Washington DC Canal Park : A Sustainable, Fun Park In Navy Yard

We had been to the Waterfront Park in Navy Yard, which is in Southeast Washington DC, countless times and this time we wanted to try something different. I found the Canal Park DC outdoor space when doing a quick search and we decided to stop over after the game. Also scouting it out as a potential outing spot with our little one coming soon.

We found a parking lot to use on SpotHero right around the corner from Nationals Park and Canal Park at the Thompson hotel.

It turned out to be perfect for us because although it was valet parking which I don’t love, there were bathrooms in the lobby and very minimal waiting for our car. You could also park at any of the Capitol Riverfront garages.

The game was fun and very hot, despite attending an afternoon game and having seats under cover. I was having a lot of the dreaded round ligament pain which is basically just growing pains during pregnancy that feel like menstrual cramps, so I was ready to leave once the game was over. 

As we walked over to Washington DC Canal Park we could see the park’s popular dancing fountains shooting up from far away. It’s a long park, with the southern block being super close to Nat’s stadium.

Fun fact, the park is set up for stormwater management, and the linear rain garden at the edge of the park filters stormwater runoff which powers 95% of the park’s water needs for the irrigation and seasonal ice skating rink and interactive fountain & water features.

So this park is largely self sustaining thanks to underground geothermal wells and the rain gardens, and a real model of sustainable design. So cool!! Also, Washington Canal Park is named after the canal that used to connect the rivers of the area, the Anacostia River and Potomac River, which you can read about in the history of the area.

The fountains were lots of fun and add a lot of energy to the park, one of my favorite park amenities. On a hot day standing in fountain was a much needed cool down ESPECIALLY while pregnant (sore feet). I love a fountain, especially the noise they make. 

There were lots of kids playing in the fountains and it made me excited to bring our baby girl next summer! PS Canal Park fountains are a great free activity for families & and a great social gathering place. Canal Park’s middle block and northern block have large open green space, also great for kids or hanging out for a bit.

Washington DC’s Canal Park def has one of the best splash pads in DC during the summer months for kids, perfect for before a Nats game (just bring a change of clothes) or after! Plus there’s grassy areas for them to run around.

The fountains run in the warmer months, while in the winter months the fountains turn into the Canal Park ice rink with a skate rental shack and a park Christmas tree. The rink winds around in a path which I find really cool. I’m looking forward to visiting during the holiday season! 

There’s also a few places to grab food at Washington DC Canal Park, in a small restaurant building underneath the big light cube. The cube on top of the restaurant space displays local art via video and photo projection.

I don’t think the food places underneath had air conditioning, but luckily the fountain has tables around it, and between the breeze off the fountains and shaded tables it was plenty cool enough. 

We grabbed a few slices and garlic knots from Wiseguy Pizza and ate at a shaded table in the dining area. It was the perfect time of day for this and kinda made me think of a European square. 

The pizza was just okay, it seemed like they didn’t heat it up enough or something. I think sharing a whole pizza and taking it to go would have been the better bet rather than getting slices. The garlic knots were very good though and there was no wait to get our food, so that was a huge plus!

After we sat for a little I wasn’t quite ready to leave this cute spot so I decided to try some gelato at Altani Gelato. I had never had gelato before so I don’t have anything to compare it to but the cheesecake flavor was delicious! They also had really great prices which was surprising for DC. 

After snapping a photo and finishing the gelato, we headed back home. Adding Washington DC Canal Park to my list of the best free things to do in the city and excited to come here to ice skate in the winter. I’m also bookmarking this special events page where they post when they’re having events like the Friday Night jazz series. 🤗

Want to find the other best spots to explore in the nation’s capital? I have a bunch of blogs on Washington DC to help you find the best things to do. ❤️💙