Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park is a large natural area with public park facilities that bisects the northwestern urban areas of Washington , D . C . The park is administered by the National Park Service . Overview . The main section of the park contains , or , along the Rock Creek Valley . Including the other green areas the park administers ( Glover Archbold Park , Montrose Park , Dumbarton Oaks Park , Meridian Hill Park , Battery Kemble Park , Palisades Park , Whitehaven Park , etc . ) , it is more than . The major portion of the area lies north of the National Zoo , and was established by act of Congress made law by President Benjamin Harrison on September 27 , 1890 , the same year that Yosemite National Park was established . Legislative language from its establishment , and the character of the park , suggests that it is among the oldest of America ' s national parks . In 1913 Congress authorized creation of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and extended the park along a narrow corridor from the zoo to the mouth of Rock Creek at the Potomac River . The parkway is a major traffic thoroughfare , especially along the portion south of the zoo . The park is patrolled by the United States Park Police . The parklands follow the course of Rock Creek across the D . C . - Maryland border to connect with Rock Creek Stream Valley Park and Rock Creek Regional Park in Montgomery County . The Maryland parks are operated by the Maryland - National Capital Park and Planning Commission . The Rock Creek Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23 , 1991 . Park management . As originally authorized by Congress , the park was governed by the Rock Creek Park Commission , comprising the Chief of Engineers of the Army , the engineer commissioner of the District of Columbia , and three presidential appointees . In 1933 , the park , along with other National Capital Parks , was transferred to the jurisdiction of the National Park Service . Recreation facilities . Recreation facilities include a golf course ; equestrian trails ; sport venues , including a tennis stadium which hosts major professional events ; a nature center and planetarium ; an outdoor concert venue ; and picnic and playground facilities . Rock Creek Park also maintains cultural exhibits , including the Peirce Mill and Civil War fortifications , such as Fort Stevens and Fort DeRussy . Rock Creek is a popular venue for jogging , cycling , and inline skating , especially on the long , winding Beach Drive , portions of which are closed to vehicles on weekends . Peirce Mill . Peirce Mill is a water - powered grist mill in Rock Creek Park . There were at least eight mills along Rock Creek within what is now Washington D . C . , and many more farther upstream in Montgomery County , Maryland . Of those eight , only Peirce Mill is still standing . It was built in the 1820s by Isaac Peirce , along with a house , barn , and other buildings . It was later owned by a son , Joshua Peirce , and a nephew Peirce Shoemaker . It became part of Rock Creek Park in 1892 . The family consistently spelled their name " Peirce " ( except for some of Isaac Peirce ' s ancestors who went by Pearce ) . Others often use " Pierce " but not the family . Evidence includes family gravestones , family Bible , and estate book from Joshua Peirce , and living descendants who still use the old spelling . The mill was listed on the National Register in 1969 as Pierce Mill . It was repaired and re - opened October 15 , 2011 . The Peirce Carriage Barn , adjacent to the mill , usually is open every day . The barn is the National Park Service point of contact . The barn was part of the Peirce estate built in 1810 and used as a tack room and carriage barn . The barn is now a mini museum containing information on the milling process , the Peirce family estate and other mills along the Rock Creek Valley . Montrose and Dumbarton Oaks Parks . Montrose Park occupies land that belonged to Robert Parrott . Adjacent to it is Dumbarton Oaks Park , which preserves the grounds of the former Dumbarton Oaks estate . The house and its formal garden are not part of the park . Both parks were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28 , 1967 . Old Stone House . The Old Stone House , the oldest building in Washington , D . C . , is a simple eighteenth century dwelling . The house is a popular museum , showcasing the everyday life of middle class colonists . It was purchased by the federal government in 1953 and has been open to the public since the 1960s . The house is located in the Georgetown neighborhood , not on land contiguous with Rock Creek Park , but the property is managed by park staff . Administrative history . Congressional authorizations :