About Fort Dupont Park
This 361 acre wooded park was once home to an earthen fort built to protect Washington, DC, during the Civil War. Today, visitors can see the fort's earthworks and escape to the great outdoors. Activities include picnics, nature walks, biking, gardening, environmental education, music, and ranger-led programs.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
Open in all weather, unless otherwise noted under the alerts section of the parks website.
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: District of Columbia. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
Open: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily
Activities
Getting There
Fort Dupont Park is located in Southeast Washington, DC, east of the Anacostia River. It is not near Dupont Circle. The closest metro rail stops are Potomac Avenue and Minnesota Avenue on the orange line, Benning Road on the blue line. Fort Dupont Park is served by several Metrobus routes. The most direct buses are the V7 and U2 buses on weekdays, or the V8 bus on weekends.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Explore the Civil War Defenses of Washington Hiker-Biker Trail
Hike or bike the 7-mile trail from Fort Stanton to Fort Mahan and take in scenery that ranges from urban…
Junior Ranger Programs at National Capital Parks - East
Become a Junior Ranger at parks across National Capital Parks – East! Explore, complete a booklet, and earn badges and…
Collect all the National Capital Parks - East Passport Stamps
Start your stamp collection and celebrate every park you visit! Explore historic sites and scenic parks managed by National Capital…
Picnic at Fort Dupont
Enjoy a relaxing picnic at Fort Dupont Park. There are three picnic shelters that can be reserved through recreation.gov. Individual…
Mountain Bike Fort Dupont!
Mountain bike in metropolitan D.C.! Approximately 10 miles of easy to moderate biking trails meander through the Anacostia area of…
Birding at Fort Dupont
Enjoy peaceful birding right in the heart of the Anacostia area of Washington D.C. 157 species of birds have been…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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