Theodore Roosevelt Island Swamp Trail
An unpaved island circuit through marsh and woodland on pea gravel and an unrailed boardwalk.
- Distance
- 1.5 mi · Loop
- Time
- 30 min
- Surface
- Unpaved pea gravel and wooden boardwalk
- Grade / hills
- Some island sections are steep; route-specific grade and cross-slope not quantified
Start
Island end of the pedestrian bridge from the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot
Directions
Route
- Cross the wide concrete pedestrian bridge from the Virginia parking lot and begin at its island end; the bridge's inclusion in the official distance is not stated.
- Join the Swamp Trail and follow its pea-gravel and wooden-boardwalk circuit around the island, staying on the loop where other island paths branch.
- Complete the loop back near the island end of the pedestrian bridge, then cross the bridge separately to return to the parking lot.
Good to know
NPS does not say whether the concrete entry bridge is included in the official 1.5-mile figure. Island trails can include steep, uneven sections and exposed roots; the Swamp Trail boardwalk has no railings, and route-specific grade, cross-slope, width, junction, and crossing measurements are not published. Surfaces can be muddy, slippery, or wet, the boardwalk can be especially slippery in snow, and spring flooding may close sections. Check island hours, water availability, parking, river conditions, and current Parkway alerts.