Rock Creek Park is a 1,755-acre forested valley that runs north-south through the western part of Washington DC, separating Georgetown and Adams Morgan from the quieter residential neighbourhoods to the northwest. It is a surprisingly wild place to find in a major city: wooded trails, a creek, wildlife including deer and foxes, and enough tree cover to feel genuinely remote from the surrounding city.
The park has 32 miles of hiking trails, extensive mountain bike trails, picnic areas, a horse centre, and a nature centre with planetarium. Beach Drive through the park is closed to cars on weekends, making it popular with cyclists and rollerbladers. The National Zoo is at the park's southern end. For Washingtonians, the park is a daily resource — a place to run, walk the dog, or simply sit under trees, which no amount of monuments and museums can provide.