4-mile Rock Creek Park and Pierce Mill hike

This is a 4 mile, beginner friendly hike through Rock Creek park that will start at the Woodley Park metro station and end at the Van Ness metro station. The majority of the hike follows the Rock Creek, Zoo Loop and Western Ridge trails with views of the water of Rock Creek along the way. We will take a break at Pierce Mill – a water-powered gristmill that was built in 1829 - and hikers will have some time to look around the historical site. Public bathrooms are available near our break spot. After the mill, we will continue onto the Soapstone Valley trail and finally exit Rock Creek Park near the Van Ness Metro station. The route is mostly paved until we enter the Soapstone Valley trail which is unpaved. In the last mile, we will criss-cross a shallow stream a few times. There will be some uphills and downhills throughout the hike but they are not strenuous and our pace will be relaxed.

The hike will begin at the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro Station, finishing at the Van Ness-UDC Metro Station.

Led by Cherrelle Dacon and Peg Barratt for the AMC Potomac Chapter