Traveling With a Dog: Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia
The trip that I will be talking about in this article is one of my favorite trips that I’ve ever taken Reese on. She’s been to Washington, D.C. before this trip, and I will mention spots from that in “Extra Stops,” but on this particular trip, we went to five different parks, and it was so fascinating.
Reese and I go on an annual trip to Washington, D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, but since we go every year, I don’t want to continuously follow the same itinerary, since we will eventually get bored. Instead, I try to find new things around the D.C. area that Reese would like, and this year, we decided to stay for four days total and go to all the B.A.R.K. Ranger parks in the area.
If you don’t know what the B.A.R.K. Ranger program is, it is a program similar to the Junior Ranger program at National Park Sites, where dogs can collect tags. Through this program, dog owners are taught to bag their dogs' poop, keep their dogs on a leash, respect wildlife, and know where their dogs are allowed before going on trails or entering parks.
Many parks around D.C. have the B.A.R.K. Ranger program, and it was our goal to go to all of them, which ended up being so fun, but also really informative. Through this article, you will learn where to stay with your dog, which parks best suit your dog's lifestyle, and at the end, we have created a day-by-day itinerary for you to follow for easy traveling!
Reese at Tru by Hilton Ashburn One Loudoun.
Where to Stay
This hotel is my favorite hotel that I have ever stayed at, and I stay there every single time I go to D.C. with Reese – the Tru by Hilton Ashburn One Loudoun. Now, if you are a frequent reader of these guides and itineraries, you know my deal with Tru by Hilton, which is that I love them. Reese and I only stay in Tru by Hiltons when we travel because they are dog-friendly, clean, almost always have free parking, and have free breakfast.
I am someone who likes a very clean and modern hotel room, and when I first stayed at a Tru by Hilton about four years ago, I was immediately hooked. I love that all the hotels look the same, so I never have to be surprised, and I have never had an experience that made me want to not come back. Tru by Hilton Ashburn One Loudoun, though, is by far my favorite.
Location-wise, it is placed in a complex with apartment complexes, a movie theater, restaurants, and shops aplenty. I love the options this location gives me because I don’t have to survive off fast food when I stay here, since I can go into the Trader Joe’s, or I can order food online and run into a restaurant and pick it up. When it comes to traveling with Reese, I don’t ever leave her alone in the hotel room, so this hotel gives me so many options, and I don’t have to drive far to get to them – I can just walk!
If you stay at a Hilton hotel, I recommend signing up for a free Hilton Honors account and gaining points for each of your stays. Dogs through this hotel typically got $50-75, but I think it is completely worth it for the convenience, cleanliness, friendliness of staff, and overall experience. I already have my next stay at Tru by Hilton Ashburn One Loudoun booked, and I can hardly wait.
Where to Go
Now for the activities! Since I can guarantee you will be well rested on your trip, don’t be afraid to get in some extra steps and activities. During this trip, Reese hiked a little under 12 miles, minus her time in D.C.! This is very easy to adjust if your dog is looking for something a little lighter, as you can look up the mentioned parks and check for their easiest trails. In this itinerary, all trails suggested are ranked easy on AllTrails+, but their lengths may be harder for some. To speak to what I know, I will only be writing about the hikes that we did.
Reese at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Day 1 - Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
After driving in from where we live, we had time to go to one park, and I chose Wolf Trap since it is a very short drive from the hotel. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a B.A.R.K. Ranger tag here since the Ranger station was under construction, but they were kind enough to send us a tag later on! Here, Reese did the Wolf Trap Loop Trail (2.5 miles - easy), and it was the perfect trail to do after a long drive. This trail is very easy, and if you keep moving, it will take you less than an hour and a half. It is mostly just woods; there is no overlook or major site to see, but it is very peaceful and a great park to visit since it is the only park dedicated to supporting performing arts!
Reese at the Cherry Blossom Festival in 2024.
Day 2 - Washington, D.C.
On the second day of our trip, we headed into D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival and made our way around the Washington Monument and Tidal Basin. My favorite part of this is always the Tidal Basin, as it is simply gorgeous any time of the year, but with the cherry blossoms falling with the breeze, it is breathtaking. I love going on this trail with Reese as well, since she always has so much fun going on the long walk. The walk around the Tidal Basin is a little longer than two miles, and if you walk to your other attractions, that’s just added steps! Depending on the weather, make sure to check if your dog is keeping up well, since it can be pretty hot in March and April. During your time at the Tidal Basin, there will be many vendors as well, and Reese always picks up a Cherry Blossom protector pin as well as a badge if they are available! (And please, actually protect the cherry blossoms. Don’t rip off branches, no matter how small.)
Reese at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens.
Day 3 - Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens and Great Falls Park
After a day out in the city for day two of this trip, we were ready to return to a bit more nature during day three. Our first stop was at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, where we went on a 3-mile walk around the aquatic gardens and then started the biking and walking trail into the forest. The park entrance was stunning by itself, but the gardens really were wonderful to look at. There were so many turtles, and though we weren’t there at the right time for the water lilies, they were so interesting to learn about. I had never seen so many lily pads before, either, so I was fascinated. This park was more crowded than Wolf Trap, but everyone seemed to be on the same page of wanting to relax, so there was no overwhelming noise. Their Visitor Center is also small, but very cute, and worth checking out to learn about the local animals and plants!
Reese at Great Falls Park.
After stopping at Tropical Smoothie Cafe to get something to eat (this will not be on the itinerary), we headed over to Great Falls Park. When we were there, the Visitor Center was under construction, but I believe the B.A.R.K. Ranger tag for this park is generic and you need to pay for it, so I would say it is optional, but do as you please! The trail we chose was the River Trail Mini Loop (2 miles - easy), which allowed us to see three different views of the falls and get in a good hike. On this trail, I would recommend making sure to wear sneakers, as it was very rocky, and to see some of the viewpoints, you do have to step up on rocks.
This park also has an entrance fee, and the parking lot is big, but it seems as though a lot of people come here to celebrate or picnic, as the parking lot was closed on and off due to being full while we were there. I would say it is worth it, but the trail is more of a hike than a walk, so I would keep that in mind, as well as the fee and parking, when adding this to your itinerary.
Reese at Monocacy National Battlefield with her B.A.R.K. Ranger tag.
Day 4 - Monocacy National Battlefield and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
After sadly checking out of our hotel, we headed over to Monocacy National Battlefield for a morning hike through history. To start, I want to mention that the Park Rangers here were so friendly, were amazing with Reese, and gave us so much information about the park. We were some of the only people there, and I was glad that we were because that made it even more relaxing. Reese had the option between a bandana and a tag, and we chose the tag, but she was also given a certificate from the Park Ranger before they answered all the park-based questions we had gathered on our walk.
We chose to do the Junction Trail (2.3 miles - easy), but we added on some of the Best Farm Trail to see the Best’s house and farm. If you have any interest in history at all, especially around the Civil War, I would definitely come here, but even if you are only looking to hike, I would still come here, as the trails were so clean and easy to follow while enjoying the general view.
Reese at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Our last stop of the trip was at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Now, what we didn’t know going into this was that you have to take a bus to get down to the town at the bottom of the hill, and dogs aren’t allowed on the bus. The Visitor Center is in the lower town, and I wanted to get Reese a B.A.R.K. Ranger tag, so I went on the bus down there, and it is definitely worth going down to see. The town was unlike anything I had ever seen before; it was essentially a museum. All the buildings were made to look like the historical town, and they all gave information about the history of how people used to live there. Even entering the Visitor Center, it felt like I had gone back in time with the creaking floorboards and all wooden interiors. It was awesome.
Since Reese wasn’t able to come onto the bus, we stayed at the top and did the Murphy-Chambers Farm Loop Trail (2 miles - easy), which was a really interesting trail anyways, with a lot of informational signage along the path. Even with it being a two-mile trail, it took us less than one hour. There is a great overlook of the Shenandoah River that is really nice to sit by and enjoy; you just have to go to River Vista. Unfortunately, right before we finished this trail, it started to pour, so we had to run back to the car and got absolutely soaked.
We then drove down to the lower town so my mom could see what it looked like, and it was then that I saw that there was, in fact, parking down there. Now, I’m not sure how available this parking is for everyday people and not workers, but it is worth looking into if you are like us and taking your dog down. Another option is for the driver to drive the other person and the dog to the lower town, drop them off, drive back up and park, and then take the bus back down to the lower town. Only we knew it was going to rain soon, and the bus takes a while, so this wasn’t really an option for us due to timing. I hope it is for you, though, because Harpers Ferry was phenomenal, and I would have loved to spend more time there!
Reese and I at the White House in 2024.
Extra Stops
And just like that, your time in Washington, D.C. and Virginia is over. During our stay, there are many places I go that I look forward to that aren’t dog-related activities, and most revolve around food.
As I mentioned before, I love Tru by Hilton Ashburn One Loudoun, and that’s because of the easy access to restaurants around it. I seem to never have time to pack snacks before a trip, but when I come here, I don’t have to. There is a Trader Joe’s right next to this shopping complex, and I love to stop in there and get enough snacks for the whole trip.
Because we are on the move, going from park to park, I love either packing snacks or meals from nearby restaurants. My favorites are Nandos and sweetgreen. I don’t have either option around me, so when I am here, I love grabbing these to go and packing them to have later. One year, I even packed a bowl from sweetgreen and ate it on a hill on the Tidal Basin, and it is one of my favorite memories just sitting with Reese and having a mini picnic.
There are a lot more options than these in the plaza and plazas around the hotel, so I would definitely recommend using this to your advantage when it comes to having dinner as well as packing lunch.
Other places I have taken Reese include Ford’s Theatre, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, The Wharf, and the White House. If you keep Washington, D.C. as its own day while there is no event going on, I suggest walking around and soaking up all the history! There is so much to see, and since so many monuments are even gorgeous to see from the outside, it doesn’t take away from the experience if you aren’t able to go inside, since you have a dog. Washington, D.C. is very walkable, and no matter where you go, you are bound to see a monument or building that catches your eye, whether that’s because of the history or the architecture.
Full Itinerary
Everyone’s trips look different and can be adjusted to best fit their furry companion, but I hope this gave a base outline for a great trip by itself! For our full itinerary, including driving time, please see below. We hope to see you on our next trip!
To keep up with our adventures, you can follow Reese or me on Instagram. For more dog-friendly travel, check out our article Traveling With a Dog: New River Gorge National Park here!
