Take Transit to Trails and Visit the Nation’s Capital for its 250th Year, MD

***Special Promotion*** All trip participants will receive a Fjällräven Kånken R backpack (valued at $100) generously donated by our good friends at Fjällräven. Made from recycled materials and ready for adventure!

Trees stretch skyward, leaves rustle in the wind, and birdsong echoes all around. All this beauty and only 12 miles from the nation’s capital!

Welcome to Greenbelt Park, an urban oasis like no other! Part of National Capital Parks – East, its 1,100 acres of emerald paradise welcome people from all over the country and the world to experience its unique natural solace. Greenbelt is the only national park where you can camp within the greater DC area (year-round, too!) while its 10+ miles of hiking trails, 3 large picnic areas, annual campfire programs, and resident wildlife ensure amazing experiences for everyone.

Being such a popular park, its pathways see lots of activity, and after a while they do need some sprucing up. That’s why we’re inviting you to Greenbelt to help improve and enhance its hiking trails! During your time with us, you’ll rejuvenate and reshape trails damaged by storm washout and erosion, clear invasive and plant native vegetation, maintain signage, and much more.

But this opportunity isn’t all dirt and work; there’ll be time for sightseeing and exploring nearby parks as well as DC itself, right on time for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Greenbelt Park is eager to welcome you to experience serenity amidst suburbia while helping improve the land for all who engage with it. We hope to see you in 2026 for an unforgettable Volunteer Vacation!

There is no experience needed to join a Volunteer Vacation! Your expert hosts will provide detailed instruction, tool demonstrations, and project oversight throughout the week. All you need is a willing attitude and to be in good physical condition to participate in moderate physical activity for approximately 6-8 hours a day with plenty of breaks, at your own pace. Find out more about what it’s like to join a Volunteer Vacation and other frequently asked questions here.

Avg. Temperature:

Typical weather for this area during this season has highs of about 80–85°F and lows of 60–65°F. Mid-June in the Washington, D.C. area is warm, humid, and often hazy, with a good chance of showers or thunderstorms.

Sample Schedule:

Day 1: Arrival

Typically meet in the afternoon for check in, introductions, orientation, and camp setup. (Time/place TBD)

Day 2: Work Day

Enjoy a hearty breakfast, pack lunches, and be on the trail between 8 AM and 9 AM

Lunch and plenty of other breaks will be included.

Wrap up the work day in the late afternoon and head back to camp and enjoy a few hours of daylight for free time.

Reconvene at a chosen time for dinner.

After dinner has been cleaned up, evenings offer plenty of  time to relax, sit around the campfire and get to know your fellow crew members, or enjoy more free time.

Day 3: Work Day

Day 4: Departure

Enjoy a hearty breakfast, finish any final project work. Pack up and clean up, celebrate your accomplishments, wish each other a fond farewell, and depart.

Please note:  This schedule is subject to change due to weather or other circumstances. Any updates will be communicated to the group.

Land Acknowledgement:

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Anacostan, and Piscataway people past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded these islands and mountain landscapes for countless generations, and those who continue this stewardship today. This acknowledgement is one step in our ongoing commitment to uplift Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to learn about, support, and stand in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples whose lands we live, work, and recreate on.