About The Greenbelt National Park

Acquired by the National Park Service in 1950, the Greenbelt National Park is one of the few wooded camping areas actually "inside" the DC Beltway. Located just 12 miles from downtown DC with over 1,176 acres of wilderness - Greenbelt National Park is a unique outdoor oasis featuring affordable camping, day-time picnic areas, hot showers, and bathroom facilities. The GNP can be found online at: http://www.nps.gov/gree/

How To Get To The Greenbelt National Park

From the Capital Beltway take Exit 23 (Route 201) Kenilworth Avenue South to (Route 193) Greenbelt Road East. The park is a quarter mile on the right. The physical address for the Greenbelt National Park is 6565 Greenbelt Road (Route 193).

Once inside the park, following the signs to either the campground or the picnic areas (depending on where you want to go). There is plenty of free parking in the picnic areas. Parking in the campground is limited to no more than two cars per site.

Special Considerations

Wood fires are allowed, but only in the metal grates put there for that purpose. We've always been able to find adequate firewood. Nothing may be attached to any trees. Only two tents, six people, and/or two cars are allowed in any single camp site, which cost $13 per night the last time we were there. The picnic areas close at sunset. There are potable water spigots, bathrooms, showers, dumpsters, and black-top roads throughout the park. Note that the bathrooms sometimes lack a vital ingredient (toilet paper) so you may want to bring your own.

When We've Been There

Earthwise Gyre visited the Greenbelt National Park on Tuesday, September 14, 2004, although most DC Chapter members have been there several times over the years.

Commentary

We've always found GNP a good location for small group outings and picnics. It is by no means primitive (in fact, there is a movie theater, shopping, and restaurants nearby), which can be a good or bad thing depending on the kind of camping you want to do.

Unless you're in the Boy Scouts (any other kind of group tends to confuse the park management) we would not recommend this location for very large gatherings. If you insist on taking a larger group, talk at length with the park headquarters, and then have the same conversation all over again with the park police (the park is patrolled by two different agencies). Even then, be thoroughly prepared for a park official stopping by your site and telling you about some rule or another that runs completely contrary to the arrangements you've already made. But, since this park IS located in the land of big government, this kind of administrative confusions seems somehow appropriate to us.

Otherwise, you can't beat the Greenbelt National Park for convenience and those last-minute-I-gotta-get-out-of-the-house kind of weekend outings. Bring marshmallows.