Maintained by the National Park Service the island is actually a living memorial:
"In the 1930s landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from
neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a
memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest”
designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today
miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the
legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist."
We headed off with a picnic on an overcast weekday morning and at times it felt like we'd the whole island to ourselves. We sidestepped a few joggers and exchanged pleasantries with a couple of dog walkers, and we spotted one family of tourists; but other than that it was us, the trees and the birds... Ok to be honest the island is, at certain times, on the flight path for DCA, and Rosslyn's skyscrapers and Georgetown's hubbub are right there. However, on the forest paths you can block out the hum of the city and the mechanical birds, and lose yourself for a little while on the short trails.
There are three short trails around the island - the Swamp Trail, Upland Trail and Woodlands Trail. They're not marked on the ground which is really quite freeing! We just wandered happily - going whichever direction the wildlife, sunlight or Miss O's feet, led us. Towards the center of the island is Memorial Plaza with it's imposing statue and large quotation columns of Teddy Roosevelt. Unfortunately the decorative fountains and moats on the plaza have been drained for repair - I'm sure they'll be stunning when they're fixed.
It's a great morning out with a toddler - there is plenty of shade, lots of nature to explore and few others to navigate or distract. Picnic spots are limited - there are some nice spots right on the Potomac River - romantic for adults, asking for trouble with a little one. So just bring a rug and perch on a fallen tree at the edge of the forest. Perfect!
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