Milkhouse Ford Hike

Milkhouse Ford was paved to facilitate automobile travel in 1904. The ford was closed in 1995.

NPS Photo/ K. Cain

For your convenience, this trail is blazed with yellow tape wrapped around signposts.
 

Directions from the Nature Center:

• Walk straight out the front door along the paved path past the Edge of the Woods Trail sign to where the trail forks right. Bear right. This is the Western Ridge Trail. Follow it towards Boundary Bridge.
• Cross Military Road. (Press button and wait for signal first.)
• Continue straight for 250 feet. The paved path will go slightly up the hill.
• Turn right at the outdoor exhibit about Fort DeRussy. This is a six-foot tall sign with information about Fort DeRussy, NOT the smaller sign on the corner in the open field that says "Fort DeRussy."
• In 100 feet, go straight to stay on the dirt trail. Do not stay on the paved path. The earthen walls of Fort DeRussy will soon be on your left.
• After the fort, continue down the trail. You will be descending into the Rock Creek Valley. Use caution as the trail can get slippery.
• Veer to the left when you get to the bottom of the hill. There is a tree trunk that is split on either side of the trail to allow people to pass near the trail intersection. Do not go towards the Military Road overpass.
• Hike along the creek (up-stream) for ¼ -mile and look for a two-room log cabin across Rock Creek. Joaquin Miller, an eccentric poet, lived in this cabin in another part of the city—Meridian Hill—in the 1880s. It was moved to Rock Creek Park to preserve it in the early 1900s.
• Just north of the cabin, look for an old road that runs into the creek. This is Milkhouse Ford. First paved in 1904, people used to drive through the creek—a major thoroughfare at one time—until the 1990s.
  
  For the health and safety of visitors and their pets, swimming and wading in Rock Creek Park is not permitted.
• Walk up the old roadbed (away from the creek) for about 100 feet. The Cross Trail will be on your left.
• Follow the tributary up the gentle slope. Archeological evidence along this trail indicates that it may be 5,000 years old and one of the oldest in the park. Originally used by indigenous peoples to ford the creek and access a quarry and spring (which feeds the tributary) the trail was later used by European settlers and was eventually expanded to accommodate wagons. It was later closed and has reverted to a foot trail.
• Turn left on the Western Ridge Trail (green blazes). Follow this paved trail back across Military Road and return to the Nature Center.

Details

Activity

Hiking

This gentle hike passes several historic structures or locations within the park. One side of the loop has a fairly swift change in elevation while the other is more gradual and follows a small tributary of the creek.  

Pets Allowed

Yes

Pets are allowed on trails within Rock Creek Park but must adhere to the B.A.R.K. Ranger Principles. Dogs must always be on a leash within the park. Waste must be carried out and disposed of in trash receptacles.

For more information on B.A.R.K. Ranger visit the Pets section of the National Park Service website.

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Location

Milkhouse Ford

Milkhouse Ford is an old crossing spot on the creek. Fords were places along the creek where water ran low enough for wagons to cross without needing a bridge. Milkhouse Ford was in frequent use and appears on many old maps. It was paved in 1904 to accommodate automobile traffic. Closed in 1995, the ford is still visible but is no longer accessible. The creek contains bacteria, e. coli and algae that is not safe for humans or pets to swim in.  

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

The trail is accessible year round though winter storms may deposit ice and snow on the trail making it difficult to ascend or descend the steeper sections of the trail.

Fort DeRussy and Miller Cabin will be more visible in the late autumn, winter and early spring when there is less vegetation. Please stay off of the earthworks of Fort DeRussy to help preserve them.  

Storms in the spring and summer can cause the creek to rise quickly. It can deposit sand and mud at the fort making the old roadway hazardous. Use caution---do not enter flood waters.

 

Time of Day

Day

Rock Creek Park is only open during daylight hours.

Accessibility Information

Most of the Milkhouse Ford Trail consists of bridle trails roughly six to eight feet in width. If the dirt path past Fort DeRussy seems too steep or impassable due to rains making the gravel loose, the paved multi-use trail is a good alternate choice. Use caution as the steep grade can make the descent challenging. A naturally occurring deposit of sand at the ford can be difficult to pass.