Rock Creek Park

Do you want to connect with nature but you’re not sure how to get started? Do you want to be more present outside and escape the distractions of the modern era? Take a junior naturalist hike with a ranger and learn how to observe and study the natural world around you as you hike between ½ - 1 ½ miles through the Rock Creek Valley. Come prepared with water, appropriate layers, comfortable hiking shoes, and an open mind willing to practice a new skill. Recommended ages 8+.  

Join Rock Creek Park Rangers for Stitching Stories, a community-powered knitting circle inspired by Freedom 250. Enjoy informal conversations about colonial-era fiber arts and how women used handmade textiles in daily life in support of the Revolution.  

This is not a class—just a relaxed space for knitters of all levels to gather, chat, and work on their own projects. Bring a piece you’re already working on or start something new! 

If you have a little one to take care of and are looking for something fun to do, come read and sing all about nature with a park ranger! This program includes nature books, animal puppets, body movements, and songs.  

To accommodate more people and to add variety, the children’s programs will alternate between the Nature Center and Peirce Mill Barn every 2 weeks.  

Families with children ages 5 and under are welcome!  

Come and enjoy a ranger-led program in the only planetarium in the National Park Service! The Stellar Star Show will be a 30-minute ranger-led program about the planets and the night sky.   

Recommended for ages 5 & up. 

The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has inspired awe and been the subject of campfire stories, and ancient myths for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe. 

This stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe as revealed to us by science. 

Recommended for ages 8 and up.

In this free planetarium show, join Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from "Zhima Jie", the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. They also journey to Zhima Jie to learn about the similarities in our view of the sky.

This program runs 25 minutes and is appropriate for families with young children. Seating in the planetarium is limited. We will give out free place holder tickets 30 minutes in advance of each showing.

The Boulder Bridge Loop is a ranger favorite: creek views, towering forests, steep ridge climbs, and long enough to feel like you’ve gotten a workout. Join a ranger on this 3.5 mile hike through the diverse trees, traipse across two bridges, and summit the Western Ridge trail all while learning about the park from an expert.

This hike leaves from the Nature Center. 

This program may be cancelled in the event of bad weather at the discretion of park staff. Feel free to check the Rock Creek Park website the day of to confirm, or call the Nature Center (202-895-6070) the day of to confirm. Be sure to leave a voicemail for a callback.  

Kick off the new year with a walk-through history! Join Rock Creek Park's rangers for a lively, brisk hike to Fort DeRussy, one of DC’s best-preserved Civil War forts. We’ll explore winter wildlife, discover how soldiers shaped the landscape, and uncover why this high ridge once held the power to protect the nation’s capital.  Along the way, you’ll get the chance to reflect on the year ahead and “fortify” your own New Year’s resolution—just like the soldiers who strengthened this fort more than 160 years ago.  Bundle up, bring your curiosity, and start your year with nature, history, and a whole lot of inspiration!

This walk departs from the Nature Center. It may be cancelled in the event of bad weather at the discretion of park staff. Feel free to call the Nature Center (202-895-6070) the day of to confirm and be sure to leave a voicemail for a callback. 

From kitchen tables to acts of rebellion, tea fueled both daily life and political upheaval in colonial America. Visit the Old Stone House to sample historic teas and explore how this everyday drink became entangled in empire, protest, and revolution—earning its notorious reputation as the “baneful weed.” 

Come and enjoy a ranger-led program in the only planetarium in the National Park Service! The Stellar Star Show will be a 30-minute ranger-led program about the planets and the night sky.   

Recommended for ages 5 & up.