Location: Between Foxhall Road and 42nd Street NW
Readers’ pick: Theodore Roosevelt Island

Just a few minutes from the Mount Vernon Campus sits one of the District’s hidden gems – Glover-Archbold Park.

The heavily forested park occupies more than 183 acres of D.C., leaving you more than enough territory to explore. The main trail is lined with fallen trees, branches, rocks and a small trickling creek – all additions that are bound to bring out the adventurer in anyone who passes through.

You can start your journey through the park at the intersection of 42nd Street and Davis Place NW, where acres of trees will open up to a seemingly endless dirt trail. As you venture deeper into the park, the trail begins to blend in with the surrounding flora, and you’ll be stepping on rocks to cross small streams and using fallen trees like balance beams.

While you may find a handful of locals walking their dogs in the park, the seclusion and vastness of the area mean you likely won’t run into any familiar faces. Glover-Archbold Park’s designation as a National Park also means you won’t have to dodge bikers or scooter riders weaving between individuals on the trail.

The peace and quiet can be used to your advantage if you take some time to explore and find a shady tree, a lonely hill or a spot at the edge of the water to sit down and read a book or meditate.

To get lost in nature for the afternoon, take a trip to the park and bask in tranquility away from Foggy Bottom.