant bridges in Rock Creek Park. Constructed in 1902, the bridge is a Melan reinforced concrete arch bridge with a unique boulder facing that blends into the bridge's surroundings.
• Peirce Mill , built in the 1820s, was grinding wheat for local farmers until the 1890s, when the US Government purchased it as part of Rock Creek Park. Hard times have always been good news for the mill: it was renovated twice under public works projects auspices, once as part of the Public Works Administration in 1936 and more recently as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2011.
• The walk is 5.1 miles and should take about 2 hours. The path is fairly level except for the descent into and out of Rock Creek streambed. The surface is a mix of dirt and paved and pretty easy going throughout.
• Google map: https://tinyurl.com/y77hxr2v

❷ How to get there:

• Metro: Cleveland Park Metro Station is on the Red Line. See https://www.wmata.com/ to plan your trip and check for alerts. There are no shutdowns scheduled for that section of the Red Line.
• Driving: The street address is 3599 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, and there is parallel parking available on surrounding streets.

❸ Weather: The forecast is sunny and a high of 79F. Updates here: https://tinyurl.com/y4cmm3xd

❹ What to bring: Water and comfy shoes. Dogs must be leashed at all times.

❺ Advisories:

• Watch out for bicyclists!
• As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.

❻ Administrative stuff: There are restrooms in Target and drinking fountains near Pierce Mill and at commercial establishments around the meetup location.

❼ Notes:

• Rock Creek Park (NPS): https://tinyurl.com/ybwkxlqd