(DMV) (Audubon) (Montgomery Parks) Get ready to brave the cold for a great cause! Join Meadowside Nature Center’s team for Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count, a nationwide effort taking place from December 14 through January 5. You’ll join tens of thousands of volunteers across the nation in this long-running wildlife census, collecting critical data that helps assess the health of ...
(MD) (Maryland State Parks) Maryland State Parks will be offering First Day Hike opportunities across the state from December 31, 2025 - January 2, 2026. First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks that encourages all 50 states to offer outdoor hiking opportunities on the first day of the new year! Join us in ...
(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Grab your coats and cameras and join the fun on New Year’s Day along more than 334 miles of Park Authority trails. Join the amazingly popular First Hike Fairfax Photo Contest while you walk! Participation is simple. Visit any FCPA trail on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Take a photo to commemorate the experience and submit it ...
(VA) (Virginia State Parks) Start the New Year with a visit to one of 44 Virginia State Parks! Taking a hike to inspire those New Year resolutions centered on getting or keeping fit is the perfect family-friendly activity. It's the perfect time to start your Trail Quest! This year, DCR will be hosting a few guided hikes at natural area ...
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights is an elegant garden trail aglow with countless sparkling lights. Take an evening stroll through the enchanting Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, adorned with lighted trees and displays featuring nature, winter, and holiday themes. The half-mile paved trail is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Sip on a cozy, hot beverage (with or without spirits), or ...
(VA) (NOVA Parks) Every year from November until just after New Year’s Day, you can experience the Bull Run Festival of Lights, 2.5 miles illuminated by holiday light displays. Drive the festival route from the comfort of your car. This year, don't miss the carnival at the end of your drive for holiday shopping, a petting zoo, and more festive ...
(DC) (Smithsonian National Zoo) Celebrate the holidays at ZooLights! Enjoy twinkling lights and a festive atmosphere as this beloved winter classic returns to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Journey through magical displays of glowing animal lanterns, watch live musical performances, sip hot cocoa and other festive treats, and explore the Zoo under the dazzling glow of one million environmentally-friendly LED lights. ZooLights ...
(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Let the magic begin! Tickets are now on sale for Brookside Gardens’ dazzling Garden of Lights — where winter nights sparkle with more than a million twinkling lights. The Garden of Lights display transforms Brookside Gardens into a magical winter wonderland. Stroll through the one-half mile, outdoor, walk-through exhibit and enjoy the twinkling lights and glimmering one-of-a-kind ...
(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Celebrate the holiday season in our annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” with the Conservatory full of poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants. In the outdoor gardens, find festive lights and decor throughout plus our model train show. This year, G-gauge model trains will chug through displays of dinosaurs made from plant parts, including ...
(MD) (Natural History Society of Maryland) Start the new year off right: outdoors for a wintery hike with naturalist Kerry Wixted. We’ll be on the lookout for winter birds and mammal signs and practicing our winter botany skills along the way. We will start hiking in a slightly hilly area filled with beech trees, then wind down to the former ...
(DC) (DC Bird Alliance) Begin 2026 with calm and clarity. A New Year’s Day sound bath inspired by birdsong to help you reset, renew, and rise with purpose.
(DC) (Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena) Join the Winter fun at Canal Park Ice Rink! Public skating sessions are available seven days a week during the winter. Sessions are 90 minutes long, with a break at the half-way point to resurface the ice. The rink is open through March 2nd. Daily hours vary.
