Scenic Driving Days on Beach Drive

Looking across Boulder Bridge on Beach Drive

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

 

 

Beginning in 2025, Rock Creek Park will host two scenic driving days, in which the entire length of Beach Drive in Washington, DC will be open to motor vehicle traffic. One Driving Day will be in the spring and one in the fall – timed so that people who prefer to enjoy the park from their cars or those who are unable to physically hike or bike the area can experience the seasonal beauty of the route.

With the exception of the two scenic Driving Days each year, Upper Beach Drive will remain closed to motorized vehicles.

 

Spring 2025 Driving Day

Date: Sunday, April 27
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Activities

• Enjoy the views of Rock Creek Park as you drive the entire length of Beach Drive in Washington, DC.
• Join park rangers and Rock Creek Conservancy staff at Picnic Grove #10 to learn about #RecreateResponsibly, to discover how to get more involved in the park, have your pet sworn in as a B.A.R.K. Ranger and more!

 

 

Beach Drive next to Rock Creek

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

Recommended Dos and Don’ts

DO:

• Enjoy the scenic views along Beach Drive.

• Pay attention to your surroundings – there may be people walking or cycling along the route.

• Stop by Picnic Grove #10 to visit with park rangers and participate in family-friendly activities.
  

DON'T:

• Stop along Beach Drive in areas that are not designated parking spaces.

• Drive faster than the posted speed limit.

 

Photos of Beach Drive

 

 

Additional information about Beach Drive

Learn more about the history of Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park in the park's administrative history reports. Relevant documents include:

• The following chapters of Rock Creek Park: An Administrative History, by Barry Mackintosh (1985):
  • Road and Trail Construction
  • Park Planners and Plans
  • The Park and the Automobile
  • Bicycling

• An Urban Oasis: Rock Creek Park's History and Management, see Chapter 2: Transportation and Access.
  

To learn about the more recent decision to close sections of Beach Drive year-round to motorized vehicle traffic, see the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) page about Upper Beach Drive, or read the news release below.

Previous News Releases