Field Trips: National Arboretum

We’ll take it slow as we tour the The United States National Arboretum for our August field trip.  This 446 acre park is impossible to cover in a single visit, but it always has something to see if you slow down.  The park has landscapes, wild flowers, gardens, museums, and more.  You can walk the park, hop from trail to trail in your car, or stalk the scenery as you cruise the many winding roads of the park all from the comfort of your air conditioned car.

We’ll start our tour at the visitor’s center.  Ignoring the obvious signs of renovation and construction occurring around the building at this time, the pond and nearby gardens across the street will offer plenty of opportunities for more intimate subjects.  Working South the landscape begins to open with unique framing and landscape opportunities.  You’ll have the option of taking the paved road along Ellipse Rd NE (East of the Columns) or the dirt path through the field to the Capitol Columns.  Both paths offer different compositions with either fields of grass or leading lines in the foreground.  We’ll stay and study the columns for more shots before returning to the visitor’s center.  

When 10am approaches, the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum opens for more intimate views.  You can also return to your car and drive South, past the Columns, to the Fern Valley parking lot.  The Fern Valley (North of the parking lot) offers year round wildflower blossoms and the nearby Youth Garden (just before the parking lot) will have butterflies fluttering about in their butterfly garden.

The park is enormous.  Going inside the visitor’s center to interview the ranger on what to see should also be considered.  

Equipment:

• Bring your landscape and macro lenses.  A 12-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, or macro lenses can all be used depending on your creativity as you stroll the park.  
• Never leave home without a polarizer.  Consider packing an ND filter as well if you don’t want people in your landscapes.
• Tripods are welcome in the park with the obvious precautions.  Keep the tripod out of the gardens and don’t block narrow passages.
• The weather will be hot and humid.  Bring a hat, sunscreen, and comfortable hiking shoes.  Benches litter the park and provide welcome resting spots.  The visitor’s center, which opens at 8am has restrooms.  The gift shop across the street opens at 10am and also has restrooms.  Port-a-poties are available, but they are few scattered throughout the park.

When:

Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 13, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Where:

The park will not open gates until exactly 8am.  Take your time and find a parking spot near the entrance after the gates open and we’ll wait for you at the traffic circle in front of the visitor’s center.

Directions:

2400 R St NE, 

Washington, DC 20002

If you cannot join us for this field trip, maybe our other offering this month to the Montgomery County Fair will better suit your schedule and or desires.

Rena Schild and Steven Glintz

Field Trip Coordinators 2022-2023
(If you need to contact the coordinators click on Board Contacts, then click on the link next to field-trips.)

* Photographs courtesy Steven Glintz and Rena Schild