National Mall: Tour America’s Backyard

The National Mall in Washington, DC is a place that every visitor should walk at least once. Come see “America’s front yard.”

“This is where the nation comes to remember and where history is made. As America’s Front Yard, the National Mall and Memorial Parks is home to many of our country’s most iconic memorials telling the story of people and events that shaped us as a nation.”—National Park Service (NPS)

Walk along the main paved paths that lead past various monuments, memorials, and Smithsonian museums. 

Distance

The distance between the U.S. Capitol steps and the Lincoln Memorial is 1.9 miles (3.0 km). It takes approximately 45 minutes to walk the Mall.

But unless you plan to call an Uber or rent an e-bike when you reach the Lincoln Memorial, you should budget two hours to walk the whole circuit (both sides).

The National Mall seems longer than its actual length and width due to its enclosed green space. You might feel like you can never reach the end.

It is really important to pick the right shoes for your National Mall tour. Your choice will depend on the season. I suggest sneakers if you’re trudging along the Mall in the summer. Luckily, adidas offered to send me a pair of white athletic sneakers, which look equally great with shorts or a sundress. I could choose between lifestyle shoes and performance sneakers.

Border Streets

Constitution Avenue on its north side and Independence Avenue to the south border the Mall. You can walk on the sidewalks or the grass as you approach the Washington Monument.

This section of the Mall measures 850 feet long and 170 feet wide; it runs end-to-end between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building. 

This is the area where the National Cherry Blossom Festival organizes its annual Blossom Kite Festival. It is hilly around the Washington Monument.

Cross streets separate the lawns. There is a 35-foot-wide gravel path that spans the outer perimeter. 

Wander in the groves of Japanese cherry trees near the Tidal Basin or below the Washington Monument. According to the National Park Service, 130-foot-wide groves of trees sit beyond the lawn on its north and south sides.

Reflecting Pools

The Mall also features two main reflecting pools at each end—the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

Both reflect the actual buildings (as well as the architectural grandeur) on their surface, if you are lucky enough to witness them. 

You should definitely leave time to wander around the perimeter of the pools to watch the ducks swim. These two areas often become an outdoor stage for musicians performing in the summer.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is iconic. It is the hallway that leads up to the temple dedicated to America’s 16th president. 

“In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”—Lincoln Memorial 

Beneath these words sits the marble statue of Lincoln as an enduring symbol of unity, strength, and wisdom. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in 1922.

The reflecting pool is one of the most recognizable and filmed sites in Washington, D.C. A long promenade of elm trees frames the pool. It also leads the eye toward the Lincoln Memorial at the end of the Mall.

Capitol Reflecting Pool

This pool was dedicated in 1971. It was designed to serve as a counterpart to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Six acres in size, it occupies over half of the area called Union Square.

This pool is set horizontally to the U.S. Capitol, while the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is set in a vertical position below the memorial.

The Capitol Reflecting Pool is set into a plaza that includes the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and a tree-dotted lawn. Nearby is the U.S. Botanic Gardens.

“The broad, gently sloped limestone coping and the steps that lead down from ground level afford seating for visitors as they enjoy the reflections of the U.S. Capitol, the surrounding sights, and the sky as well as the ducks and seagulls that often swim in the pool,” according to the Architect of the Capitol.

Gardens to Visit

If you’re willing to lengthen your walk time on the Mall, I suggest you stop at several gardens. Not only should you schedule this “mindful moment” in your exercise, but you’ll also be rewarded with sensory rewards. Depending on the season, you’ll see the first spring hyacinth or summer rose.

My favorite gardens to sit with my dog are included within the Smithsonian Museums and the United States Botanic Garden. (Check out my post on Top 10 (Mostly Dog-Friendly) Washington DC Gardens if you want to bring your furry BFF on these adventures.)

Enid A. Haupt Garden

Address: 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.

This 4.2-acre “rooftop” garden is part of the Smithsonian complex. Situated outside the Smithsonian Castle, the Enid A. Haupt Garden opened on May 21, 1987. It is named after the American publisher and philanthropist Enid Haupt.

The cultural influences in the adjacent museums dictated such design elements as the Moongate Garden and the Fountain Garden. The centerpiece is the Parterre, which mirrors the Victorian-style architectural sensibility of the Smithsonian Castle. 

TIP: I highly recommend arriving in the morning to sit on a bench in the Enid A. Haupt Garden to enjoy the solitude. Bring a coffee and relax.

Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden

Address: 990 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, D.C.

Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses at the four-season Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden, located outside the gates of the Haupt Garden. You’ll detect a myriad of scents, including apples, clover, lemons, and violets.

Read the Interpretive signs “planted” throughout the garden beds. Learn about the rose family, fragrance factors, history, and planting companions. During the summer, there is a riot of roses profusely blooming and scenting the air.

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Gardens

Address: 4th Street & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.

You could wander the grounds surrounding the National Museum of the American Indian for hours in a state of meditation. These naturalistic gardens are considered an extension of the building and a vital part of the museum as a whole.

“By recalling the natural landscape environment that existed prior to European contact, the museum’s landscape design embodies a theme that runs central to the museum, that of returning to a Native place,” according to Smithsonian Gardens.

U.S. Botanical Gardens (USBG)

Address: 4th Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.

No tour of the Mall is complete without visiting the U.S. Botanical Garden. Its outside gardens attract thousands of Washingtonians (as well as tourists) seeking a quiet place among the flowers and bushes!

Leave plenty of time to explore the USBG’s collection of formal and naturalistic gardens. The three-acre gated outdoor garden includes the First Ladies Water Garden, the Rose Garden, the Pollinator Garden, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Garden.

Fun fact: President George Washington wanted a national botanical garden planted in the capital city.

One-Day Itinerary

If your schedule permits, I recommend you schedule a whole day to walk the National Mall. 

National Monument

After you finish, walk down to the Lincoln Memorial. You will want to stop and see several memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the World War II Memorial en route.

Lincoln Memorial

Reserve a ticket to visit the National Monument in the morning. You can reserve tickets for the Washington Monument at Recreation.gov. Tickets are released 30 days in advance, and a limited number is available for the next day at 10 a.m.

U.S. Park Police Horse Stables

After you leave the Lincoln Memorial, walk to the right side to see the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables. This is a relatively new addition to the Mall. It opened in June 2023.

You can see the horses play in the paddock and learn about the history of these working equines.

Smithsonian Museums

In the afternoon, you can continue your walk back down the mall. Stop for a lunch break at a Smithsonian cafe. Then pick three Smithsonian museums to visit.

(Tip: If you can only devote two days to visiting the Smithsonian museums, don’t despair. I have the itinerary for you! You can see all nine Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC. PLUS admission is free to all Smithsonian museums.)

U.S. Capitol

You can end your day by taking a tour of the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol Visitor Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Professional tour guides lead all tours and include the Rotunda, the Crypt, and the National Statuary Hall. Go online to make a reservation. (Check out my blog post on touring the U.S. Capitol Women’s Statues Tour.)

U.S. Botanic Garden

100 Maryland Avenue SE, Washington, D.C.

I suggest you end your one-day National Tour at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Walk over to the food trucks parked on 7th Avenue to buy a picnic dinner. Then return to the garden, find a bench or swatch of lawn, and eat your meal.

A prime spot is the First Ladies Water Garden, as you’ll find tables with umbrellas in the corner of the garden. You can end your day watching the sun set in the nation’s capital.

Dog-Friendly National Mall

I think the Mall is one of the most dog-friendly places in Washington, D.C. I began walking my Golden Retriever (Parker) when he was only three months old. He fell in love with the wide open spaces, the reflecting pools, and the benches.

In fact, Parker measures the popularity of a place by the number of benches. So he gives top ratings to the National Mall, Tidal Basin, and the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Its outside gardens attracted thousands of Washingtonians (as well as tourists) seeking a quiet place among the flowers and bushes, along with their dogs! Parker is a big fan of cushions on the wooden benches!

Two-Day Itinerary

The Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, D.C. recommends allowing two days to tour the Mall: “A good tour plan would be to visit attractions on one end of the mall on Day 1 and attractions at the other end of the mall on Day 2.

You could visit the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, WWII, MLK, FDR, and Jefferson memorials (west side) one day and the Smithsonian museums, such as Natural History and Air and Space, Eisenhower Memorial, plus the U.S. Capitol, the next day.”

Metro Access

You can reach the Mall area on the east using the following Metro stations: Smithsonian/National Mall at 12th Street on the Mall; Federal Center SW at 3rd and D Streets, SW; L’Enfant Plaza at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street, SW; Archives-Navy Memorial at Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street, NW; and Federal Triangle along 12th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues.