Rock Creek Park – Peirce Mill loop from Washington National Cathedral

Bike touring routes & trails

United States

District Of Columbia

Rock Creek Park – Peirce Mill loop from Washington National Cathedral

Easy

4.9

(6683)

7,362

riders

Rock Creek Park – Peirce Mill loop from Washington National Cathedral

00:34

9.27km

50m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 10, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 3.95 km for 54 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.81 km

Herring Highway

Highlight • Structure

This may look like a natural arrangement of rocks, but it is really a feat of engineering. Rocks are precisely placed to build a series of boulder step pools that raise the water level making it possible for fish to swim over an active sewer line. Migrating Blueback herring, Alewife and other fish can once again swim upstream to spawn as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. These pools are part of a larger project that restores the "Herring Highway".

Tip by

3.97 km

Rock Creek Park bathrooms

Highlight • Rest Area

Flushable bathrooms with water for washing hands, accessible.

Tip by

4.04 km

Joaquin Miller log cabin

Highlight • Monument

On Beach Drive, close to Military road. Picnic tables and rustic grill nearby. Bathroom and water fountain available. This is a picturesque cabin that reminds me of the little house on the prairie.

Tip by

4.17 km

Bench at the creek

Highlight • Bridge

Here you can cross the river with the help of a fallen tree. The emphasis is on can, because a little further up the river there is a "normal" bridge. Please only do this if you feel safe, because even if (or precisely because of) the water below is not deep, the fall can be painful. And what's more, there are warnings everywhere against contact with the water, as it is contaminated with bacteria.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.73 km

Rock Creek Park

Highlight • Forest

Rock Creek Park, spanning 1,754 acres, is a natural escape from city life, offering trails, wildlife, and historic landmarks. Founded by Congress in 1890, this national park features not only natural beauty but also family-friendly activities. Visitors can explore its flat paved trails, visit the Smithsonian National Zoo, or learn about history at the 19th-century Peirce Mill. Families can enjoy the Nature Center, and Discovery Room. The park also hosts stargazing at its planetarium, guided ranger walks, picnic spots, and opportunities to visit historic sites like Fort Stevens, where Lincoln stood during the Civil War.

Tip by

7.64 km

Boulder Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

A beautiful stone bridge with an arch. The construction is completely different from the pedestrian bridges around it.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.91 km

Peirce Mill

Highlight • Monument

Peirce Mill, built in 1829 by Isaac Peirce on Rock Creek, once used water to power this mill that processed corn, wheat, and rye until its turbine shaft broke in 1897. Situated on a 960-acre plantation operated with slave labor, the mill became part of Rock Creek Park in 1890 through an Act of Congress. By the early 1900s, park managers enhanced the site with roads, bridges, and a dam. The New Deal legislation gave Rock Creek Park to the National Park Service in 1933, and the mill was restored. Today, visitors can explore the site, which includes parking, a visitor center, bathrooms, and a picnic area, as part of Rock Creek Park’s year-round attractions.

Tip by

9.27 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types