Greenbelt; there's whitewater on Anacostia River for all you thrill seekers. Get your heart pumping on the fine whitewater of Anacostia River - Northwest Branch.
Greenbelt Park is a striking part of wilderness that everybody loves. After a long day outdoors Hilton Garden Inn
Washington DC/Greenbelt is a splendid spot to spend a night or two, and there are other places here than Greenbelt Park, for example Greenbelt Lake.
Greenbelt Park is a retreat from the pressures of city life and a refuge for native plants and animals just twelve miles
from Washington, D.C. Greenbelt Park has a 174 site campground open all year round. The staff of Greenbelt Park salute all the police, firefighters, and rescue personnel involved for their hard work and dedication. Long before colonial settlers appeared here, trees
and flowers covered these rolling hills and wildlife roamed the woodlands. Algonquin Indians hunted this land in competition with other smaller tribes. A balance existed between the land and its plants, animals, and native people. Then the colonists arrived. Trees fell and forests
gave way to farmland. Wildlife retreated to the frontier. For the next 150 years, people cleared the land, plowed the fields, and planted tobacco, corn, and other crops. The rich fertile soil returned high yields. The people did not give back to the land as much as they took. The
land wore out, producing less each season and farming ceased. The land was left bare and defenseless. Erosion caused many scars before nature could slow the process with new growth. Since the early 1900's the land has been recovering.. Today the mixed pine and decidious forest
testifies to the land's ability to recover. The land of Greenbelt Park was acquired by the National Park Service in 1950 under Public Law 643. CONTACTS Email - kevin_barry@nps.gov Fax- 301-344-1012
Write to
6565 Greenbelt Road
Greenbelt, MD 20770 Phone
Headquarters - 301-344-3948
Visitor Information - 301-344-3944
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours, Seasons
The Park Headquarters is open Monday - Friday
8 -4. The Winter hours for the Ranger Station: Open Seven days a week 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Getting There
PLANE - National Airport is 17 miles away. There is a Metro subway stop at the airport. Baltimore-Washington Airport is 21 miles from the park.
There is no public transportation available to the park. CAR - Take Exit 23 (Route 201)Kenilworth Avenue South to (Route 193)Greenbelt Road East. The park is a quarter mile on the right. The park address is 6565 Greenbelt Road (Route 193). PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - The
University of Md/College Park Metro station is a 2.5 mile walk to the campground. The F-6 bus headed toward the New Carrollton Metro station runs on weekdays only. Tell the driver to let you off near Parkdale High School. There is a entrance with parking area. Take the paved trail
to the chain linked fence and take a left. The Ranger Station is two hundred yards on your right. The Greenbelt Metro station is 3 miles from the park. It has a very large parking lot. We recommend that you drive to the Greenbelt Metro instead of driving to Washington, D.C.
because of the lack of parking especially on weekdays. Accessibility
The greenbelt campground has handicapped parking spaces and are near the handicapped accessible bathroom. Each bathroom in the park including campground and picnic areas is handicapped accessible.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
GREENBELT PARK
Free!
There is no entrance fee to enter the park.
Activity Fee
GREENBELT PARK CAMPGROUND
$13.00 for Day
There is a $13.00 campground fee $6.50 for Golden Age and Golden
Access card holders. Effective April 1, 2002 The campground fee will rise to $14 per site $7 for Golden Age/Access holders.
Permits
RESERVED PICNIC AREAS
$50 - 150 for Day
There are two reserved picnic areas in the park. The Holly Picnic area can
accomodate up to 200 people. The Laurel Picnic area can accomodate up to 100 people. The rate is based on the amount of people using the area. 1-100 people $50. 100-150 people $100. 200 people $150. Please call 301-344-3948 for reservations and information.
CAMPING
Greenbelt
Park
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
The 174 site campground is open all year. There are no electrical or water hookups available. There are hot showers, bathroom facilities and a dump station available to registered campers. $13.00 per night
$6.50 for Golden Age or Golden Access card holders.
FACILITIES
HOLLY PICNIC AREA
Open All Year 8:00 a.m. to dusk
Phone - 301-344-3948
Location - The Holly Picnic Area is located near the entrance of the park. When entering the
park, proceed to the stop sign. Make a left turn and the holly picnic area is on your right hand side.
Available Facilities - The Holly Picnic Area can accomodate up to 200 people. There are 99 parking spaces. There are picnic tables and a bathroom. A Recreation Fee is
charged according to the number of particpants. 99 or less -$50.00. 100-149 $100.00. 150-200 $150.00. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the park. Amplified music and loud use on any audio device is not permitted. The park does not provide electric power and portable generators
are prohibited. Amusements such as pony rides, any type of balloons, and moon bounces may not be used in the park. If you plan any special activites that require equipment, please discuss it when reserving the area and have the activity wriiten on the permit. Refunds will only
be allowed if the permitee notifies the park in writing atleast fourteen days prior to the reserved date. There will be a $25.00 administrative fee charged for each cancelled reservation. Refunds will not be made for rain or inclement weather. There are no covered pavillions in
the picnic area. The park encourages everyone to come see the area in person before reserving it.
LAUREL PICNIC AREA
Open All Year 8:00 a.m. to Dusk
Phone - 301-344-3948
Location - The Laurel Picnic area is just past the Holly Picnic Area. When entering
the park, proceed to the stop sign. Make a left turn at the stop sign and drive past the Holly Picnic Area. The entrance to the Laurel Picnic Area is located on the right hand side of the road. There is a sign stating 'Laurel Picnic Area'.
Available Facilities - The
Laurel Picnic Area can accomodate up to 100 people. There are 99 parking spaces. There are picnic tables and a bathroom. A Recreation fee is charged according to the number of participants. There is a $50.00 fee for this area. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the park. Amplified
music and loud use on any audio device is not permitted. The park does not provide electric power and portable generators are prohibited. Amusements such as pony rides, any type of balloons, and moon bounces may not be used in the park. If you are planning any special activities
that require equipment, please discuss it when reserving the area and have the special activity wriiten on the permit. Refunds will only be allowed if the permitee notifies the park in writing atleast fourteen days prior to the reserved date. There will be a $25.00 administrative
fee charged for each cancellled reservation. Refunds will not be made for rain or inclement weather. There are no covered pavillions in the picnic area. The park staff encourages everyone to come see the area before reserving it.
SWEETGUM PICNIC AREA
Open All Year 8:00
a.m. to Dusk
Phone - 301-344-3948
Location - Sweetgum Picnic Area is located near the entrance of the park. Upon entering the park, proceed to the stop sign. Make a right hand turn and the Sweetgum Picnic Area is the first left.
Special Programs - Any
SPECIAL programs should contact the park headquarters for permit and prior approval.
Available Facilities - Sweetgum Picnic Area is a first-come first serve picnic area. There are two sets of playground equipment, a baseball field with backstop, and a large field . There
is a limit of 4 tables and 24 people per group so that everyone may enjoy this area. There are picnic tables and a bathroom in this area.
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