After everything that has happened in the last year and moving to the area recently I found myself a bit lonely and too into my own thoughts. I needed to find a place to give me an escape and some peace of mind. I needed to clear my head and just be out with people (which is rare for me, I usually don't like doing that alone). I was already out for the day and decided instead of doing the mundane thing of going home and sit by myself I would find a place to park and take a stroll in a park. Unluckily for me, I chose to do this on one of the busiest days for the parks in the DC area. I decided during the hype of Cherry Blossom Festival I needed to go to a park. I'll be honest, I cussed myself out several times because of this, but mostly because I couldn't find anywhere to park. I circled (very big circles, if you know what I mean) until I found a spot. I ended up a few blocks up, but was able to get here with a short walk. Once here, it was a wonderland to walk through, or maybe I was thinking that I was playing Animal Crossing in real life with the cherry blossoms constantly falling around me...I didn't have my net. I will be honest with you. I stayed off the beaten path for a majority of this. It is less congested to walk about and you really get some really great pictures by doing so. You also have to duck out of the way of a lot of people's pictures too, but the walk was well worth it. I ended up walking for hours that day. Circling back and doing it all over again. It helped me clear my head and I did find my peace of mind. I honestly felt better after coming here. I don't know if it was the constant hum of everybody excited to get their insta pic, or if the vibe was just right for everyone. This is really a great place to escape just a little bit. In my near future I can see myself just coming here to chill out for a little bit. And how about that. This makes review no.: 3,000 Wow! read more

This park is huge and right across the street from the National Mall. It covers over 390 acres and dates back to the 1890s. There is a lot of metered street parking available for the park. The park also borders the FDR memorial. The Potomac River an the Tidal Basin runs along the park. The park has many benches that look out to the water and there are about 5 or 6 baseball fields that are in the park, but none of them can be used for organized sports. There is also lots of open fields on the side of the park opposite the water. The park is beautiful and well maintained. It is always a very busy park, especially on nice days. There are joggers, walkers, bicyclists and dog walkers all through the park. Be careful walking because the bikers are on a mission and do not know that pedestrians have the right of way. I really like this park. It has a lot going on and the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom during my visit. It was gorgeous. If you are looking for a place to take a break during your aggressive DC sight seeing, this is the spot. read more

It's hard to find a park in DC that's not crowded. This is the busiest park in DC because of all the memorials. West Potomac Park is busy no matter what time. It's really close to a few popular attractions. This seems to be avoided by locals and left to the tourists. It has a nice bike trail on the Potomac that's nice to ride along. It often gets crowded in the morning with bikers and joggers. Most of the joggers are locals. It seems most people walking around are tourists. It has plenty of attractions. The most popular is the Lincoln Memorial. It brings in most of the crowd. The Jefferson Memorial is also here. It doesn't get nearly as big of a crowd. This is because it's harder to get to. In between is a lot of green space that's nice if it's not so crowded. There's a few baseball fields located along the main road. West Potomac Park will always be very busy. It has so many popular memorials. The winter months aren't quite as crazy but you won't be able to enjoy the walk. read more

West Potomac Park - Park - Parks Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

West Potomac Park is for locals. It's where locals know you can find public restrooms when showing out-of-town family and friends the National Mall. It's also where you can play baseball on one of their fields. The views are beautiful and you can usually find street parking nearby to access the Mall. read more

I'm born and raised in DC and never been to West Potomac Park. Glad I came here to participate in the activities. This was for the Something in the Water Gospel event. It was a pop up church service and free! I love my city DC. read more

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This is a mist visit location during spring break. It is hard to find parking so you must get here early. Use park mobile app to look for parking nearby. There is a huge parking lot at 1100 Ohio Dr SW Washington, DC 20024. Not a lot of people know where it is. Every time I go there, I always find parking. read more

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A lot of sites along the way. Major tourist spot with the crowds and homeless that go along with it. read more

Walking around National Mall, the most direct route from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial, is along the Potomac River, along Ohio Drive SW, which passes through West Potomac Park. Through out my life, I've heard numerous times, "If you're ever in D.C. make sure to see the Cherry Blossoms." On a previous visit, it was winter, and I didn't get to see the famous Cherry Blossoms, and I rationalized not seeing them by telling myself that they couldn't be THAT great. Boy was I wrong; the D.C. Cherry Blossoms ARE that great, and one of the best spots to see them is at West Potomac Park. WEST POTOMAC PARK West Potomac Park is a U.S. national park in Washington, D.C., adjacent to the National Mall. It includes the parkland that extends south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, from the Lincoln Memorial to the grounds of the Washington Monument. The park is the site of many national landmarks, including the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, George Mason Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. The park includes the surrounding land on the shore of the Tidal Basin, an artificial inlet of the Potomac River which was created in the 19th century, an inlet that links the Potomac with the northern end of the Washington Channel. West Potomac Park is administered by the National Park Service. CHERRY TREES The now famous West Potomac Park sakura Japanese cherry trees of Washington line the Tidal Basin and are the main attraction at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in early spring. . Although the cherry trees were suggested 24 years prior, it wasn't until 1906, when Dr. David Fairchild, a botanist who worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, imported 75 flowering cherry trees and 25 single-flowered weeping types from the Yokohama Nursery Company in Japan. The trees were eventually planted along the Potomac River from the present site of the Lincoln Memorial south toward East Potomac Park. Eventually, Japanese embassy informed the U.S. Department of State that Tokyo intended to donate 2,000 cherry trees to the United States to be planted along the Potomac River. The original cherry trees didn't survive and it took several trial and errors, and interactions with the USA and the Japanese Embassy, plant grafting, and lot of money, before what now exists was fully established. CONCLUSION West Potomac Park in National Mall, and it's cherry blossoms can not be oversold: It's a magnificent must-see park. I wish I lived in D.C. just to be able to spend more time in this park. 5/5 RECOMMEND read more

Who knew! I've done some 5 & 10 k races at Haines point but running and cycling are completely different. This park is perfect for a training ride. Plenty of parking. I actually parked at Gravelly point DVD then biked over. Lots of folks out but not so crowded that you couldn't get in a great workout. Plenty of bathrooms. The golf clubhouse has good as well. The loop is about 6 miles but you can just go circles flat fast and great for speed work. read more

West Potomac Park - Black Women Bike! - Parks Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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West Potomac Park is beautiful at any time of the year, especially during spring when the cherry trees blossom. Located on the Potomac River, it is a perfect spot for a leisurely stroll, to take in breathtaking waterscapes, view Virginia across the river, enjoy an outing with friends and/or family, or to find a tree and read a book. If you visit the Washington, DC area be sure to put West Potomac Park on your list of must-see. You won't be disappointed. read more

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One of my favorites in the area. It's hard to find time for me to go as often I wish I could everyday honestly. It's a place to check out some views especially if your a tourist or just new to the area. If you want a nice view of the memorials and you plan to get some walking done swing by. Parking can be hard to find done patient and if possible have your entire crew carpool in one car it can be hard to meet people with parking. (especially during peak tourist season trust me). Typically in the past I have seen people picnic around here and it can make a nice hangout spot. If you willing to be okay with the crowds (which aren't always present) then it's worth a visit. I think most people don't like it because it's touristy, but if your like me a great picnic here is well worth the visit. read more

Always loved being able to visit the Tidal Basin frequently. Had the pleasure of taking a walking trip here with my preschool class and also celebrating my 7 year anniversary here with a picnic. read more

This serves a completely different purpose than East Potomac Park. West Potomac Park is where are the ball fields, walk along the water front, and parking is available for you to go by the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. 100% easier to park here than East Potomac any day. Of course, attempting to park anywhere in DC is going to be a pain... so don't expect this to be any easier. The park closes at 1am. IF YOUR CAR IS PARKED HERE during or past that time -- COPS WILL TICKET YOU or TOW YOU. I've been out here around that time, and they are very diligent about getting people out when it strikes 1. I like to come here sometimes to think and relax. Plus it offers a great view of the Virginia side, especially with Rosslyn lit up. It's lovely. This is also the area where our beloved Cherry Blossom is held and where you can find access to the Tidal Basin easiest. Enjoy your visit! read more

How beautiful is it to do nothing and then rest afterward? I didnt know Washington dc was so small until Iv been there like a billion times... This is actually the only park Iv been to during the times I was visiting Dc... The area is nice and clean... Not that many shaded areas... Area is pretty good for workouts and afternoon picnic... I only walked around this area once and it was pretty decent... Kinda plane for a park..?and actually pretty quite when I was there friday night .... hard to find parking... The grass is kept really nicely! read more

West Potomac Park is home to a variety of athletic fields and borders many of the moneuments. It's also one of the areas where you might be able to park. Some dope designed the road (Ohio Drive) so that the side you can park on has one lane and the other side has two, meaning that people are constantly driving in one of those wrong-way lanes to get around those trying to parallel park. Be careful. The views aren't particularly exciting from this location; this is more your launching ground for a visit to other things. read more

I ran a 10k (BOO! Run for Life) here this morning and HELLO GORGEOUS, I may have to come back again to enjoy some leisure outdoor exercise in the future here! For lack of a better term, I am, let's say, CHALLENGED by reading maps and following directions. That said, I made it here with no issues whatsoever from my home in Alexandria via the 395 and secured parking in the A lot. From there, it was a short walk to the start/finish line area for the race. Throughout my experience this morning, I was impressed by the evident upkeep and pride set forth in this national park area, as well as the friendliness of park rangers and police. read more

A great park for field sports. It's fenced in so don't worry about those stray balls getting into the street, or worse, falling into the Potomac. No one wants to go swimming in the Potomac. There's a restroom accessible to the park within walking distance. Parking can be a pain as this location is very close to the Lincoln Memorial so there are a lot of tourists. However, the view here is fantastic. You can see several memorials from the field and the river is right across the street. Be careful where you park though, you might get towed or ticketed. Also, the field could use some more care as it's not very even but bumpy at some spots where the grass is gone and where there's still patches of grass. Someone could easily sprain their ankle if they put their foot on the wrong spot. Other than that, big fields, lots of room and a pretty good place to play lacrosse. Make sure to come early if you want the better parts tended parts of field as there are other teams playing here but it's not overcrowded. read more

This extension of the National Mall is probably unknown to most who actually visit it, kinda like the most visited National Park in the US, the Smokies... read more

Sand volleyball courts and everyone is relaxed, great place to spend the morning hours on the weekend.

Nice, easy bike loop. Right across the water where you can park, find a table and eat seafood from the warf. Play ground and bathrooms are also nearby. read more

Amazing volleyball courts. Super friendly, noncompetitive, easy to walk into a game. It could use better shading and more sand though. Beautiful setting. read more