Theodore Roosevelt Island Swamp Trail Hiking Guide
Theodore Roosevelt Island sits in the Potomac near Key Bridge and belongs to Washington, DC, yet the only way to reach it by land is from Virginia. The Swamp Trail circles the island through swampy woods, past a cattail marsh and over a boardwalk that is one of the city's better birding spots. It is short, nearly flat and open from early morning to late evening.
A DC Island With Virginia Parking
To put it plainly: the trail is in the District, but the parking lot and the footbridge are on the Virginia shore. Drivers can reach the lot only from the northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway, turning right after Memorial Bridge. It has about 90 spaces; the Park Service says it fills on weekends but usually turns over within 15 minutes, and Park Police ticket cars left on the grass. On foot it is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Rosslyn Metro: head toward Key Bridge, take the connecting trail down from its downstream side and cross the parkway into the lot.
The Loop
The Park Service gives the Swamp Trail as 1.5 miles, the island's longest; Hiking Project measures 1.4 miles with about 29 feet of climbing. The surface is part pea gravel, part boardwalk. Cross the footbridge, turn either way and keep the river beside you. The short Woods Trail, a third of a mile, cuts through the middle to the memorial plaza with its statue and fountains, and the three-quarter-mile Upland Trail runs the length of the island.
A Designed Landscape
It looks wild but was built. The Park Service explains that the Olmsted Brothers firm and Civilian Conservation Corps crews cleared, graded and replanted the 88.5-acre island, and each trail is named for the habitat it crosses. The agency also notes the island once held a camp for African Americans who had escaped slavery and was where the first United States Colored Troops trained.
Rules on the Island
Bicycles aren't allowed on the island; racks wait at the footbridge. Swimming in the Potomac around it is banned, and the park will ticket anyone entering the river from park land. Dogs can come on a six-foot maximum leash, though not on ranger-led programs, and owners are asked to carry waste home. There are no picnic tables, but benches line the boardwalk and the plaza.
Seasons and Hours
The island is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Park Service warns that summer highs often top 90 degrees with afternoon thunderstorms, and winter nights fall near freezing, when the boardwalk gets especially slick in snow. Spring floods can close parts of the Swamp Trail. Some 160,000 people visit each year, so an early start buys a quieter loop.
Hiking tips for Theodore Roosevelt Island Swamp Trail
- Drive in only from the northbound GW Parkway; there is no southbound entrance.
- Walk over from Rosslyn Metro if the lot is full on a weekend.
- Lock bikes at the racks by the footbridge.
- Carry water in summer and head back if thunderstorms build.
- Bring binoculars for herons and warblers along the boardwalk.
Nearby trails to explore
- Glover-Archbold Trail
- National Arboretum Figure-Eight Loop
- Boulder Bridge Loop (Rock Creek Park)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Theodore Roosevelt Island is an easy group meetup with Metro close by. Post a walk on TrailMates, agree on the Rosslyn meeting point or the parking plan in the event's group chat, and loop the island together. Get TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.