Tucked into the Anacostia River beside the old RFK Stadium grounds, Kingman and Heritage Islands offer something rare in the capital: 50 acres of meadow, marsh and forest where herons stalk the shallows and the loudest sound is the wind in the trees. The District’s Department of Energy and Environment manages the islands as an Environmental Protection Area and Outdoor Learning Center, built where a 1916 river project created Kingman Lake.
A wooden footbridge leads onto Kingman Island’s trails, which wind through wildflower meadows, tidal wetlands — some of the last left in the District — and young forest, home to more than 100 bird species. Across a second bridge, tiny Heritage Island adds a quiet boardwalk loop for spotting turtles, frogs and osprey. Free Saturday programs, kayak days and volunteer planting mornings keep the islands lively all year.
Entry is free at 575 Oklahoma Avenue NE (and from the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail). For a picnic, a paddle or an afternoon of birdwatching close to home, this leafy river sanctuary — recognized by Congress in 2022 as a National Heritage Area landscape — is one of Washington’s happiest hidden places.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
