Wolf Trap consists of rolling hills and gently sloping areas that lead to level flood plains and stream valley. Outside the developed areas and the meadow, the park is predominantly wooded. The park also encompasses a pond, parts of two streams, floodplains, meadowland, upland hardwood forest, landscaped cultural areas and impervious paved surfaces.
Did You Know?
As early as the 1820s, free African Americans settled in a community called Vinegar Hill, an area now known as Brightwood. During the Civil War, Fort Stevens was built within Vinegar Hill boundaries and repulsed the only Confederate attack on the District of Columbia.