Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Park Closure Fort Foote Park Closed

The National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of Fort Foote Park. This temporary closure is necessary to provide for visitor safety during a comprehensive rehabilitation project to restore park resources and improve the visitor experience. Work will include resurfacing the parking lot and gravel roadway, replacing parking barriers, removing the abandoned restroom facility and reseeding the area, and replacing trash cans with new wildlife-proof trash cans.

Overview

Fort Foote was constructed in 1863 atop Rozier's Bluff to strengthen the ring of fortifications that encircled Washington, D.C. Two of the Guns that protected Washington are still there along with the remains of the fort's earthworks.

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

  • Hiking

Plan your visit

Hours

Fort Foote Park: The National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of Fort Foote Park. This temporary closure is necessary to provide for visitor safety during a comprehensive rehabilitation project to restore park resources and improve the visitor experience. Work will include resurfacing the parking lot and gravel roadway, replacing parking barriers, removing the abandoned restroom facility and reseeding the area, and replacing trash cans with new wildlife-proof trash cans.

Fort Foote Park Gated Areas: The National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of Fort Foote Park. This temporary closure is necessary to provide for visitor safety during a comprehensive rehabilitation project to restore park resources and improve the visitor experience. Work will include resurfacing the parking lot and gravel roadway, replacing parking barriers, removing the abandoned restroom facility and reseeding the area, and replacing trash cans with new wildlife-proof trash cans.

Getting there

From the Beltway (I495/I95), take Exit 3, Indian Head Highway south (MD210/Indian Head Highway) and drive for approximately 3.5 miles to Old Fort Road. Turn right for 1 mile to Fort Foote Road S, turn left. Follow the winding road through the residential area to entrance sight on the left for the fort. If driving north on MD210/Indian Head Highway turn left onto the 2nd Old Fort Road you come to (Old Fort Rd cross 210 twice). There will be a McDonald's on your left at the correct traffic light.

Weather

Summers are generally hot and humid, with daytime highs frequently above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Please carry water while participating in physical activity and be prepared to take shelter from lightning. Winters are generally cold, with nighttime lows frequently near freezing and occasional snowfall. Weather during spring and fall is generally moderate, but can change quickly.

Phone: 771-208-1536

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 cannon in front of fall leaves.
Fort Foote · NPS / Rachel Hendrix
a small sandy beach with trees
Rozier's Bluff · NPS/Cindy LaBarge
a thin trail through a young forest
Fort Foote River Trail · NPS/ Cindy LaBarge

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