5 ways to get outdoors in Washington DC

America’s big decisions are made indoors in Washington, but the great outdoors might be DC’s best-kept secret. The capital’s distinct landscape is ready-made for a variety of activities, from riverside yoga classes to biking through the 1,700-acre Rock Creek Park. DC’s an energetic open-air playground just waiting to be explored. 

The Wharf’s dynamic waterside is perfect for a restorative Sunday morning. Underneath DC’s bright summer sun, yoga sessions run on Transit Pier between June and August and these slow poses are beneficial for both physical and mental health. You’ll need to book ahead and bring your own mat, but there are few better ways of kicking off your day. And with The Wharf’s superb bistros and cafes lining the waterfront, there’s no shortage of spots for a great healthy breakfast or brunch afterwards.  

You can also take to the yoga mat in front of the iconic Lincoln Memorial. It’s a great way to meet DC locals and also soak up the iconic setting from a unique perspective.

Once an outdoor playground for 26th President and passionate conservationist Theodore Roosevelt, Rock Creek Park is a 11.4-square-kilometre expanse with 51km of hiking trails. Its serpentine asphalt trails are also ideal for a breezy bike ride, whether on a warm summer morning or rolling through an autumnal blast of red and gold. An urban oasis twice the size of New York’s Central Park, it also has room for a golf course, tennis courts and even horse riding.  

Continue the exploration at Rock Creek by going inside and learning about the stars above at the park’s own planetarium. In fact, Rock Creek is the only national park with an on-site planetarium and its park rangers lead free presentations inside an intimate domed theatre covering all things astronomy, the solar system and the night sky. And when the weather warms up between April and November, the rangers head back into the elements and lead outdoor night sky viewing programmes using telescopes.

The Wharf isn’t only a great spot for yoga, it’s also the starting point for some sublime water adventures along the Washington Channel and out into the mighty Potomac River. Kayaks are available from The Wharf Boathouse on Recreation Pier, and tours and classes are a fine way of exploring DC’s waterways as a group or for the first time. And if it’s not your first rodeo, then you can gear up, hit the water and rent by the hour.

With the largest collection of ornate Russian imperial art outside Russia (including two Fabergé eggs), staying indoors at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is enticing. But those sheltered gardens are also wonderful for a spot of what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku – forest bathing. A slow-paced way of promoting health and well-being, it’s a soothing stroll through Hillwood Estate’s quiet trees and canopies with gentle activities designed for sensory engagement and connecting with nature through the sounds, smells, textures and sights of the serene forest.

Produced in partnership with Washington, DC & Visit the USA