Melvin C. Hazen Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring

The Hazen Trail features natural uneven terrain, with a few sections where the trail climbs/drops steeply in a stair step fashion, and includes four easy stream crossings on stones and fallen trees.

The Melvin C. Hazen Trail is a running trail in Melvin Colvin Hazen Park, within Rock Creek Park and Piney Branch Parkway. The trail runs for a total length of about 1 mile, with an elevation gain of 573 feet, and follows a stream valley tributary to Rock Creek through natural wooded terrain. In a few sections near Connecticut Avenue the trail climbs/drops steeply in a stair step fashion.

On the eastern section (between Connecticut Ave and Rock Creek Park) the trail goes past several small waterfalls and makes four easy stream crossings on stones and fallen trees. During periods of higher water levels, one of the stream crossings requires careful attention since the stones that would normally aid in crossing may be underwater, but with some careful scrambling one can cross the stream using a large fallen tree adjacent to the stones (10-20 feet downstream). On the eastern end, this trail connects with the Western Ridge Trail and the Track Trail near Peirce Mill.