Fort Hunt Picnic Areas

Failure to comply with park rules and regulations may result in the cancellation of your reservation and/or legal action. Visit the Fort Hunt-Picnic Areas Reservations page for details and FAQ's.

A park ranger will contact you using the phone number and/or email address you provided on recreation.gov to discuss your reservation and park rules. You may also call the park 202-439-7325. If you do not respond to the park's efforts to contact you, your reservation may be cancelled. 

You or someone you designate must have the reservation confirmation email with you on site (printed on paper or downloaded to a mobile device) for the entire event.

Food & Beverage.Foods and beverages may be brought into the park from home for personal consumption onsite (e.g., potluck) or purchased from commercial businesses outside of the park and brought into the park in a personal vehicle for personal consumption onsite (e.g., takeout meals). Commercial businesses such as caterers must not enter the park to deliver, set up, cook, or serve food and/or beverages inside the park without a Special Use Permit and the park superintendent’s authorization placard. To pursue a Special Use Permit, speak with Fort Hunt staff on the phone after making your reservation: 202-439-7325.Beer and wine, but no hard liquor, may be brought into the park by personal vehicle for personal consumption onsite through the Fort Hunt Park picnic permit system. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to comply with all state (DC, MD, and VA) alcohol license requirements.  Reservation holders (Areas A-D) may have beer and wine from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Hard alcohol is not permitted. Hired caterers that provide or serve alcohol must have an ABC banquet license from the state of Virginia. Money may not be exchanged at Fort Hunt Park under any circumstance (for example, no selling food or tickets, raffles, alcohol, or any items).Grills may be brought into the park for personal use, but require the following: minimum of one Size II Dry Chemical and ABC Rated fire extinguisher is required. Grills must be at least 10 feet away from any structure.

Picnic reservations are only valid from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The reservation provides exclusive use of the picnic area but does not give exclusive use of the restrooms in any area.

All picnic areas have a maximum capacity. Your group's size may not exceed the maximum capacity of each picnic area, which are as follows: Area A- 600 people / 150 vehiclesArea B- 350 people/ 140 vehiclesArea C1-100 people/ 40 vehiclesArea C2-120 people/ 40 vehiclesArea C3-100 people/ 40 vehiclesArea D-120 people/ 30 vehicles. Please plan to reserve the area that offers adequate parking for the number of vehicles you expect to come to your event or to make other transportation arrangements (e.g., for a shuttle to bring guests to the park). Reservation of more than one picnic area requires a Public Gathering Permit. If you have questions, please contact the park: 202-439-7325.

Amplified sound is only allowed in Area A. If park staff feels the music or sound is too loud, a park ranger will ask you to reduce the volume. The Code of Federal Regulations states no audio disturbance can exceed 60 decibels measured on the A-weighted scale at 50 feet from the source.

You may only drive on the paved loop road, in parking lots, and in designated loading zones. Vehicles may not occupy loading zones for longer than 10 minutes. You may only park in marked parking spaces. Parking off hard surfaces (i.e. grass or dirt surfaces) is prohibited, and vehicles will be towed.

If you have reserved a picnic area, you may only decorate the picnic tables and pavilion in the site you have reserved. You may only tie or tape decorations to the tables and pavilion. You may not attach decorations in a way that will cause permanent damage, such as with nails or staples. Please note that you may not attach decorations to vegetation, or put signs or decorations outside of the area you reserved, such as along the road. No glitter or confetti of any kind is permitted. All picnic decorations must be removed when your reservation expires. Moon bounces or bouncy castles are prohibited under all circumstances.

You may not use anything that penetrates the ground, such as wire sign holders, volleyball poles, or tent stakes. You may only use park water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Recreational water use is prohibited.

You may not bring firewood, live plants, or live animals (other than pets) into Fort Hunt Park. You must leave the area you use in the same condition that it was when you arrived. If your use of the park causes damage (beyond what is reasonably inherent in its use) you can be held financially liable for that damage. If park staff must clean up an area that you reserved after you leave, you can be held financially liable for associated costs.

Smoking is not permitted within 25 feet of any structure. Electrical outlets in area A may only be used with a picnic permit.