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This guide is for people who go giddy outside. As someone who loves to hike like there’s no

tomorrow, whether it’s backpacking in America’s most awesome national parks and wilderness areas, or exploring the civilized streets, greenspace and historic core of some far-flung city, I find there’s invariably as much to enjoy in the journey, that is, in the walking, as there is in the destination. The nation’s capital is no exception. In fact, when it comes to America’s urban outdoors, I can think of no better place for itchy feet than Washington’s big outside.

It’s no mystery that the nation’s capital is a city of stunning architecture, expansive parks, outstanding museums, iconic memorials and monuments, and vignettes of American history seemingly hidden or commemorated under every rock and tree. Somewhat less conspicuous are the countless connections to the people and cultural traditions from around the globe that have contributed immensely to the American story. Thus a stroll around the National Mall, from one amazing landmark to the next, is truly a world-class experience.

But the good stuff doesn’t stop there. Areas that loosely surround the Mall, like Capitol Hill, Chinatown, Dupont Circle, Embassy Row, Rock Creek Park,

Georgetown, the Potomac and Anacos-tia Rivers and beyond—areas I like to think of as the "National Nearby"—are also rich with sights and surprises that offer easy, fulfilling additions to any footster’s itinerary.

Together, the National Mall and National Nearby form the core of the American capital and a perfect stomping ground for urban treks. Over 90 miles’ worth are described and mapped in this guide, including a 12-mile grand circuit centered on downtown D.C. and the National Mall that I’ve audaciously dubbed as a "a national jaunt." Seriously, if we can have a National Zoo, National Cathedral, National Arboretum, National Symphony, National Airport, National Christmas Tree and a Nationals baseball team, why not, in this fantabulous foot-loose-friendly city, a National Jaunt?

While the Jaunt itself is an ambitious 12-mile loop around the National Mall and National Nearby, it’s also organized around four shorter loops, or seven bite-

sized sections, for those less inclined to knock out a half-mara-thon of walking in a day. The point is to keep it fun and rewarding, with a mild to energetic workout tossed in for good mea-sure. If a one-day half-marathon (13.1 miles) sounds tanta-

lizing, a couple of extra mini-loops are suggested for those who’d like to give that extra milestone a try. The various options are described and mapped beginning on page 34.

In addition to the Jaunt, this guide

Street vendor at Eastern Market, Capitol Hill.

$ Introduction

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weaves a web of interconnecting walks and hikes from the Mall to the Nearby, including excellent urban treks along the banks of the Potomac and Anacostia Riv-ers; historic loops through Georgetown, Capitol Hill and Old Town Alexandria just across the water; scenic saunters around Chinatown, Dupont Circle, Embassy Row, Adams Morgan and across Key Bridge into Arlington, Virginia; a few treks on some wilder trails in Rock Creek Park and elsewhere; and several short scurries between Metro stations (the subway). The Metro system, by the way, is almost always the quickest and easiest way to get around the city (see Getting Around D.C., p. 24).

Given so many choices, the hard part may be deciding where to begin. Well, that’s really what this book is about. Browse the tables on p. 5 and 103 to narrow the choices, or begin with the Jaunt on p. 39 and see where it takes you. As explained later, the Navy Memo-rial on Pennsylvania Avenue—"America’s

Main Street"—offers an optimal starting point for the grand circuit.

Residents and new arrivals to the Mid-Atlantic region might want to hike each route over a season or two, just to become better acquainted with the geography of this extraordinary, though in some ways, underappreciated city. Washington, D.C., after all, is about much more than politics and monuments.

First-time visitors, on the other hand, could spend Day 1 aimlessly running around the Mall, arms waving, scream-ing for joy. Once you catch your breath and ease off on the throttle a little, you can begin to get a better sense of it all, and maybe, by jaunting the Jaunt, see some of what you missed the first time. (See tips for visitors on p. 22-24.)

If you love the outdoors and go giddy like I do discovering new places, then I hope this guide helps you engineer a footloose frenzy of your own in D.C.’s eminently jauntable outdoors.

—Ken Wilcox

Constitution Gardens.

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A National JauntEvery year, millions of visitors from

every state and countless nations across the globe come to experience America’s national capital. With so much to see in Washington, D.C., the choices can be both thrilling and daunting, especially to first-time visitors.

Some may be satisfied to catch a glimpse of the five “majors,” the points of the compass, so to speak, centered on the Washington Monument: Lincoln Memorial (west), the U.S. Capitol (east), the White House (north) and Jefferson Memorial (south), along with a quick tour of a few museums. Others might spend weeks (or years) intent on seeing it all, including the parks, trails, plazas, waterfront areas and gardens, thereby adding some grassy green to all the red, white and blue.

Whatever your intentions, it helps to have a game plan. The Jaunt is one such plan. This isn’t to say that aimless wandering doesn’t have its rewards, but so does a little trip planning over a map and a cup of joe. To get you started, overview maps of the Jaunt are pro-vided inside the front and back covers. The more detailed maps and directions begin on p. 38.

The Jaunt weaves a highly walkable course through the best of D.C. You set the pace. Avid hikers who enjoy a challenge may want to dive in and knock it out as one continuous circuit in a day or two. Or you can tackle the seven bite-sized sections or four smaller loops one at a time to better fit your interests or time available. Shorter and longer alternatives are described, as well as shortcuts back to the Mall or to the nearest Metro Station, in the event you need to bail out midway.

The Jaunt passes near ten Metro stations and countless bus stops, including those of the new D.C. Circu-lator route serving Union Station and the National Mall. So it’s easy to begin or resume your adventure at almost any point along the way.

As noted, the Jaunt as one big loop is a dozen miles long. That’s about five to six hours of walking at a moderate pace, stopping only for traffic, or eight to ten-plus hours at a more leisurely pace. The four smaller loops cover essentially the same ground and vary in length from about two to four miles each, or one to three hours of walking to complete each loop. (The extra bit of walking needed to close each loop adds 2.7 miles, which bumps the total, if you do them all, to 14.7 miles.)

To combine the walking with more extended sightseeing and carousing about the museums, monuments and the multitude of attractions (and distractions) surrounding the Mall, a good strategy may be to go at it loop-by-loop or section-by-section, stopping to

Jefferson Memorial.

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browse, laze or explore when something piques your interest. Again, the options are summarized on p. 34 and 103, and directions are provided for each poten-tial starting point.

If you’re not the consummate “out-doorsy” type, not to worry. The terrain is gentle around much of D.C., including the Mall, and the walking is always relaxed, as well as kid and adult-friendly. Nearly all of the routes described are ADA-accessible, with alternates noted so that wheelchair hikers and others can avoid the occasional steps and stairs. Some restrooms and water fountains are noted, except for the obvious ones in-side museums and the like. Rest benches and shady spots are widely available for pausing to watch the world go by.

As you explore beautiful Washington, D.C., do carry along a pocketful of com-mon sense. Employ due caution around thunderstorms, busy traffic and those proverbial dark alleys, of course, and safeguard your valuables, as you would in any city. While there is relatively little to worry about crime-wise in the areas described, it never hurts to keep an eye out for the unexpected. A few basic safety tips are provided on p.29.

As noted on the Contents page, use this guide at your own risk! The author accepts no responsibility for wrong turns, stubbed toes, sunburned faces, lost parents, temporary security or construction closures, delayed Metro trains, parking tickets, jaywalkers, goose droppings, ice cream dribbles, acts of Congress or sudden dizziness caused by acute wonderment.

As a nifty new guide, it’s possible something important or useful could be missing, so feel free to share any burning thoughts with the author. Corrections and suggestions are always welcome (see p. 2).

Walkable D.C.With the population of D.C. now

above 650,000 and surrounding parts of Maryland and Virginia boosting the metro area to more than six million, it’s a good thing we all aren’t driving cars everywhere. Especially during the commute, when several hundred thou-sand Virginians and Marylanders head into D.C. for work each day. Amazingly, another 20 million visitors from afar also find their way into D.C. annually.

Counting visitors and residents, the National Mall sees 25 million visits a year. And an astounding 28 million (including repeat customers), walk through the doors of the Smithsonian museums—fortunately, not all at the same time. Thanks to the early work and big ideas of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the master designer of our spacious U.S. capital, there’s plenty of room to roam, both within and around the Mall.

And lucky for us, Washington, D.C.,

Pennsylvania Avenue.

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is a highly walkable city. In fact, it’s consistently rated as one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in America. More than a third of D.C. households don’t even own a car. It helps that the setting is rather magnificent and the Metro stations are nicely spaced, but wander a bit and you’ll soon notice how easy and enjoyable it is to move around the city on two feet. It doesn’t matter much whether you amble, ramble, strut, stroll or gavot, D.C. is one of those plac-es where it just feels good to be upright and mobile.

In D.C. proper, you’ll generally find comfortably wide sidewalks, pleasant surroundings and a cool city vibe from downtown to uptown to Georgetown, with sufficient wads of greenspace, plazas, sculptures, statues, fountains, historical sites, murals, contemporary urban art (we could use more of that) and stunning architecture scattered throughout. Barrier-free facilities are commonplace and obstructions can be easily avoided in most areas. Or check out the wilder parts of the city

via the extensive trail systems at Rock Creek Park, along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and beyond. Add to that the seasonal foot ferries, or water taxis, leading from D.C. to abundantly walkable Old Town Alexandria just across the Potomac River, or National Harbor located downriver on the Maryland side.

This is not to say that the city planners and sidewalk engineers have achieved mobility perfection and can all retire now, but we can certainly celebrate our metropolitan walkability. We still have our fair share of up-turned bricks on quaint, old sidewalks, trails that need work, and a few too many Walk/Don’t Walk signs on timers that defy all logic, but I’m confident the experts will sort it all out in due time.

In a city where the great indoors—the art galleries, Smithsonian museums, the U.S. Capitol, the monuments and the rest—can be downright humbling, there’s also a big outside here well worth the rambling. For most of us, the place to begin is on the National Mall.

Canine pals out for a morning stroll.

Potomac Heritage Trail.