Tourists at Home: Photography at Gravelly Point

Off the George Washington Parkway in Arlington, just north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, is a grassy park on the Potomac.  What makes this park so unique is that it sits at the end of the airport's runway 1/19, making it one of best the airplane-watching spots in the country.  Recall the scene in Wayne's World when Wayne and Garth lay on the hood of the AMC Pacer and scream as airplanes fly RIGHT ABOVE them?  You can do that at Gravelly Point.

Planes literally fly right overhead, their engines screaming, as the ground trembles.  Break out that 300mm zoom for a few up-close-and-personal shots of the underside of the jet or use shorter ranger lenses for first-person perspectives with the airport, Capitol Dome, Potomac River, Washington, D.C. skyline, and other picnickers as backdrop.  Bring an assortment of gear, because you just never know what you'll see out there.

Gravelly Point is located right on the Mount Vernon trail making it a busy intersection, or ideal resting point, for runners, bikers, and sightseers passing through on the trail, as well as a few sports club teams that use the fields for games.  So, even if it's a slow day for air travel or the weather conditions are too windy, point the camera a little lower for prime people-watching opportunities, or for boats passing by on the Potomac.

Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and your camera gear for an afternoon, or evening, on the grass as airplanes make their final descent into the Washington area or depart our city for destinations across the country.  Try to imagine where they've been or where they might be going and imagine all the far-away places you've ever wanted to visit.  

Gravelly Point is accessible from the Northbound lane of the George Washington Parkway, directly after the end of the airport.  By Metro, take the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stop, exit the terminal on the lower level, turn right, and walk north along the bike path past the parking lot (it's about a 15 minute walk).  On bike or foot, simply follow the Mount Vernon trail south from Rosslyn and points north or head north on the trail if coming from the direction of Old Town Alexandria or Mount Vernon in the south.