Cherry blossom season is upon us, and the National Parks Service is helping guide Washington D.C. locals and tourists to the very best blooms. To see the cherry blossoms in full force, flower enthusiasts can follow the NPS’ self-guided tour of the Washington D.C. cherry blossoms. This year, the NPS put out an interactive map directing you to every cherry blossom display in the city. Not only does the map pinpoint the location of each tree area, it offers insight about the various types of cherry trees (including the tree species’ signature characteristics and when they peak). The National Park Service has also charted out several walking loops around D.C. to bring you to some of the best flower displays in D.C.
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To start exploring Washington D.C.’s cherry blossoms—which is an entirely outdoor tourism activity—click through the interactive map. The map points out every notable cherry tree area, including the clusters of trees near landmarks like the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, the Washington Monument, and the World War II memorial, and of course, the stretches of cherry trees lining the Potomac River. The map identifies trees like the Shirofugen and Usuzumi trees, which bloom later than the ever-popular Yoshino trees, and Okame trees, which typically peak before the Yoshino trees blossom.
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You might even try one of the National Park Services’ self-guided walking tours. Don your mask and a good pair of walking shoes and follow the Tidal Basin Loop, a two-mile loop taking you by the flowering Yoshino trees, or the Hains Point Loop, which is twice as long (four miles) and yields views of the Potomac River, Anacostia River, and the Washington Channel. The final self-guided loop the National Park Service charts out is the Memorial Loop, which will take walkers to the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial among other under-the-radar cherry blossom hot spots.
