A great place to see Lilly’s during the summer period. The park was laid out for a great stroll. The deck area is very beautiful. We went during the wrong time. But it will be amazing during summer. It’s a must place to visit. The restrooms were closed when we visited. But it was maintained well.

Unique place to visit for a simple walk in nature. Theres a large marshland with a wood boardwalk going out into it. And many points where aquatic plants and flowers grow. In November, its mostly brown, left over stalks. But there are birds (we saw a large heron and many ducks). This place used to be a business where they grew aquatic flowers and shipped them out to the East coast. Its more beautiful in the spring and summer. Its also free to get in!

Although the boardwalk section of the park was closed, we still had an enjoyable time strolling around the diverse wetlands and spotting all the different animals and plants. They seem to do a great conservationist job here. The park was fairly quiet during a weekday. There is access to the Anacostia river trail. Certain sections have seating, but nothing over a mile of walking. Flat ground, easy for kids and older people.

Beautiful place to get away from the city. Quiet during the week and a nice walk. Make sure you bring water and sunscreen during the summer.

The Kenilworth Park is amazing. The park is a hidden treasure, right in the ook of DC. The park includes running track, picnic area, bicycle trail as well as the beautiful aquatics senery.

This place is beautiful! If you didnt know where you were, you might swear youd left the city for somewhere in the deep south. Not very busy, somewhat out of the way, and food for the eyes.. and nose.. a nice little getaway, without really having to get away.

This free national park is a hidden gem in DC, especially when the lotus and lilies bloom in July. They have a weekend festival during peak bloom with entertainment & activities. Its nice year round, with a boardwalk though the marsh and walking paths around the gardens. The park has a small nature center with displays, maps and brochures, a nice gift shop, and ranger-led tours. It also has a nice small gift shop. Its along the Anacostia River Trail for a scenic and no-stress bike ride, walk or run there using the Anacostia Trail System.

Beautiful!! Stunning!!!! I will start going regularly. The Anacostia bike trail passes through it, so next time I’ll go in my bike. There’s a big area with picnic tables. When I went on Saturday almost all tables were empty. Highly recommended!!!

Kenilworth and this entire area is absolutely beautiful, and a wonderful way to get away from the concrete jungle. The lotus & lily lad portions of the park are beautiful to stroll around at leisure, and include boards with educational content. The longer paths either to the Anacostia Trail or to the marsh-y part are a nice way to catch different terrain and appreciate what most of DC was many centuries ago. There is ample parking, and overflow seems to go out into the street.

Most of the areas around the ponds were closed due to covid (we assume).Lots of green and birds. Most of the lotus’ weren’t flowering (it’s getting cold so we didn’t expect to see them anyway).the bike trail was open & quite a few ppl were using it.

This is a hidden GEM in Washington DC. A must see in June and July. Go early and take your camera and bug spray if you dont like bugs oh and dont pick the flowers please... The lotus and water lillies are spectular.... Here are a few images from my visit in September 2020. The lotus flowers are all gone but the lillies as still in bloom. Dont forgot to take a face covering

Its a nice park, pretty large. They tell you at the entrance what flowers are in bloom.During my trip, I saw lotus flowers for the first time. The board walk was marked closed unfortunately, and the website says its because social distancing cant be maintained, but I did not find the park very crowded, even when the parking lot seemed near capacity. The greenhouses are definitely closed to the public right now.Take a look through the pictures for an idea of what is there and currently accessible. Definitely worth an in-person stroll, good for about an hour at a slow pace.

Incredible place! Never visited anything like it period you want to see what the largest water garden in the world looks like, come visit here.

The park needs some work. The roads have craters in them. The playground area has a swamp pool everytime it rains hard. Otherwise the trees are very nice and pretty. A lot of parks have been neglected in certain areas.

The boardwalk is closed, early July was the best time of the year to see lotuses.

Fun little park with biking and hiking trails. No real elevation though so ones looking for a good workout, Id skip it. Great place for a stroll though.

Each year at the time of the lotus and water lily season, we will definitely go visit the festival with whole family, friends and neighbors. We enjoy the flowers in the ponds in their natural form meanwhile walking around different ponds to pick up the high lighted spots as a good exercise to all of us, too. Of course we can’t stop taking photographs on each spots and sharing them in our different social media circles for the beauty of the flowers, our appreciation of it and the happy leisure and relaxing off from the secular vanities we have experienced during the time!

A beautiful park, a nice way to spend some time on a warm summer morning.

Great trail to walk with kids. Lots of butterflies today and wild life

Beautiful gardens and interesting tour guides to explain the history of the gardens. We are from out of town and visiting family in NoVA, selected this place as a outdoor walk for our kids. We visited at the end of July so the flowers were slightly out of season, but still plentiful and great photo opportunities.

Lots of blocked off areas that were not accessible to the public. Water levels seemed high and whilst this is no fault of the parks a few signs wouldn’t hurt so you don’t walk all the way just to find it barricaded shut.

Beautiful gardens! Very walkable and COVID friendly.

I was there to attend the lotus and water lily festival. The flowers were at peak bloom. Beautiful scenic walk around the ponds. The cultural festival was fun to attend. The park rangers were on top service to provide water and guidance. It is a family and pet friendly spot.

Super special place, and great first thing in the morning on a weekday with so few visitors. Lots of plants and flowers are at peak bloom. Right now (late July 2020) a lot of the paths are blocked to ensure that visitors are moving in a single direction for covid mitigation reasons. Makes sense, as these paths get crowded. No services or restrooms are open or available, but there are port-a-potties.

Flowers are beautiful. Weather is beautiful. People should wear masks.

Water lilies are in bloom mid July. Amazing hidden gem. Only National Park devoted to aquatic plant life.

Beautiful and peaceful. Picnic tables are far enough sort to provide privacy. View from the boardwalk is great.

This was such a beautiful experience- Im not even sure where to start. Like being inside of a Monet painting. Free to enter. Dog and kid friendly. Miles of lilies and walking- beautiful scenic walks. Alive with nature, butterflies, bees herons (towards the back end). Very friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended!!

Although everything was not in full bloom the gardens are still majestic.

Absolutely beautiful, and theyre doing a great job of trying to limit folks in the park to make it safe.

Since the covid walk through here 3 times a week. Great place for a long walk.

I love this place. This was my first time there. I went there with my family. Whole family enjoyed there. The interesting part was lotus flowers and trail to the river.This park has multiple trail loops. Because of COVID-19 they have marked these trails a one way to avoid close contacts.I went there for some birds photography and unfortunately that day there was no bird’s activity.But we enjoyed the lotus and other flowers.I found some folks relaxing on the chairs and others reading books.Peoples were riding their bikes on the nearby cycle trail with the lovely view of river.NPS officials were there for any kind of help you need. They were distributing map of the parks and were guiding the visitors.This place is highly recommended.

Went to the yearly Lotus festival on a Sunday. I think the Saturday events are better because I didnt see any special dances like I did last time, just a show with a variety of animals. Still pretty cool place to check out at least once to see a bunch of lotuses.

Back trails are finally open. Boardwalk is still closed. It is a quiet and very enjoyable walk.

Beautiful place Ive been visiting there since a kid.

Beware!!!! SPEED TRAP nearby! When you leave the Gardens, you will most likely be on Kenilworth Rd. soon to get back on the main roads. The speed limit is 25 mph, enforced with cameras and then you get mail from DC Police! Fine doubles due to Residential zoning. $100.00 penalty! And if you dont pay it within 30 days it doubles to $200! Love the Gardens but dont be a victim! Save yourself!

Great for kids - enjoyed doing Junior Park Ranger . Beautiful.

The aquatic gardens are worth a stop — during the right time of year. In particular, in mid-July when the lotus flowers are out in force. In fact, the NPS does a lotus festival with live music and activities for the kids (bring water and sunscreen, there is little shade and it’s hot).If it is not the right time of year, there is far less to do here. One can walk through the empty ponds or explore the nearby Anacostia river walk/bike trail. The facilities are okay but certainly nothing special. Plan your visit to be around an hour, tops.

Quiet, vast hiking trails, and beautiful lilies in the summer and fall. It’s truly an untapped outdoor experience for a chill dc adventure.

Not a lot to do here. You can see it in about an hour. Park is safe but located in a sketchy neighborhood.

Yes, July is the best time to come with fields of lotuses and lilies in bloom. But dont miss the tranquility of a Sunday morning stroll here in late fall or winter. If you enter at 8 or 9 a.m. you will have many opportunities to see herons, red wing black birds, and waterfowl up close. Plus, you will have the place to yourself. Even when the largest aquatic plants are dormant, there are other lilies to see, as well as walking trails to the Anacostia River and the boardwalk overlooking tidal marshes. If you get the chance to take a ranger-led historical tour, do it! It is very informative and worth the time.

A pleasant surprise to see many painted red Adirondack chairs and picnic tables near lily and lotus ponds for viewing or doing field trip painting! What a delight.

Awesome place. Boardwalk is currently closed, however, it is still a great place to get some time away from the sounds of the city.

What a wonderful gem. Perfect place to visit. Beautiful flowers and environment and plenty of space for social distancing

Absolutely stunning and a nice reprieve from the hustle of the city

While Autumn looks nice and brings its own seasonal wolfhound

This place is serene and beautiful and especially during these times its a wonderful place to go and just take it all in and relax

A lovely preservation of the nature in the Potomac watershed, while also housing numerous other varieties of plant within individual ponds. It is beautiful and peaceful to walk around and through the ponds, then out to the elevated path through the wetlands.

Enjoyable experience to go with friends and family during Lotus & Water Lily Festival in July.

If you love nature you will love it. Must go when aquatic plants are in bloom.

Dont miss the annual lotus and water lily festival. Lots of fun activities and beautiful flowers!

Great place to hide from DC heat during summer. Fabulous flowers and benches in shadow. Spacious parking lot with additional space within walking distance. Nice and knowledgeable staff. Bookstore with interesting selection of botanical guides.

Great place for a stroll thru nature. Really feels like you are someplace tropical.

Crowded Sunday and no oversight of public health. No limits on number admitted, no patrols of swamps to ensure masks were worn, visitors did not respect blocked off areas and only 2 rangers at a time to handle weekend crowds on the peak weekend.. Quite dangerous Mayor Bowser.

We went for the Lotus Festival and really enjoyed it. A great fun family outing.

Splendid experience at the Lotus & Water Lily Festival! The many ponds and wetlands were in full bloom with a sampling of various varieties of aquatic plants in bloom. Be prepared though - it truly IS a wetlands. Come prepared! Shoes that can get wet/dirty and won’t get sucked off your feet in the mud!

Lotus! And nicely organized for social distancing.

Youll find tortoise and ducks along the pongs inside the park, the boardwalk is well maintained and offers a brilliant glimpse of the pond ecosystem in general, its also has a couple of trails that you can jog or cycle, a visitor center, helpful staff and plenty of benches under the trees which make for a aesthetic location and for snacks

It sure was hot today -- cant blame that on the park. The place was well organized to compensate for COVID. One-way trails, porta-potties were available, masked park staff on hand with brochures and Jr. Ranger program available.

Visited for the first time in January, and it was filled with a sere greyscale beauty. It has many small ponds encircled by walkable paths, interesting signage, and a boardwalk into the marsh. I cant wait to see it in summer, when there are lotus flowers in bloom, or if we get any, covered in snow.Of interest to locals is that you can bike there from Anacostia Park on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, bearing right onto the River Trial, which takes you into Kenilworth Gardens.Even more interesting was an article on their website, noting that there are very few mosquitoes in the park, as the ponds are filled with fish that eat mosquito larvae. Sounds awesome to me!

The park is opened partially. Aquatic garden with beautiful water lilies is open. Boardwalk to Kenilworth Marsh is closed. For Covid19 the made paths one way but no body following the directions of arrows on ground.

They had the best part of the lotus fields blocked off for some reason (meaning the prettiest flowers were out of reach for picture taking).

The lotus blooms are spectacular . it is a good place to entertain preschoolers.

Go there for their lotus festival. You will not regret it. Be prepared for crowds. Bring water and a hat. You will park away and will be bussed in.

Really great park with some beautiful gardens. It changes throughout the year with different flowers in bloom. Knowledgeable Rangers and a junior ranger program for kids. Lotus festival is a great event despite the rain.

Great park, well maintained and delightful. Worth a visit to see some marshland. Plenty of ducks and geese!

The annual festival here is one of my favorite parts of summer in DC. Its just so beautiful.

The aquatic gardens are beautiful year round although exceptionally so when the water lilies and lotus flowers are in bloom (July/August). Be wary that the trails can get very muddy after a rain. I recommend the boardwalk trail where you can spot herons, turtles, and frogs. This spot is such a gem and it is hard to believe you are still in DC!

Always a good visit with opportunities to see a variety of wildlife. Almost as good as it is when the lilies and lotus are blooming. Warmer weather brings bigger crowds. Best part is leashed dogs are welcome, but beware not everyone abides by the leash rule, especially in they think the park is fairly deserted. This happened to me yesterday and my dog and I were almost rushed by an off-leash pooch whose mom thought they were alone. The rule doesnt exist just to keep your dog safe. I wish visitors would take it seriously.

Visited when the lotus flowers were in bloom.. Beautiful. Will return again to explore the rest of the park.

Its a nature photographers delight. Been there multiple times and always find something new each time, in addition to the lotuses and other aquatic plants.

Brought my daughter here to experience the flowers and atmosphere. The entrance is nice but the selection of flowers is low and very repetitive. Need more variety.

Hidden gem of DC. Lotuses are really nice, lots of wildlife to be seen.

Shhhh! Its a secret! A lovely hidden gem in SE DC. The ponds of water lily are incredible when in Summer bloom. There is also a boardwalk through the wetlands to the Anacostia River. Wonderful quiet spot in the city for watching dragonflies, turtles and many different species of birds.

A hidden treasure within the confines of the city. There is beauty here.......come visit

Beautiful but different gardens. The Lillies and Lotus pads are extrodinary. But the only bloom for certain periods during the day.

Great place to bring the family and load the fact that they have picnic tables

Great place to go for a walk and enjoy nice weather

I have been to this park for 2 consecutive years for the lotus blisson festival. Its the time of the year there are most blossoms spotted in the park. Its vast expanses of lotus fields where I as surprised to see lotus leaves and buds stand almost 6ft tall. Across the park you see the lotuses go though its life cycle which is pretty unique.This year it had poured heavily the night before and hence the walkways were flooded and some spots being muddy. But that did not stop the entusiasm of the visitors. There was a huge turnout wherethey simply held their shoes in their hands and walked right through the flooded parts of the park.I personally like to visit the park as I am an amatuer photographer and there is plenty of opportunity to get some good clicks out there. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process.The water lilies are also amazing and get some good clicks. Just there are not as many as the lotuses.I would surely recommend this place to a friend

Its quiet and i love being able to go for walks

Great to bike up to and through on the Anacostia trail.

Nice place to visit and walk. Not your average park!

Nice nature preserve near the river.

Nice job being open but facilitating safety from covid. Some clean porto potties with sanitizer available if needed. Polite friendly participants. Masks worn.

So pleased I took the time to visit the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. From the peaceful sounds of the frogs and turtles moving through the ponds to the swaying of the tall water lilies and giant hibiscuses, it was like walking through a Dr. Seuss book!It was super hot and muggy on the day I went. I will definitely be back on a cooler day to take the path down to the Anacostia River.

This is one of the most amazing places you will ever visit. You must go.

Hmm meh its aight but good picnic spot

Very nice walking trails and the lotuses are especially pretty when blooming in summer months.

It’s pretty exciting to see deer, water lillies, and all sorts of bird life within the city limits.

Fantastic. A few lotus still in bloom!

Wasnt super busy, and was a nice n quiet nature walk~

A great little place to visit in the spring and fall. The park staff are always attentive and helpful. Watch out for the speed cameras when leaving the park (located on the side road adjacent to the main highway)

Beautiful experience. Highly recommend for a nature walk

A Must Go place in DC area, forget those museums. Make sure to bring long lens and snacks, it’s a huge Aquatic Garden~

Great park with free parking. The lotus and water lilies are in full bloom. Lotus flowers look way better than the water lilies though. I dont know how they do it, but no mosquitoes is a huge plus

Beautiful bicycle trail you will definitely get your workout in.

You can come here most times of the year, but no better time is during the middle to late July when most of the lotus plants are in bloom. Its amazing and definitely something to do in DC.

Amazing park thats easily accessible through the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Still worth a visit in the winter time, as a place of quiet and peace. Incredibly beautiful when things are in bloom.

Lovely park and some seating and tables available.

Wonderful day at the park/field