Rock Creek Park · DC
Western Ridge Trail
One of Rock Creek Park's two main hiking trails, a green-blazed route along the wooded western uplands from the Nature Center. Paired with the Valley Trail it forms the park's classic loop of about 10 miles.
Live · updated
Today
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Today's best: hiking
The turf at Meridian Hill Park is closed through August 17 while we make the park safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Thank you for your patience.
Much of the upper level of the park is closed to rehabilitate the grass. Fountains and the reflecting pool are open but may be turned off or drained occasionally for maintenance. The reflecting pool will undergo repairs June 20-28. Visit the Meridian Hill Park page for more information.
The Nature Center and Planetarium building is closed until further notice due to continued remediation. Check the park's calendar for changes to ranger programs and locations.
Out of an abundance of caution, Fort Totten Park will remain closed east of Fort Totten Drive, south of Gallatin Street/Metropolitan Branch Trail and north of Brookland Ave NE/Farragut St. due to the investigation involving two WWI-era munitions found.
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Trail running
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Score breakdown
- − 86°F air — Above hiking's comfort zone (32–85°F)
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ 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
- − 80 min of daylight — You need at least 220 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 4.49 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1838 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.9777, -77.0472 — DC.
Park
Part of Rock Creek Park (official site →).
Park advisories
We appreciate your patience as we work to remove the sediment from the Meridian Hill Cascading Fountain. The discoloration occurred when two long-unused water lines were brought back online as part of our continuing effort to fine-tune the fountain’s operations. Visitors should begin seeing the fountain’s signature sparkling water again soon.
For visitor safety, the southern end of the Glover Archbold Trail is under an emergency closure until further notice due to aerial hazards. Please follow the posted detour along Foxhall Rd. / 44th St. NW / P St. NW.
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Western Ridge Trail?
Western Ridge Trail is a 4.49-mile route with 1838 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. 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 Western Ridge Trail?
Western Ridge 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 Western Ridge Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Western Ridge Trail is in Rock Creek Park, 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.