Fort Dupont Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Dupont Park |
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| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Area | 400-acre |
| Operated by | National Park Service |
Fort Dupont Park is a large, wooded park in Washington, DC. It covers about 376-acre (1.52 km2) of land. The National Park Service takes care of the park.
The park is named after an old fort from the American Civil War. This fort was built to help protect Washington, D.C., from attacks. Today, only a few parts of the original fort remain.
Fort Dupont Park is one of the biggest parks in Washington. It helps protect a part of the Anacostia River watershed. The park is a great place for many fun activities. You can have picnics, go on nature walks, or ride mountain bikes. There's also indoor ice skating, gardening, and special programs about the Civil War led by park rangers.
Parks Nearby
Fort Dupont Park is next to several other parks. Many people refer to all of them as "Fort Dupont." These parks include:
- Fort Chaplin Park
- Fort Davis Park
- Fort Stanton Park
- Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
- Benning Stoddert Recreation Center
- Alger Park
- Fort Battery Ricketts
- Avalon Playground
Things to Do
Summer Concerts
Fort Dupont Park has a long history of hosting summer concerts. For over 40 years, many famous musicians have performed here. It's a popular spot for live music in the Washington, D.C., area.
Hiker-Biker Trails
The main trail in the park is called the Hiker-Biker Trail. It's not paved, so it's great for walking or biking. There are also many smaller trails that branch off from the main one.
Even though it's called Fort Dupont Park, the trails actually connect four different parks. These are Fort Chaplin, Fort Dupont, Fort Davis, and Fort Stanton. The trails stretch for about 10 miles (16 km) in total. They run from Grant Street SE in the north down to Erie Street SE near the Avalon Playground.
The idea for these trails started in 1967. The first part of the trail, about 2.1 miles (3.4 km) long, opened in 1968.
Park History
Fort Dupont was built in 1861 during the American Civil War. It was part of a group of forts called the Civil War Defenses of Washington. The fort was finished in the spring of 1862. It was used until 1865, when the war ended and it was no longer needed.
Before the war, the land belonged to Micheal Canton. It was given back to him after the war. The fort was shaped like a hexagon, with sides about 100-foot-long (30 m). Inside the fort, there was a flagpole, a deep well, and living quarters for officers and soldiers. Outside, there was a guard house.
Fort Dupont was an artillery fort. This means it had cannons to defend the eastern side of Washington. During the war, it had several types of cannons, including large howitzers and field guns.
Interestingly, Fort Dupont never fired its cannons in a real battle. However, after the Confederate forces surrendered in 1865, the forts around Washington fired their cannons in celebration. It was a huge salute that went around the city for several hours!
