Project Links
Rehabilitation of Joyce Road NW, Widening of Beach Drive NW Trail, and Construction of Joyce Road NW Trail
Rock Creek Park » Rehabilitation of Joyce Road NW, Widening of Beach Drive NW Trail, and Construction of Joyce Road NW Trail
The National Park Service (NPS), Rock Creek Park is proposing a road and trail improvement project in the area of Joyce Road and Beach Drive NW to increase safety and access for park visitors. There are three separate actions associated with this project.
First, NPS is proposing to rehabilitate the pavement of Joyce Road NW and its associated ramps between Military Road NW and 17th Street NW. The work is needed because the current roadway surface, which was installed in 1989, has deteriorated significantly.
Second, NPS is proposing to rehabilitate and widen the paved recreational trail along Beach Drive NW between Joyce Road NW and Bingham Drive NW. The trail, which is officially known as the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail, is heavily used by bicyclists and pedestrians. However, as originally designed the trail is not wide enough to meet current safety standards. The proposed project will increase the trail width except in areas where environmental constraints, such as trees or other natural features, make widening difficult. This portion of the project will also improve access from the trail and associated parking lot to the shelter at Picnic Grove 6.
Finally, NPS is proposing to construct a new recreational or Multi-Use Trail along Joyce Road from Beach Drive NW to 17th Street NW, to improve access for visitors coming from the east side of the park. While this trail project is still in the early phase of design, the concept is to locate the trail on the north side of Joyce Road NW from Beach Drive NW east towards the area where Joyce Road NW splits to go towards the Rock Creek Park Golf Course to the northeast and 16th Street NW to the east. Currently, there is an uneven dirt path along this portion of Joyce Road NW that visitors currently use to access the park.
Just to the west of the split, the trail is envisioned to cross Joyce Road NW, then proceed along the south curb line of the roadway to the intersection of 17th Street NW and Missouri Avenue NW, where the NPS path would end. National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration engineers believe this alignment provides the highest levels of safety for pedestrians and cyclists - - a car that loses control in this area would tend to veer to the north side of the curb and away from the trail. In addition, this alignment would provide a direct connection for pedestrians to the existing sidewalk along Missouri Avenue NW west of 16th Street NW.
Separately from the NPS project, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is conducting planning for bicycle infrastructure improvements east of 17th Street NW along Missouri Avenue NW. DDOT plans to hold a public meeting on Wednesday June 17, 2026 from 6-8 pm at the Emery Heights Community Center to discuss concepts for this project. More details about this meeting are at https://ddot.dc.gov/release/missouri-avenue-nw-trail-connection-project-public-meeting .
While the DDOT project east of 17th Street NW is a separate planning and design process from the project being developed within Rock Creek Park, NPS staff will continue to confer with DDOT as planning for both projects moves forward.
Information about the NPS project will be posted to this site as it is developed.
First, NPS is proposing to rehabilitate the pavement of Joyce Road NW and its associated ramps between Military Road NW and 17th Street NW. The work is needed because the current roadway surface, which was installed in 1989, has deteriorated significantly.
Second, NPS is proposing to rehabilitate and widen the paved recreational trail along Beach Drive NW between Joyce Road NW and Bingham Drive NW. The trail, which is officially known as the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail, is heavily used by bicyclists and pedestrians. However, as originally designed the trail is not wide enough to meet current safety standards. The proposed project will increase the trail width except in areas where environmental constraints, such as trees or other natural features, make widening difficult. This portion of the project will also improve access from the trail and associated parking lot to the shelter at Picnic Grove 6.
Finally, NPS is proposing to construct a new recreational or Multi-Use Trail along Joyce Road from Beach Drive NW to 17th Street NW, to improve access for visitors coming from the east side of the park. While this trail project is still in the early phase of design, the concept is to locate the trail on the north side of Joyce Road NW from Beach Drive NW east towards the area where Joyce Road NW splits to go towards the Rock Creek Park Golf Course to the northeast and 16th Street NW to the east. Currently, there is an uneven dirt path along this portion of Joyce Road NW that visitors currently use to access the park.
Just to the west of the split, the trail is envisioned to cross Joyce Road NW, then proceed along the south curb line of the roadway to the intersection of 17th Street NW and Missouri Avenue NW, where the NPS path would end. National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration engineers believe this alignment provides the highest levels of safety for pedestrians and cyclists - - a car that loses control in this area would tend to veer to the north side of the curb and away from the trail. In addition, this alignment would provide a direct connection for pedestrians to the existing sidewalk along Missouri Avenue NW west of 16th Street NW.
Separately from the NPS project, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is conducting planning for bicycle infrastructure improvements east of 17th Street NW along Missouri Avenue NW. DDOT plans to hold a public meeting on Wednesday June 17, 2026 from 6-8 pm at the Emery Heights Community Center to discuss concepts for this project. More details about this meeting are at https://ddot.dc.gov/release/missouri-avenue-nw-trail-connection-project-public-meeting .
While the DDOT project east of 17th Street NW is a separate planning and design process from the project being developed within Rock Creek Park, NPS staff will continue to confer with DDOT as planning for both projects moves forward.
Information about the NPS project will be posted to this site as it is developed.