4 miles. 20 sights. Infinite tourists.
Location: National Mall
Length: 4.1 miles
MAP
ROUTE GUIDE
Since this is a loop, you can start anywhere along the route. I’ve decided to start the trail by the Washington Monument. It should not be difficult to get here.
For the most part, this loop is a glorified rectangle around the National Mall, Washington Monument, and U.S. Capitol. So most of this guide is just a photo slideshow of all the sights you can see.
But, there are a few parts that require instruction to do the loop that, in my opinion, maximizes efficiency (you can just do whatever you want too).
Starting at the Washington Monument, go towards the Capitol, but stay to the right.
From the Washington Monument, face the Capitol then go right
The road ahead is 15th St. You want to make a right onto it.
Bear right onto 15th St
And stay on it.
Stay on 15th St
As you go down 15th, you’ll see a few cool things:
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Keep on 15th St until you go under a bridge.
Go straight under the bridge
Right after the bridge, take a sharp left up to get onto 14th St.
Immediately after the bridge, take a sharp left up
Forward on 14th St
As you go up 14th St, you’ll see the main entrances of the treasury and the Holocaust museum, as well as the Department of Agriculture.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Department of Agriculture
Front entrance of the Holocaust Museum
You’ll get to this intersection. Make a right onto Jefferson and stay on it until you get to the Capitol. From here, all the museums will be on your right side.
Make a right onto Jefferson Dr.
Around this point is the Smithsonian Metro station, if you need/want it. Just make sure you have your card.
Smithsonian Metro, for your convinience
Stay on Jefferson
The sights you see on this side of the Mall:
Freer Gallery of Art
S. Dillon Ripley Center
Smithsonian Visitor Center
Carousel!
Arts & Industries Building
Hirshhorn Museum
Air & Space Museum
National Museum of the American Indian
Finally, Jefferson Dr. ends when it intersects with 3rd St. You want to go right and then make the first left to loop around the Capitol.
When you get to 3rd St, go right and loop around to the Capitol
Follow the right path that loops around the Capitol.
On the way, you will pass the Botanic Gardens on your right.
U.S. Botanic Gardens
Keep looping and you will get to the backside of the U.S. Capitol. I am fond of this part because there are always very little tourists (and people) in this area, probably because it’s too much work to climb up the hill (did I mention that it’s all uphill to get to the back of the Capitol?). Just seeing this giant majestic building in all it’s glory sans tourists is just cool.
U.S. Capitol
Anyways, continue to make a big loop around the Capitol.
Go straight and loop back around the Capitol
On the way back to 3rd St, you will notice a statue by the Capitol reflecting pool. It is the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial. There is not much to see there but it’s just a few steps out of the way, so stop by if you want.
You can stop by the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
Continue back down to 3rd St:
Make your way back to 3rd St.
Then get onto Madison Dr. so that you are facing the Monument. Madison Dr. runs directly parallel to Jefferson Dr., so you’re essentially going back exactly how you came on the other side of the Mall.
Get onto Madison Dr. to get back to the Capitol
The sights on this side:
National Gallery of Art Library
National Gallery of Art
Sculpture Garden
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of American History
National Museum of African American History and Culture
And at this point, you’ll see the Monument. It’s easy to get back to your starting point.
Washington Monument (again)
NOTES
The national mall. One of the most iconic sights in DC, and as a result, perhaps the biggest go-to tourist spot in the district. As much as I love watching tourists in their matching t-shirts and fanny packs buying fidget spinners from street vendors in front of the Museum of Natural History, in some places the sidewalks are so packed that it’s hard to maneuver around.
However, don’t let this detract from this particular run. The city builders decided to cram as many cool things as possible onto the National Mall, which allows a modest 4-mile loop in DC to swing by 20 unique sites. And of course, the best part about running here is that everything is accessible on foot.
Enjoy the museums and enjoy the sights. Carry a few bucks on your person if you want to grab some food or a drink from inside one of the museums. Or don’t- DC museums are free anyway.
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