Wednesday, October 31, 2018

A Lightweight Urban Exploration Adventure - The Historic Capitol Stones

I'm a fan of Urban Exploration Lite. That is, exploring hidden infrastructure, but the kind without menacing no-trespassing signs that would make the whole endeavor a crime.

Case in point: The Historic Capitol Stones. Located within Rock Creek Park is a collection of massive stones that used to be part of the Capitol building. In 1958, when the Capitol was renovated, the stones were put in Rock Creek park and promptly forgotten.

I've known about the pile of stones for years, but was just recently able to venture out and explore them in person. They did not disappoint, many having interesting markings or flourishes.

The location of the stones is an open secret:

The government neither discourages nor encourages visitors. The path to the stones is unmarked, but well maintained. If you do go, be careful walking around, and be gentle on the stones.

The Stones are 200 yards down an unmarked trail that runs southeast from the Rock Creek Stables.

I spent about 15 minutes exploring the site, snapping ample pictures. I was alone the whole time and as promised, there were no signs suggesting the area was off-limits. It's actually impressive how pristine the site is, especially given how accessible it is.

As for finding the site, you can use the directions described above. As an additional hint, here's my running route that took me adjacent to the stones:

Learn about the stones. Learn About Urban Exploration. Now go, explore!

No comments:

Post a Comment