Milkhouse Ford Loop
A mixed-surface Rock Creek loop past Fort DeRussy and Milkhouse Ford, with one steep descent and a gentler return.
- Distance
- 1.7 mi · Loop
- Time
- 35 min
- Surface
- Paved path, dirt trail, six-to-eight-foot bridle trail, and old roadbed
- Grade / hills
- Steep descent and gentler return; numeric grade and cross-slope not published
Start
Rock Creek Nature Center front porch, 5200 Glover Road NW
Directions
Route
- Begin at the Rock Creek Nature Center front porch, take the paved path past the Edge of the Woods Trail sign, and bear right onto the Western Ridge Trail toward Boundary Bridge.
- Cross Military Road with the signal, continue about 250 feet, turn right at the Fort DeRussy outdoor exhibit, and after 100 feet stay on the dirt trail past the fort.
- Descend carefully, veer left at the bottom, and follow the creek upstream for about a quarter mile past the Miller Cabin view to Milkhouse Ford.
- Walk about 100 feet up the old roadbed away from the creek, turn left on Cross Trail, and follow the tributary up the gentler slope.
- Turn left on the paved Western Ridge Trail, cross Military Road again with the signal, and return to the Nature Center.
Good to know
A July 3, 2026 NPS ranger-event page supplies the 1.7-mile loop distance; the permanent NPS route page supplies the route and conditions but no mileage. Cross Military Road twice using the signal. The dirt descent can be steep, slippery, or loose after rain, and a natural sand deposit near the ford can be difficult. NPS's paved alternate bypasses the steep section and changes the published loop, so it does not establish route-wide accessibility. Ice, snow, rising creek water, deposited mud or sand, daylight hours, the closed Nature Center building, and current alerts can affect the outing.