Horse Play Trifecta in Rock Creek parks (Rating: B)

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

(Rating B) 9ish-mile loop hike at moderate 2.5 to 3.0 pace with roughly 700 feet elevation and several exploration stops)

This 9ish-mile waterside and forest loop hike ambles past three horse centers in Rock Creek parks. We’ll start at the nonprofit Meadowbrook Stables by East-West Highway in Chevy Chase, ramble south into DC as close as we can near the historic US Park Police Rock Creek Horse Stables where President Reagan once rode, (declared off limits to the public in August, 2025 reportedly because the National Guard is ensconced there), and we'll wind up by the bustling Rock Creek Park Horse Center.

Along the way we'll bushwhack a short distance to eyeball DC Boundary Stone NW9 (DC's slowly disintegrating boundary stones are the oldest federal monuments in the U.S.); check out 1861 Civil War Fort DeRussy; and explore some abandoned building stones from the US Capitol's 1958 renovation. (The Architect of the Capitol moved most of the relics several years ago in part because people were stealing rocks as souvenirs.) We'll also keep our eyes and ears open for birds, beasts, and other natural gems -- and briefly visit the Rock Creek Park Nature Center. And we'll also trek through geological time -- hiking along the geological "fall zone," which is marked by mini-waterfalls in Rock Creek (where the older, hard-rock Piedmont Plateau province starts to smack into the younger, soft-sediment Atlantic coastal plain).

We will STOP several times to briefly explore historic areas and/or for nature. Our route will take us along the ridge and valley trails, some side trails, an asphalt trail, and a residential street. We'll encounter at least one minor stream crossing.

DC's historic 1,754-acre Rock Creek Park ends at the Maryland border. Another roughly 1,800 acres of parkland continues north in Maryland as Rock Creek Regional Park. The regional park's 14-mile asphalt trail runs from DC's border to Lake Needwood.

MEET: 9 a.m., on the sidewalk by the stone Meadowbrook Activity Building at Candy Cane City Park, 7901 Meadowbrook Lane, Chevy Chase, MD. GPS: 38.986634, -77.061880

IMPORTANT NOTES. PLEASE READ. YOU WILL BE GRADED ON THIS: Adults only and no pets, including pet ponies or pet horse flies. Bring: sense of humor, sense of awe, and water. Optional binoculars, cameras, and iNaturalist apps are welcome since at least one stretch of the trail is usually birdy and the hike leader can't resist a good nature op. Finish time of 2 pm is approximate depending on our stops. NPS hikes are capped at 20 people because they require a pricey permit for larger groups.

WEATHER: Our hike might be tweaked, canceled, and/or postponed if it rains/snows. Forecast will be posted here on Friday, Jan. 9.

RESTROOMS: Portapotties at start and restrooms at the nature center, near our turnaround point. At least one portapotty on the return leg.

Closest Metro: Bethesda’s Red Line Station:
https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/stations/bethesda.cfm

Rock Creek Park Trail Map (DC):
https://www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/maps.htm
https://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/rock-creek-park-map.pdf

Rock Creek Regional Park (MD):
https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-regional-park/

Maryland’s Rock Creek Regional Park Trail Map:
https://montgomeryparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rock-creek-trail-map_a11y.pdf

Rock Creek Park Geology:
https://npshistory.com/publications/rocr/nrr-2009-146.pdf

Rock Creek Park Horseback Riding:
https://www.nps.gov/rocr/learn/historyculture/adhi4d.htm

Rock Creek Park Nature Center:
(with NPS's sole planetarium, 202-895-6070)
https://www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/nature-center-and-planetarium.htm

National Park Service's free map app:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps-apps.htm

Fort DeRussy:
https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-derussy.htm