Why We Love Theodore Roosevelt Island In Washington DC
The pedestrian bridge leading to the island in the middle of the Potomac River.
Beat DC’s Crowds At This Lovely National Memorial Not Far From The Capitol
At A Glance
One of the best kept secrets in DC, Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial is an island forest in the midst of a dense urban area, an appropriate memorial to a president who championed conservation.
It is a perfect place to visit in the fall where you can let the kids go wild tromping through the leaves. But it is also the perfect place to visit in spring, or winter, or summer, or anytime you feel the need for a walk in the woods.
I love visiting this park whenever I come to DC, especially when I need a break from museums and from people for a minute. I think of it like an awesome interactive memorial that reminds me in a very visceral way why Theodore Roosevelt and I feel so strongly about conservation and nature.
The long boardwalk on the Swamp Trail is one of my favorite parts of Theodore Roosevelt Island, itself one of my favorite parts of DC. The kids just see it as a long runway on which to gather up full speed. Luckily for other people, it is often as empty as this picture when they do this.
Why You Should Go
You’ll find a nice memorial to our 26th president as well as 3 walking trails ranging from 0.3 miles to a 1.5 mile loop. All of the trails are easy strolls and the longest one has a cool boardwalk over the swamp that the kids really like.
Teddy Roosevelt Island isn’t too far from downtown DC and the National Mall, but the short distance and understated nature of the memorial means it is metaphorically miles and miles from the tourist mobs you find at the Smithsonian museums or at the Washington Monument.
It’s free! Yes, like many of the attractions in DC, this one is also free.
Map of Teddy Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC.
A Cliff Notes History
The entire island was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, America’s first landscape architect (who is also responsible for Central Park and the spectacular grounds at Biltmore Estate).
The park may look all natural but Olmstead and workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps cleared this former farmland of non-native plants after the island was purchased in 1931. They replanted the entire island with trees native to the region.
What You Should See
Map of Roosevelt Island
Memorial Plaza
The plaza contains a large statue of Teddy Roosevelt as well as 4 huge granite stones inscribed with some of his most famous quotes. It was added to the island in the 1960s.
Click to enlarge pictures below
The Memorial Plaza is large and in the summer, has water features in the middle.
Hiking Trails
The Swamp Trail is our favorite trail to hit, although it is pretty easy to do all of the trails on one visit unless you have very young kiddos. The other trails are the super short Woods Trail (only 0.3 miles) and the slightly longer Uplands Trail (0.75 miles).
The Swamp Trail is a 1.5 mile loop that takes you around the perimeter of the island. The kids will love the long boardwalk section on the back half of the island that faces Georgetown.
*I haven’t done the Swamp Trail trail in summer but I am guessing bug spray would be very handy because you are walking over a literal swamp.
Click on pictures below to enlarge
The Upland Trail was a nice stroll and is shady in the summer. There are informational signs to stop and read too.
The Details
The park is free.
It is open from dawn til dusk 365 days a year.
The restrooms on the island are closed from late fall until late spring. And there is nothing nearby so plan ahead on this one.
There aren’t any kiosks selling food or water anywhere nearby either.
You can bring your leashed pet.
I love walking onto this island and just seeing trees.
How To Get To Roosevelt Island
Getting to the island is a bit difficult but that is what keeps it from being too busy. If you aren’t familiar with the area, it is worth a little time looking at a map to figure out how to get here.
There are several ways to make your way to the park:
Public transportation + walking
Biking
By car- either your own or a rideshare
*Our Favorite*- Public Transportation + Walking
Public transportation plus a little walking is probably the best combination to get to Roosevelt Island if you don’t have your own car. The Rosslyn Metro Stop is served by the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines and is 0.6 miles from the park.
From the metro, exit onto Moore Street and turn left, heading to the open end of the street (the end without a tall building blocking it). When you get to the end of Moore Street, Gateway Park is across the street. You will have to turn right to get to the crosswalk at Lynn Street. Head past Gateway Park and on the far side, you will see the greenway. Turn right again to get on the Mt. Vernon Trail heading to Teddy Roosevelt Park.
This isn’t as hard as the directions make it sound and I have walked this with kids. The Mt Vernon Trail is a big greenway connecting lots of DC so it is well marked.
Map of Rosslyn with Metro stop and Mt. Vernon Trail terminus shown. Map courtesy of OpenStreetMaps.
By Bike
If you have bikes, you can ride the scenic, 18 mile Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River between George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate and Teddy Roosevelt Island. You can’t ride on the island itself but there are bike racks next to the pedestrian bridge.
If you want to rent bikes, look for the Capital Bikeshare docks in nearby Rosslyn and you can ride the paved Mount Vernon Trail to the park. Their $8 24-hour pass is great for tourists. Note: Bring your own helmets though and they don’t have kids bikes.
By Car
If you have a car, there is a small parking lot next to the pedestrian bridge leading to the island. I have not usually found it completely full but that is a strong possibility on weekends with beautiful weather.
***The parking lot is only accessible from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Parkway so that makes it a little difficult to find. The parkway is divided so there is no way to access southbound lanes from the parking lot. You have to go to the next exit and loop around to get to the other side. Use whatever Map app you like to help you navigate if you are unfamiliar with the area.
Uber and Lyft are possibilities but it is much easier to get a rideshare to take you to Roosevelt Island than it is to get one to pick you up from the parking lot. I know this from personal experience. You might have to walk over to Rosslyn via the Mt. Vernon Trail to increase your chances of pick-up, which is what we had to do on one of our visits. See directions above for the “public transportation + walking” to get to Rosslyn.
How To Get Around DC In General IMHO
DC is not always the easiest city to navigate. There is a metro, but it isn’t great and can get super crowded and hot in the stations during summer. Walking is the most convenient way to get around, but the National Mall is huge-- 2 miles between Lincoln Memorial at one end and the Capitol at the other so that can be hard with small kids.
Many locals drive and just get used to paying exorbitant (at least to this small city gal) parking fees. But traffic can be brutal and there are often marches/marathons/parades, etc that close off streets and make navigating so much fun. (At least the kids get to gloat they heard me say the bad words.)
Bikeshare and scooter share are great resources if your kids are older and you brought your own helmets. Especially for zipping around the Mall and the memorials in that area, they are perfect. All you need is a credit card for most of them and your Uber app even has the docking stations for couple of the companies listed as well as route directions and time. You are not supposed to ride on the sidewalks but lots of people do. There are marked bike lanes though in much of DC.
Here’s What We Do
One, we cheat a little. We have family in Arlington that we often stay with and we hitch a ride with them if we can. Other than that, we rely on the Metro and on Uber/ Lyft. I try not to drive on Capitol Hill if I can help it because parking is so difficult.
The Metro is pretty easy to follow and I have found the transit cops in stations very helpful when I have questions about buying my Metro card and how much to load it with. My biggest piece of advice is to double check the station destination written on the side of the train before you board as routes can change, especially on weekends. Don’t rely solely on the color shown, eg blue for the blue line.
Uber/Lyft is super common in DC and very useful when trying to get somewhere not that close to a metro stop. We use it a lot. DC is cracking down a little on where rideshares can pick up, so don’t be surprised if you have to walk to a corner or down the street a little to get to the pickup spot to meet your driver. Just follow the dot on your app.
View from the north end of the island across the Potomac over to Georgetown.
Final Thoughts
All in all, you can spend an hour or so wandering around Teddy Roosevelt Island, enjoying the shade and the respite from the tourist hordes around the National Mall. The kids always enjoy it because they can run a bit and I am not cramming another museum down their throat.
This is one of the places in DC that I can return to again and again, especially in fall as I love the crunch of leaves. But truly I can visit here anytime of year and take a moment to enjoy the woods. It is one of the best off the beaten track sites in DC, in my opinion.
Off trail exploring on Theodore Roosevelt Island. Teddy would be proud!
Where To Stay In DC
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My Two Cents On Where To Stay
DC has a reputation for being unsafe and although I do not find it much different than any big city in the US, there are certain areas that are more tourist friendly than others. Generally speaking with 0.5-1 mile of the National Mall is a good rule of thumb.
Capitol Hill is my favorite (the area east of the Capitol building going about 10 blocks east and about 5 blocks north and 5 blocks south to make a big square with the Capitol as the left side of the square). Foggy Bottom around George Washington University is another good area with a lot going on and is pretty safe. Georgetown is good as well although it can be pricey.
The H street corridor just east of Union Station is a revamped area with good restaurants and a handy free streetcar running up and down. It is a little cheaper than many areas of DC. The Wharf near Jefferson Memorial is a new redevelopment spurring a lot of growth in that area. Good restaurants, lots of shops, and a couple of hotels there with a nice waterfront view.
You can also look across the Potomac River to Virginia for cheaper accommodations in Rosslyn, Crystal City, and Arlington. It is an easy Metro ride to the main tourist sites (5 stops to the National Mall from Rosslyn, 3 from Crystal City) and these suburbs are often about half the price of hotels in the district. Plus, since the hotels here tend to serve mostly business travelers, weekend rates are even better.
Hotels
In Downtown
Staying near the Capitol is an expensive option, although it does keep you closer to the action. Good luck finding a room for a family of 4 under $400 a night in a name-brand hotel.
If you are up for a splurge though, there are several gorgeous historic hotels, such as the Intercontinental Willard, that are worth the money if you have it. (The lobby makes you ogle and also makes you wish you were a fancy enough person that didn’t do such uncouth things as ogle.) This 200 year old hotel is conveniently located near the White House and lives up to its 5 star billing. If you are in DC near Christmas time, stop in to check out its beautiful holiday decorations.
In Virginia
Try the Hampton Inn and Suites Arlington Crystal City DCA for good sized rooms, free breakfast, and free airport shuttle to Reagan which is so close, you could almost walk to it. The hotel is also in close proximity to “Restaurant Row” on 23rd Street south and there are even more choices around the corner from the row on Crystal Drive.
Vacation Rentals
If you want more room, try an apartment rental. Walking around all day looking at museums or even just exploring the Mall can be super tiring and it is really nice to be able to come back somewhere with a little more space than your typical hotel room. Plus, the ability to make dinner or breakfast at a vacation rental can save you some big bucks.
Many of the picturesque row houses found in DC have garden apartments or “English basements” (no idea where the name came from). These are partially below ground apartments on the ground floor of these row houses with their own entrances and are frequently rented out to Capitol Hill interns and as short- term rentals. They are often 1 BD/ 1 Ba but depending on how much money the homeowner has put into them, they can be quite nice. These places are often the best deals going for lodging if you don’t need a massive amount of room.
Fantastic historic English Basement Apt- Prime Capitol Hill Location! is a 2 BR/ 1 Ba basement apt in a row house with a separate, gated entrance, a washer/ dryer, and even a little garden in the back. Location is A+ as it is 3 blocks away from the Capitol. Great reviews and averages $220 a night.
Beautiful 2 Bedroom Unit is a gorgeous recently renovated 2 BR/ 2.5 BA row house in the Capitol Hill area with lots of space if you are looking for a home away from home while in DC. A little more expensive but looks like you are getting a lot of bang for the buck and the location is great. *Must have prior positive reviews on VRBO. Averages $375 a night and has glowing reviews.
Modern & Central to GWU, Natl Mall, Georgetown, Free Pvt Parking & EV Charging is a wonderful 3 BR/ 3 BA recently renovated townhome in Foggy Bottom with plenty of room for the whole family. Free parking is a definite perk in the city, let alone with a free charger, awesome if you have a Tesla (I am officially jealous). 5 star reviews and averages $478 a night.
Spacious Artistic Home Steps To Georgetown And The White House is a super cute 4 BR/ 4 BA rowhouse where every bedroom has a different theme. Also located in Foggy Bottom, this house has a parking spot and is very close to the metro. Fantastic reviews and averages $366 a night.