Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

This 361 acre wooded park was once home to an earthen fort built to protect Washington, DC, during the Civil War. Today, visitors can see the fort's earthworks and escape to the great outdoors. Activities include picnics, nature walks, biking, gardening, environmental education, music, and ranger-led programs.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Live Music
  • Biking
  • Mountain Biking
  • Food
  • Picnicking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching

Plan your visit

Hours

Fort Dupont Park: Open: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily

Lanham Estates Picnic Area Gates: Lanham Estates Picnic Area is open daily for pedestrian access from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and for vehicle access through gated areas from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; gates are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Getting there

Fort Dupont Park is located in Southeast Washington, DC, east of the Anacostia River. It is not near Dupont Circle. The closest metro rail stops are Potomac Avenue and Minnesota Avenue on the orange line, Benning Road on the blue line. Fort Dupont Park is served by several Metrobus routes. The most direct buses are the V7 and U2 buses on weekdays, or the V8 bus on weekends.

Weather

Open in all weather, unless otherwise noted under the alerts section of the parks website.

Phone: 771-208-1571

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

A wild turkey
Wild Turkeys at Fort Dupont · NPS
Large crowd sitting on blankets and in folding chairs in front of an outdoor stage
2022 Fort Dupont Summer Event Series · NPS / Lucas Cruz

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