News Release

Learn about the plan to improve Rock Creek Park’s Nature Center complex

Date: March 18, 2019
Contact: Dana Dierkes, 202-895-6222

Calling all visitors, neighbors and fans of Rock Creek Park! The National Park Service (NPS) invites you to review and share feedback on a plan to improve the Rock Creek Park Nature Center complex in upper Northwest Washington, D.C. The Nature Center complex includes the Nature Center and planetarium, horse center, maintenance area, picnic areas 13 and 14, and a network of pedestrian pathways and trails.

Learn about the plan and offer feedback at our open house on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center (5200 Glover Road NW, Washington, D.C., 20015). You can also submit comments online or by mail.

The proposed plan/Environmental Assessment (plan/EA) describes three alternatives for the Nature Center complex. The NPS preferred alternative includes the following improvements:
 

• Redesigning the Nature Center to improve accessibility, increase spaces for visitors and large groups, create a protected outdoor classroom space and address flooding issues.
• Improving the Horse Center by repairing riding surfaces within the indoor riding ring and outdoor turnouts, constructing two new horse turnouts and adding public viewing areas and educational exhibits.
• Improving pedestrian connections by constructing new paved paths and unpaved trails near the Nature Center.
• Repairing current paths and providing new directional signs.
• Repairing the picnic shelter and constructing restrooms at picnic area #13.
• Upgrading the planetarium by increasing accessibility, improving the dome to allow for better resolution of planetarium projections and installing new seats, lighting and electrical and HVAC systems.
• Relocating the historic Miller Cabin from its current location in a floodplain near the east bank of Rock Creek, to picnic area #14.
• Rehabilitating maintenance buildings to improve functionality for park maintenance operations.
   

How to read the plan and comment:
The NPS welcomes your feedback and suggestions as we move forward with this project. The plan/EA are available online through the Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) system from March 18, 2019 to April 18, 2019. Please submit written comments online through PEPC or mail comments by April 18, 2019 to the following address:

Superintendent
Rock Creek Park
Attn: Rock Creek Park DCP
3545 Williamsburg Lane NW
Washington, DC 20008
 
Please note: Before including an address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment including your personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.