Fort Dupont Park

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Fort Dupont Park is a wooded park in Washington, D.C., covering about 376 acres. It is managed by the National Park Service. The park’s name comes from an old Civil War earthwork fort inside the park. The fort was built to defend Washington, and today only a few remains exist.

Fort Dupont Park is one of the city’s largest parks and helps protect a part of the Anacostia River watershed. It’s a popular spot for picnics, nature walks, indoor ice skating, mountain biking, gardening, environmental education, music, skating, sports, and ranger-led Civil War programs.

History and management: The park was purchased with help from the Capper-Cramton Act in the 1930s and 1940s. It is connected to nearby national and DC parks, and people often refer to the whole Fort Dupont area as a group of related parks.

Trails and getting around: The main unpaved Fort Circle Hiker-Biker Trail runs through the park for about 10 miles, with several side trails. The Fort Circle itself is a 7-mile route that connects six adjacent Fort Circle Parks around DC and ends near Marvin Gaye Park; it connects to the Marvin Gaye Trail in the north.

Over the years, parts of the Fort Circle Trail were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. The full long loop was never completed. In 2004, the National Park Service updated plans to favor a guided walking greenway instead of a bicycle trail, and similar greenway ideas have not been finished. A 2010 plan suggested greenway connections, but none have been implemented.

Picnic areas: There are three picnic areas that can be reserved for groups; otherwise tables are first-come, first-served.

Fort Dupont fort: The fort was built in 1861–1862 to defend eastern Washington. It was hexagonal with 100-foot sides and had a flagpole, a deep well, officer quarters, and barracks; outside was a guard house. The fort did not fire in battle, but after the Civil War, cannon salutes marked the surrender of the Confederacy.