In addition to the many beautiful gardens, D.C. offers quite a few options to visitors who are interested in visiting a park — whether to see the memorials, to have a picnic, or to play frisbee with the kids.

Fort Dupont Park www.nps.gov/fodu

One of Washington's largest parks, Fort Dupont offers 376 acres of wooded land, which serve as a friendly haven for picnics, nature walks, and various outdoor sports. Although the Civil War fort itself is no more, earthworks and an explanatory plaque mark the former site. Runaway slaves found safety within its walls; Dupont was one of sixty-eight forts encircling Washington in the 1860s.

Today, the grounds feature a sizable garden, a skating rink, and a sports complex, among other amenities. A hiking-biking trail surrounds the park, while an activity center includes workshops and walks led by park rangers, nature studies, and Civil War exhibits. Most presentations are free, but there is a small charge for the ice rink and sports complex activities. Summers feature weekend jazz concerts at an outdoor stage, free to all.

Location and Hours

The park is located between Minnesota and Massachusetts Avenues at Randle Circle. Take the Metro to Potomac Avenue station and transfer to a V4 or V6 bus. The activity center's hours are 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. Monday to Friday, Tuesday through Saturday in the summer. Best to call ahead.

Potomac Park www.nps.gov/nama

Potomac Park consists of the 722 acres of land around the Tidal Basin, surrounding most of the presidential memorials, and it's here that you will find all the lovely Japanese cherry trees. Potomac Park is divided into East Potomac and West Potomac Park.

West Potomac Park includes Constitution Gardens as well as the Vietnam Veterans, Korean War, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials and the reflecting pool. East Potomac Park has picnic grounds, three golf courses, a swimming pool, and biking and hiking trails overlooking the Potomac. At the southern tip of the park is Hains Point, which features ball fields, a golf course, picnic grounds, and The Awakening, the famous sculpture of a giant emerging from underground.

Rock Creek Park www.nps.gov/rocr

Rock Creek Park, established in 1890, is one of the oldest national parks in the country and one of the largest forested urban parks in the United States. The park offers an undisturbed 1,754-acre expanse of urban forest, open fields, and creeks with running water. According to some locals, parts of it are still so wild that you can occasionally see deer in the fall and winter.

The main visitor center is the nature center and planetarium (5200 Glover Road, NW) where much of the information on the history of the park is located. You can view exhibits about the park's wildlife, visit a hands-on discovery center for children, view an observation beehive, and get your kids to participate in many childoriented workshops and activities. The planetarium has many showings: every Wednesday at 4 P.M., “Young Planetarium,” for ages two to ten; or, for the whole family, Saturday and Sunday is “The Night Sky” at 1 P.M. Also on weekends is “Exploring the Universe” at 4 P.M., best for adults and kids over seven. Programs last between forty and sixty minutes. From April through November there are meetings of the National Capital Astronomers, who hold a once-a-month evening stargazing session called “Exploring the Sky.”

The park's grounds contain a wealth of hiking and biking trails, picnic facilities, tennis courts, a skating rink, horseback riding, and a golf course. Call ahead for fees and reservations.

Location and Hours

You can reach Rock Creek Park via public transportation. Take the Metro Red Line to Friendship Heights, then transfer to E2 bus, which should take you to the intersection of Glover and Military Roads.

The park is open seven days a week during daylight hours. The nature center and planetarium are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. The Old Stone House is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. These features are all closed New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Admission to the planetarium is free, but you must pick up tickets at the nature center in advance.

The Discovery Creek Children's Museum www.discoverycreek.org

Located in the only remaining one-room schoolhouse in Washington D.C., this children's museum's focus is on interacting with nature, since it lies in the beautiful Glen Echo Park. The museum's events change seasonally, especially since so much of the program is based on interacting with nature.

Location and Hours

The children's museum is located on MacArthur Boulevard. Take the D6 Metrobus to Silbey Hospital, and get off at the intersection of MacArthur and Ashby Avenues. You can tour the school-house on Saturday and Sunday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. and on Sunday from noon to 3 P.M. Admission is $5, $3 for seniors, and free for children under two.

Theodore Roosevelt Island www.theodoreroosevelt.org/modern/trisland.htm

Roosevelt Island is a memorial to the conservation efforts of President Teddy Roosevelt. Soon after his death in 1919, a memorial association was put together to purchase the ninety-one-acre island for this purpose.

Roosevelt Island is one of the locals' favorite places to picnic and just enjoy the wooded outdoors. There are a number of trails through the marsh, swamp, and forest where visitors can see birds and small mammals. There is also an outdoor memorial with a statue of Roosevelt, with quotes about his conservation beliefs. You can also rent canoes at Thompson Boat Center.

Location and Hours

The park is open seven days a week during daylight hours. The nearest Metro station is Rosslyn (Blue or Orange Line). Get off there, then walk across the pedestrian bridge at Rosslyn Circle. By car, take the George Washington Memorial Parkway exit north from the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.