George Washington Memorial Parkway · VA
Swamp Trail
Live · updated
Today
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Today's best: hiking
Beginning Monday, May 18 and continuing until Friday, June 26, the ramps to and from Southbound Washington Blvd and Boundary Channel Dr will be closed Monday through Friday, from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for construction work. Crews will be replacing damaged guardrails along the ramps.
Temporary Closure of the Clara Barton Parkway Right Lane at Site 17, wooded areas between C&O Canal and Lock 10 parking lot, north to Lock 14, required to address ongoing safety concerns from DC Water emergency sanitary sewer overflow & bypass and pipe repair operations. Click on "More" below for specific details on the closure.
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Trail running
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Dog walking
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Score breakdown
- · 81°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − NWS alert active — Check the alert before heading out
- − 42 min of daylight — You need at least 44 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 0.44 mi
- Elevation gain
- 11 ft
- Surface
- dirt
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.9879, -77.2526 — VA.
Park
Part of George Washington Memorial Parkway (official site →).
Park advisories
To get more information about the North Parkway rehabilitation, sign up for our newsletter.
The park is actively working to inspect road surfaces and repair potholes. To report a pothole or initiate a tort claim for personal property damage associated with a pothole, please e-mail GWMP_Superintendent@nps.gov.
Beginning on Monday, November 17, 2025, expect intermittent traffic impacts at GWMP. This Bridge and pavement preservation work is expected to extend into the Fall of 2026 and will make repairs to 24 GWMP bridges and over 30 paved roads and parking assets. To minimize traffic impacts, weekday lane closures on George Washington Memorial Parkway, Clara Barton Parkway, and Spout Run Parkway will NOT be allowed inbound to DC from 5:30am to 9:30am and outbound from DC from 2:30pm to 7:30pm Monday through Friday.
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Swamp Trail?
Swamp Trail is a 0.44-mile route with 11 feet of elevation gain. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Swamp Trail?
Swamp Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Swamp Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Swamp Trail is in George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.