Start of the Piscataway Creek Trail

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See the main Hiking Trails web page for a trail map.

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Length: 1.2 miles, round trip
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

The Piscataway Creek Trail is located at a detached section of Piscataway Park near Fort Washington Park. The land became part of Piscataway when the National Park Service purchased the Marshall Hall Amusement Park from Joseph Goldstein in 1974. At the time, Goldstein was planning to expand the amusement park to a Disney-size extravaganza. Goldstein also happened to own the land by Fort Washington and made it part of the deal. There is nothing on the land other than the Fort Washington Marina and the Piscatway Creek Trail, a trail that runs the length of the property, though only part of it is worth hiking.

To reach the trailhead, take Warburton Road, which dead-ends at the marina. Halfway down is a small parking area (2-3 cars max) marked off with concrete barriers and a large bulletin board. This is the parking area for the Piscataway Creek Trail, though nothing identifies the trail or even indicates that this is part of Piscataway Park. However, just a short distance down the trail is a Piscataway Creek Trail information panel with the National Park Service logo and “Piscataway Park” printed on it.

The trail runs along a ridge above Piscataway Creek, which is no creek in my book, but a fairly wide river—creeks are something you can walk across on stepping stones. However, like most river trails in the park, trees block the view for most of the way.

Piscataway Creek Trail runs along its namesake creek

The trail and terrain are completely flat, but about ten minutes into the hike you will come to an anomaly—a small hill. I have my doubts about the hill being natural. My first guess was that it was a Civil War-era earthwork, a pile of dirt used by soldiers as a fort wall. However, when I walked to the top, it just sloped down the other side just as you would expect from a hill. If it were an earthwork, there would have been a sunken depression where the soldiers were stationed that was ringed by the sides of the hill, like a doughnut. On the other side of the trail are the remnants of an old, concrete structure, so maybe this is just a pile of dirt created from an earlier construction site. Or maybe it is a natural hill.

Lone hill along the Piscataway Creek Trail

Remnants of a structure opposite the hill

The hike along the river is a peaceful one. The water is always within eyesight, though views vary depending on the density of the trees. The trail is flat with a grassy surface and always shaded from the sun as it passes through a forest with an open floor and a high canopy. It’s a wonder that grass can grow at all since the ground doesn’t get a lot of sun.

Piscataway Creek

Typical terrain on the Piscataway Creek Trail

At .6 mile from the start, the trail veers away from the river, and while it continues much farther according to the Piscataway Park brochure map, this is where you should end your hike and turn back to the parking area. I was able to go a little farther, but the trail becomes very muddy, then quickly peters out and disappears altogether. Furthermore, having left the views of the Potomac River behind, there is nothing much to see.

Muddy section of the trail once it leaves Piscataway Creek

I made it another .2 mile to a concrete drainage pipe that empties into a swampy area before giving up and turning around. If the trail continued farther, it was on the other side of the swamp, and I wasn’t about to go traipsing through the mud looking for it.

End of the line for the Piscataway Creek Trail

While it follows Piscataway Creek, the trail is a pleasure to hike, though there is no reason to go out of your way to hike it. If you are at the marina it may be worth the effort, but be sure to stick to the river portion of the trail. Once it veers from the water it’s time to head back.

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