Brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea and come hang out on the internet with us for a bit.
Conversation is open—we often chat about weekend plans to be outside but also take questions about getting into biking, what trails are being expanded, and topics not connected to bicyclists (donuts are good!).
We’ll use Zoom for the meet up. You can RSVP here.
For 2021, we are moving back to a monthly model – join us every second Friday of the month!
Hosted by a WABA staffer, this is a great chance to ask any bicycling questions! Join us anytime between 8am and 9am. And you are totally welcome to join voice or text chat only without video.
Brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea and come hang out on the internet with us for a bit.
Conversation is open—we often chat about weekend plans to be outside but also take questions about getting into biking, what trails are being expanded, and topics not connected to bicyclists (donuts are good!).
We’ll use Zoom for the meet up. You can RSVP here.
For 2021, we are moving back to a monthly model – join us every second Friday of the month!
Hosted by a WABA staffer, this is a great chance to ask any bicycling questions! Join us anytime between 8am and 9am. And you are totally welcome to join voice or text chat only without video.
Ever seen a leaf four feet wide? You can at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens just off the Anacostia River Trail! It is probably THE bike ride (or walk!) for July in DC and the Trail Ranger team is here to help you out.
Where are these lotuses?
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is home to a lot of lotuses though some can also be found at other sites around the region. The aquatic gardens is the only National Park Service site dedicated to aquatic plants and home to many unusual varietals.
Map address is: 1550 Anacostia Ave SE Washington, DC 20019
Google Maps screenshot of Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens (at red pin). Image Courtesy of Google Maps.
How do I get there?
Heading north on the Anacostia River Trail:
Go along the trail until 40th St and Anacostia Ave NE. It looks like this (but with leaves and the grass is greener now!):
Ride on Anacostia Ave for 0.6 miles until you arrive at the parking lot for the park. Once in the gates, walk into the park past the parking lot. The path will take you to the first pond, 50 feet from the biking parking. Take a right to find the parking!
If you want a longer ride, keep going on the trail for 1.5 miles instead of turning right onto Anacostia Ave and connect with the park via the north trail entrance described below.
Heading south on the Anacostia River Trail:
Go along the trail past Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Ride until the trail dips under the Amtrak tracks and multi-lane bridge of New York Ave. Just after the trail will arrive on land again and you’ll see:
Entrance to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (photo from 2019)
Signal, stop and walk your bike (this helps protect the turtles and water chemistry of the surrounding wetlands) on the gravel path for a few hundred feet. You’ll come upon the bike parking (photograph of it above) just as you arrive at the main portion of the park.
From Marvin Gaye Trail:
You can ride to the park by going west on Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE from the end of Marvin Gaye Trail at Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave and Minnesota Ave NE. Ride to the traffic circle entrance to Kenilworth Park. Ride along Deane Ave into Kenilworth Park and turn right onto the trail at the pavilion in 0.2 miles. Once on the trail, you can either connect to the Anacostia Ave route in 0.1 miles or keeping going on the trail to the north park entrance. This is a stressful route – Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE crossing Minnesota Ave and the ramps off and on 295 has terrible sidewalks and a lot of turning vehicle traffic.
Nannie Helen Burroughs and Minnesota Ave NE. Image from 2019. Roadway conditions are different now though sidewalk conditions remain the same.
There are a few pedestrian bridge connections across 295. There is a connection via the Minnesota Ave Metro station and existing pedestrian bridge to Hayes St NE. Continue straight on Hayes St NE and you will reach the Anacostia River Trail. Go straight onto the trail and you reach Anacostia Ave and 40th St NE in 0.8 miles.
Additional bridge are at Polk St NE (take Douglas St to Anacostia Ave, and then turn right to get to the park) and Nash St NE (take Nash St to Anacostia Ave, and then turn right to get to the park).
Capital Bikeshare
The closest Capitol Bikeshare station to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is currently at Nannie Helen Burroughs and Minnesota Ave NE (station map here). Capital Bikeshare ebikes can be docked at stations or locked remotely as a single bike outside of National Park Service property. See Capital Bikeshare for pricing and more details.
When to go?
If you want to visit when its less crowded: weekdays! The lotuses are still kind of a hidden gem but less so every year. If you want to visit the park and not be crowded, visit during the weekday.
Information about the 2021 Lotus and Water Lily Festival hosted by the park can be found here. Most programming this year is online with a limited selection of in-person events. The park is open to visit and has extended hours for July 2021.
Come join the Lotus and Water Lily Festival for a bike ride on July 17th of the Anacostia River Trail! The trail is a different view of the lotus ponds than can be seen inside the park, and the trail has long shady stretches. We’ll ride for about an hour total at a chill pace that works for everyone joining, and stop for a break halfway through. The trail is fairly flat with one small hill we might get to. We will return to the park by 12:30 pm for plenty of time to explore inside the park as well.
Bathrooms and water are available at the start and end of the ride at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. While riding, walking, or taking a break along the ride routes, participants must maintain 6 ft of distance between themselves and others not in their households. During the check-in, the chat, and while otherwise gathered as a group, participants must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose (we’ll have some adult masks to give if you forget).
Bike Details
Bikes and helmets in adult and child sizes will be available to borrow if you request by July 14th. We will not have extra bikes day-of. You are also welcome to bring your own bike and helmet! All participants must be pre-registered and helmets are required for all riders. If you only need to borrow a helmet, email us and we’ll get you a loaner.
Kids are welcome on this ride provided they are with a guardian.
Weather Plan
It will likely be hot so please dress accordingly in comfortable attire and bring water to stay hydrated. The ride will be postponed to July 31st if there is substantial rain or thunderstorms forecast. Should we need to postpone, a weather decision will be made by the morning of July 16th.
Additional Details
We will meet at the parking lot of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens at 10:30 am, do a quick bike mechanical check, and ride to the Anacostia River Trail. Directions to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens can be found on the park website.
This ride is being hosted in partnership with Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and National Park Service – Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
Register
This ride is now full. If you are a direct park neighbor and live in Eastland Gardens, Mayfair, Kenilworth or Parkside, we have a few additional reserved spots. Please email at trailranger@waba.org to register!
Postponed to Mon June 14th due to forecast storm on Thurs June 10th.
Learn how to be a tandem captain with Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) and WABA! In preparation for the 2021 riding season, come learn how to captain a tandem for MWABA rides.
The regular season is 5:45PM every Thursday in daylight savings (April to October) and occasional weekends from the Eastern Market Metro in DC and the Bethesda Metro. We are blind/visually impaired stokers (back seat) and are looking for captains (front seat) to ride with us.
Do I Need a Bike? Most captains do not own a tandem and do not have tandem experience. Rather, they are cycling or fitness enthusiasts who want a new challenge.
How Does it Work? We provide the bikes and training for the new riders (both captains and stokers). Once you join the MWABA mailing list after training, you will receive an e-mail on Sundays asking who is interested in riding the following Thursday. If you respond that you’re interested, we will match you with a stoker and send you further details about the ride. You can ride as often or as infrequently as your schedule allows.
Want to Join as a Stoker? Email MWABA’s organizer Karla Gilbride at karla.gilbride@gmail.com.
Interested in being a captain? Signup with MWABA’s form to let us know you’re coming and what size bicycle you’ll need:
Brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea and come hang out on the internet with us for a bit.
Conversation is open—we often chat about weekend plans to be outside but also take questions about getting into biking, what trails are being expanded, and topics not connected to bicyclists (donuts are good!).
We’ll use Zoom for the meet up. You can RSVP here.
For 2021, we are moving back to a monthly model – join us every second Friday of the month!
Hosted by a WABA staffer, this is a great chance to ask any bicycling questions! Join us anytime between 8am and 9am. And you are totally welcome to join voice or text chat only without video.
