Fellow Maryland residents: have you ever wanted to visit somewhere beautiful, like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but have never been able to because it would be too expensive to book hotels or fly by plane? Today, I present to you four places within the National Park System that are within driving distance from our nation’s capital. The next time your family needs a weekend adventure, pack up some snacks and get ready to visit one of these parks.
Rock Creek Park (3 miles from DC)
Located only a footstep outside of the heart of the city, Rock Creek Park is one of the most convenient places to visit within the National Park System. The small, yet scenic, area consists of lush forests, a diversity of wildlife, and several creeks that run through it, offering great opportunities for hiking and sightseeing, especially for younger children. For example, I recommend the Milkhouse Ford trail, a flat 2-mile hike that contains several Civil War and Native American sites to explore, including a historic path that may be over 5,000 years old. In addition to hiking, visitors should also explore the park’s nature center, which contains an exhibit on native plants and animals (there are even live creatures you can touch), a garden, a Discovery Room for children to engage in environmental education, as well as a planetarium. Because of its small size, most visitors spend as little as one hour to no more than a day visiting Rock Creek Park.
Catoctin Mountain Park (65 miles from DC)
Slightly over an hour north of DC, Catoctin Mountain Park is for families who are more willing to take on a challenge. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a subrange within the larger Appalachian chain, Catoctin Mountain Park offers many hikes—some strenuous—that reward you with scenic views from the tops of mountains. Whenever I visit Catoctin, my family always completes the Wolf Rock and Chimney Rock Trail, a popular 4-mile loop that takes you up to an elevation of 1,500 feet. However, this hike is not easy, as there are over 800 feet of elevation gain that may take over two hours to conquer. My favorite part of this hike is scrambling Wolf Rock, a rare geological feature that consists of massive boulders and deep crevices you can marvel at, or if you are brave enough, jump over.
Shenandoah National Park (70 miles from DC)
Founded in 1935, Shenandoah National Park is one of the most famous parks along the east coast. The park is unique in that it is very long and narrow in size with a winding road called the Skyline Drive that runs through it from north to south. However, it is quite accessible, as it is slightly over an hour west of DC. Driving along Route 66 will allow you to arrive directly at the Front Royal entrance. This park is much larger in size than both Rock Creek Park and Catoctin, so it provides hundreds of hikes. Some hikes take you to scenic vistas that are over 4,000 feet in elevation, while other trails bring you to towering waterfalls that roar like thunder in the spring. However, many of the scenic vistas are located directly on Skyline Drive, which is great for those who do not want to move their feet. Additionally, the most popular time to visit the park is late October, as the fall foliage here is absolutely stunning. When we have time, my family visits Shenandoah almost every year.
Photo taken by Jesse Zhong
Here are some trails that I recommend you to consider: Bearfence Mountain (1.0 mile), Dark Hollow Falls (1.4 miles), Stony Man Mountain (1.6 miles), Old Rag Mountain (9.2 miles, not for the faint of heart)
Dark Hollow Falls
While hotels and cabins are available inside the park, a cheaper alternative is camping if you plan to stay overnight. Some campsites, like Lewis Mountain, are first-come, first-served, while others, like the larger Big Meadows Campground, can only be booked by reservations only. All campsites are open from early spring to late autumn.
Harper’s Ferry, WV (63 miles from DC)
Located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers and also coincidentally at the border between three states is the town of Harper’s Ferry. Harper’s Ferry is famous because it is the site of a Civil War riot led by abolitionist John Brown in 1865. Therefore, the National Park System preserved the town as a National Historical Park. While the town is deeply rooted in its history, it is also scenic as well. There are several hikes, such as Loundoun Heights and Maryland Heights, that allow you to gain beautiful views of both the river and the town. Many residents go kayaking or water tubing as well. In fact, my 7th-grade class did a kayaking field trip here many years back.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/hafe/faqs.htm
https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
https://www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/nature-center-and-planetarium.htm
