Best Day Trips from Washington DC: Shenandoah, Annapolis & More

Washington DC's location on the East Coast places it within easy striking distance of some of America's most historically significant and naturally beautiful destinations. Shenandoah National Park (75 miles west) offers 500 miles of hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Mountains, with Skyline Drive providing one of the Eastern Seaboard's great scenic drives — particularly spectacular during fall foliage (October). Annapolis, Maryland (40 miles east), is a perfectly preserved colonial capital and the home of the US Naval Academy — a weekend's worth of crab cakes, sailing culture, and 18th-century architecture. Colonial Williamsburg (3 hours south) reconstructs America's most complete living history museum. Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (65 miles northwest), sits at the confluence of two rivers with a National Historical Park commemorating John Brown's raid. Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate (16 miles south), is accessible by river cruise from the city's waterfront — the most scenic approach.