George Washington Memorial Parkway

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day from the Running Ranger!

I've watched National Park Service maintenance teams spending days clearing drains, guardrails and curbs. Their efforts paid off and the road stands clean and fresh just above the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I appreciate their hard work on the newly-cleaned parkway as I run the Mount Vernon Trail right next door.

09/05/2026

Running Ranger

Scenes like this are why I make the Mount Vernon Trail my running route. As twilight came, clouds gathered over the Washington Monument and Old Post Office Tower. The Mount Vernon Trail offers such a scenic landscape along the Potomac River. It really is the best view of the nation's capital.

09/04/2026

It's a long road ahead is more than a saying for the maintenance team on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Our crew, along with the special National Park Service Bison Team, has been hard at work on the median strips just north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last month. For a two-mile stretch, they have removed 19 dump truck loads of dirt. Drains are uncovered, shrubbery removed and the area is now safer and more beautiful. This is more than a road; the parkway is a memorial to our First President. Like the Continental Army, this team is out in the rain, heat, mud and grit to get the job done!

09/03/2026

This past weekend Revolutionary War reenactors brought the past to life with a living history at Jones Point Park in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1781, a British flotilla sailed up the Potomac River and threatened the city of Alexandria. Local hero Col. John Fitzgerald rallied the Alexandria militia and marched them to Jones Point, preventing a British landing. The event was great way to cap off National Park Week and highlight the Revolutionary War history of the park during the 250th anniversary of America's independence!

Learn more about the history: https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/historyculture/revolutionary-war-standoff-at-jones-point.htm

Freedom 250

09/01/2026

🍂 Get a head start on autumn by helping our partners the Potomac Conservancy remove litter from Jones Point Park on *Saturday at 9:00 AM*! 🚯

Being such a popular recreational hub, there's bound to be garbage left behind, and every bit risks entering the nearby Potomac River to endanger its health. Conservancy group leaders will have all the necessary equipment, but in case you venture into wooded areas, please wear long sleeves & pants to guard against thorns/poison ivy.

Ready to pitch in? Sign up to volunteer! 👉 https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volopprecord?listing=a09SJ00000QadDZYAZ

09/01/2026

The National Park Service (NPS) is advising motorists that the existing full northbound closure of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 will continue through September 17, 2026. The northbound closure, which began August 10, will continue Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All northbound traffic will be detoured around the closure.

Beginning September 21 and continuing through October 29, 2026, all southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Route 123 and Spout Run Parkway will be closed Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Crews will conduct tree assessments, pruning and tree removal along the parkway.

Learn more:

George Washington Memorial Parkway Announces Extended Northbound and Upcoming Southbound Closures for Tree Maintenance Between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123

09/01/2026

💮🪻D**e Marsh Wildlife Preserve should only have bursts of color, not invasive plants, and our partners Friends of D**e Marsh need help battling these botanic baddies!

Pitch in *this Saturday at 10:00 AM* to keep the park safe from vegetative harm. The Friends will have all the equipment you need, but feel free to bring your own gloves & tools. Wear clothing to protect against thorns/poison ivy, and bring some sunscreen, too! ☀️

With your assistance, we can clear out non-native species to protect D**e Marsh for both visitors and wildlife. Sign up now! ➡️ https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volopprecord?listing=a09SJ00000QapjNYAR

**eMarsh **eMarshWildlifePreserve

08/30/2026

National Park Week is ending, but the adventure does not stop here. We explored remarkable national parks within two hours of Washington, D.C. Together, they protect roaring rivers, mountain forests, historic farms, forts, battlefields, performing arts and monuments honoring democracy, freedom, service and sacrifice.

You could explore them all in two days, but it could take a lifetime to discover every trail, place and story. Return to finish the hike you started. Join a ranger-led program you missed. Share a memorial you love with a new friend. Volunteer to care for a park that inspired you.

These places preserve America’s story, strengthen our communities and belong to all of us. They also need all of us to help them thrive throughout the nation’s next 250 years.

Keep exploring. Keep learning. Keep protecting. https://ow.ly/m9lg50ZFoXq

08/30/2026

National Park Week continues with Junior Ranger Day! Next on your tour is Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, where every junior ranger mission can stretch for 184.5 miles.

This National Junior Ranger Day explore, learn and protect the park as you trek along the historic towpath, see canal locks in action, cross iconic aqueducts on a model canal boat, and discover the stories of canal builders, workers, and communities that lived and worked along the canal's waters and the park staff and volunteers who protect it today. To participate, pick up a book at a visitor center or download a Junior Ranger activity book. Curiosity has no age limit, and grown-ups may report for Junior Ranger duty as well! Whether you’re biking or hiking, fishing or canoeing the C&O Canal has something for everyone. https://ow.ly/KVAu50ZFoCf

08/29/2026

National Park Week continues with Staff Saturday! Celebrate by visiting the National Mall and Memorial Parks and walk through America’s front yard.

Meet the people who keep America’s front yard beautiful and welcoming for millions of visitors! Watch the colors of sunrise dance across the Washington Monument, climb the Lincoln Memorial steps and read the powerful words carved into its walls. Reflect at memorials honoring veterans and visionary leaders, enjoy a picnic beneath the trees or discover something new during a ranger-led program. Return after sunset to see stone, bronze and the Tidal Basin shine against the night sky. Rangers, skilled craftspeople, historic preservation experts and maintenance crews care for more than 1,000 acres of treasured places. Come see their remarkable work and experience the National Mall and Memorial Parks for yourself. https://ow.ly/MVn050ZFohL


NPS Photos