At 409 ft, the ex-Civil War Fort turned park is geographically the highest point in DC, and also a great workout spot featuring a 1000m loop and a 60 ft steep inclined hill.
Location: Tenleytown
Description:
Fort Reno Park is only two blocks away from Tenleytown metro station. It is a grassy field on a hill surrounded by the roads: Chesapeake St, Belt Rd, Fessenden St, and Nebraska Ave.
The inner portion of the park is occupied by the actual fort and is blocked off to the public. In the southwest portion of the park is a baseball field.
The 1000 m loop is contained within the southern half of the field while the hill is in the northwest section.
1000 m loop
MAP
ROUTE GUIDE
Since this is a loop, you can start anywhere along the loop, but I start right by the fence enclosing the fort between the baseball field and the brown wooden concert stage. You’ll see power lines above the park- look for where the powerlines meet the fence and that is where I begin.
Start by this wooden power line post
Once you have located this post, put the fence to your left and go straight ahead. The wooden post marks the start/end of the loop.
Go straight forward until then curve left around the mass of trees.
Once you have done so, go straight and you’ll see Deal Middle School come into view. Continue in that direction.
Go around all the trees shown below.
Once you go around the trees, it’s a straight shot until you cross a small asphalt road.
Right after crossing the road you’ll see a bunch of trees. go around every single tree except the one second from the left depicted in the picture below.
Don’t cut any trees!
Now that you are running parallel to Nebraska, continue to run the perimeter, going around all trees.
Seriously don’t cut trees
When the asphalt road comes back into view, go straight ahead.
Once more, when you get to this cluster of trees, go around them all.
You have to go around all these trees
This is where the hills begin. This 1000 m loop is partly a good training tool because of its hills. This hill is steep enough that if you’re going mildly fast, you’re going to start feeling it.
Once you crest the hill, the pain is not over. After an abrupt downhill, it’s a steady uphill until you get to the baseball field. This is definitely the most difficult part of the loop.
As you approach the baseball field, go around the black chainlink fence. Once you get to the baseball field, you’re almost there and the hills are over.
Go around the batting cage. Note the porta-potty.
Water fountains!
Once you go around the perimeter of the baseball field, you’ll see the yellow post directly ahead. Go around that.
Go around the yellow post
Immediately after turning around the yellow post, you’ll see the first power line post come into view. From here it’s a straight shot back to where you started.
The starting location is straight ahead
hill
MAP
ROUTE GUIDE
Go to the northwest segment of the park, close to the intersection of Belt & Fessenden. You’ll see a steep hill starting by the road that goes up to the fort.
The hill
Belt Rd
Views from the bottom
Views from halfway up
Views from the top
NOTES
Fort Reno’s greatest asset is that it’s hilly and grassy. It’s a great place to run hard because the grass will keep the shock off your knees and the hills will work you harder/better than doing 1000’s on the track. Plus, it’s very close to Tenleytown metro.
RELATED RUNS
None