Living in DC has many perks. One of them is that we have close proximity to Ronald Reagan National Airport. If you have ever flown into Reagan, you know that you get beautiful views of the city and the monument as you land. But you may not know that you can enjoy fantastic views of the planes as they come in at a small park just outside of DC. Gravelly Point Park is one of the best places to watch planes land in DC.
Gravelly Point is a small grassy park that’s open to all. It’s a few hundred feet north of Ronald Reagan National Airport just off the Potomac River.
To decrease noise, planes land along the Potomac until their final descent. When they are a quarter of a mile from the runway, they turn and cut across the park to land.
The planes get so close you might just feel like you can reach out and grab them. Sometimes you can see the planes take off from Gravelly Point but it depends on the direction of the wind.
Gravelly Point is a great spot to pack a picnic of bring the family. Dogs are welcome, as well. However, it can be noisy. It's best to plan accordingly if you have smaller children or nervous animals.
There is nothing quite like watching these planes fly just overhead! So pick a nice day, grab a blanket, your phone for photos and head out to Gravelly Point Park.
Gravelly Point is off of George Washington Memorial Parkway. There is a small parking lot and you can also ride the bike trail there. It is free and open to the public!
