Parks & Gardens

More than 27% of Washington's land space is national parkland, reports Bill Line, spokesman for the National Park Service. When you add in the parks and gardens maintained by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as private estates that are open to the public, you're talking thousands and thousands of green acres!

Potomac Park

West and East Potomac parks, their 720 riverside acres divided by the Tidal Basin, are most famous for their display of cherry trees, which bloom for a mere 2 weeks, tops, every spring, as they have since the city of Tokyo first gave the U.S. capital the gift of the original 3,000 trees in 1912. The sight of the delicate cherry blossoms is so special and the window of viewing time so brief that the whole city joins in cherry blossom-related hoopla, throwing the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and slinging back cherry-flavored cocktails, or whatever is required or desired. Normally a 2-week festival, the 2012 centennial celebration will last 5 weeks, from March 20 to April 27. If all goes well, the first 2 weeks of the festival should coincide with the blossoming of the more than 3,700 Japanese cherry trees. The trees usually begin blooming sometime between March 20 and April 17; April 4 is the average date.

The National Park Service devotes a home page to the subject: www.nps.gov/cherry and the National Cherry Blossom Festival officials another: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. In all, there are more than 3,750 cherry trees planted along the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, East Potomac Park, the Washington Monument grounds, and other pockets of the city.

To get to the Tidal Basin by car (not recommended in cherry-blossom season -- actually, let me be clear: impossible in cherry-blossom season), you want to get on Independence Avenue and follow the signs posted near the Lincoln Memorial that show you where to turn to find parking and the FDR Memorial. If you're walking, you'll want to cross Independence Avenue where it intersects with West Basin Drive and follow the path to the Tidal Basin. There is no convenient Metro stop near here.

West Potomac Park encompasses Constitution Gardens; the Vietnam, Korean, Lincoln, Jefferson, World War II, and FDR memorials; the D.C. World War I Memorial; the Reflecting Pool; the Tidal Basin and its paddle boats; and countless flower beds, ball fields, and trees. It has 1,678 cherry trees bordering the Tidal Basin, some of them Akebonos with delicate pink blossoms, but most are Yoshinos with white, cloudlike flower clusters.

East Potomac Park has 1,681 cherry trees in 10 varieties. The park also has picnic grounds, tennis courts, three golf courses, a large swimming pool, and biking and hiking paths by the water.

Cheers to the Cherry Trees -- The year 2012 marks the centennial of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the nation's capital, so you know what that means: party-city. If you're visiting D.C. in spring, expect to find cherry-themed menus at restaurants, sushi and sake tastings, fireworks, parades, cherry blast dance jams, lavish floats, marching bands, the works.

Rock Creek Park 

Created in 1890, Rock Creek Park (www.nps.gov/rocr) was purchased by Congress for its "pleasant valleys and ravines, primeval forests and open fields, its running waters, its rocks clothed with rich ferns and mosses, its repose and tranquility, its light and shade, its ever-varying shrubbery, its beautiful and extensive views." A 1,750-acre valley within the District of Columbia, extending 12 miles from the Potomac River to the Maryland border, it's one of the biggest and finest city parks in the nation. Parts of it are still wild; coyotes have been sighted here, joining the red and gray foxes, raccoons, and beavers already resident. Most tourists encounter its southern tip, the section from the Kennedy Center to the National Zoo, but the park widens and travels much farther from there.

The park's offerings include D.C.'s oldest standing structure, the 1765 Old Stone House in Georgetown (located on a busy street in Georgetown, outside the park but considered a park property, nonetheless), playgrounds, an extensive system of beautiful hiking and biking trails, sports facilities, remains of Civil War fortifications, and acres and acres of wooded parklands. In upper Georgetown, Rock Creek Park includes the family-friendly Montrose Park, a favorite place for picnicking and playing tennis, and Dumbarton Oaks Park, a 27-acre rustic preserve. Both Montrose and Dumbarton Oaks parks adjoin each other and Dumbarton Oaks estate and formal gardens.

For full information on the wide range of park programs and activities, visit the Rock Creek Nature Center and Planetarium, 5200 Glover Rd. NW (tel. 202/895-6070), Wednesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm. To get to the Nature Center by public transportation, take the Metro to Friendship Heights and transfer to bus no. E2 to Military Road and Oregon Avenue/Glover Road, then walk up the hill about 100 yards to the Nature Center. Call tel. 202/895-6070 to request a brochure that provides details on picnic locations.

The Nature Center and Planetarium is the scene of numerous activities, including weekend planetarium shows for kids (minimum age 4) and adults; nature films; crafts demonstrations; live animal demonstrations; guided nature walks; plus a daily mix of lectures, films, and other events. Self-guided nature trails begin here. All activities are free, but for planetarium shows you need to pick up tickets a half-hour in advance. There are also nature exhibits on the premises. The Nature Center is closed on federal holidays.

At Tilden Street and Beach Drive, you can see a water-powered 19th-century gristmill, used until not so long ago to grind corn and wheat into flour. It's called Peirce Mill (a man named Isaac Peirce built it), but it's currently closed for repairs.

You'll find convenient free parking throughout the park.

Activities on the C&O Canal

One of the great joys of living in Washington is the C&O Canal (www.nps.gov/choh) and its unspoiled 185-mile towpath. You leave urban cares and stresses behind while hiking, strolling, jogging, cycling, or boating in this lush, natural setting of ancient oaks and red maples, giant sycamores, willows, and wildflowers. But the canal wasn't always just a leisure spot for city people. It was built in the 1800s, when water routes were considered vital to transportation. Even before it was completed, though, the canal was being rendered obsolete by the B&O Railroad, which was constructed at about the same time and along the same route. Today, its role as an oasis from unrelenting urbanity is even more important.

A good source of information about the canal is the National Park Service office at Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, Maryland (tel. 301/767-3714). At this 1831 tavern, you can see museum exhibits and a film about the canal; there's also a bookstore on the premises. The park charges an entrance fee, $5 per car, $3 per walker or cyclist.

In Georgetown, the Georgetown Information Center, 1057 Thomas Jefferson St. NW (tel. 202/653-5190), can also provide maps and information.

Hiking any section of the flat dirt towpath or its more rugged side paths is a pleasure (and it's free). There are picnic tables, some with barbecue grills, about every 5 miles on the way to Cumberland, beginning at the Boat House at Fletcher's Cove (4940 Canal Rd., tel. 202/244-0461; www.fletcherscove.com). It's about 3 1/4 miles out of Georgetown and is a good place to rent bikes or boats or to purchase bait, tackle, and a fishing license. Enter the towpath in Georgetown below M Street via Thomas Jefferson Street. If you hike 14 miles, you'll reach Great Falls, a point where the Potomac becomes a stunning waterfall plunging 76 feet. Or drive to Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac.

Much less strenuous than hiking is a mule-drawn 19th-century canalboat trip led by Park Service rangers in period dress. They regale passengers with canal legend and lore and sing period songs. These boats depart Georgetown April 1 to August 31, and Great Falls May 15 to October 31. Both the Georgetown and Great Falls barge rides last about 1 hour and 10 minutes and cost $8 per adult, $6 for seniors, $5 per child, and free for children 3 and under. Check the website, www.nps.gov/choh, for the latest schedules.

Call any of the above information numbers for details on riding, rock climbing, fishing, bird-watching, concerts, ranger-guided tours, ice-skating, camping, and other canal activities.