Parking

There are three main areas recommended for parking.

• Street parking along MacArthur Blvd NW: There is usually an abundance of parking spots along this road. The reservoir is visible from this road, unlike the next two areas. 
• Street parking along Hutchins Pl NW.
• Street parking along Eliot Place NW.
• This hotspot is also accessible via WMATA bus. The D6 Bus Route has a stop at the corner of MacArthur Blvd NW & 47th Pl NW.

Birding Locations

• North Cell (aka Large Cell) - This is the northern portion of the reservoir.
• South Cell (aka Small Cell) - This is the southern portion of the reservoir.
• Palisades Trolley Trail - This trail, in addition to the three roads mentioned in the parking section, provides a full loop around the reservoir perimeter. **Note: The reservoir is not visible from the trail. 

Scoping is uncommon and unnecessary to view most birds here.

Scan the divider between the cells as waterfowl can be obscured by them depending on your viewing angle.

A typical eBird checklist here is 10-20 minutes for both cells. If a full loop around is completed, the time is approximately 45-60 minutes.

• Common Goldeneye - Approximately 40% of the DC sightings have occurred here.
• Long-tailed Duck - Approximated 29% of the DC sightings have occurred here.

Other less common waterfowl tend to drop in throughout the winter including DC notables such as Redhead, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, etc. 

When inland water bodies freeze over the warmer waters in the district can draw in numerous waterfowl. Canvasback and other diving ducks, even red-necked grebes, occasionally. If it stays cold and the reservoir begins to freeze over gulls sit on the ice and waterbirds pack in the open patches until they completely freeze.

During storms in late fall, waterbird fallouts may occur. All three scoters have been seen simultaneously, for example.

The reservoir is an excellent place to see common mergansers and large numbers can pour in at dusk to roost in winter.

Ducks and coots sometimes linger into summer and this is an excellent spot to see common loons in spring.

It is a popular site with gulls. They often sit on the cross dyke. Occasionally rarer gulls, such as lesser black-backed, glaucous, and iceland are seen, although not nearly as frequently as years ago when landfills were open nearby. There is even a record of yellow-legged gull here!

Cool, rainy days in spring can result in hundreds of swallows skimming over the reservoir. Cliff swallows nest here but often across the water and can be difficult to find. Purple martins, uncommon in DC, can be seen here occasionally during spring and summer as they nest nearby in Georgetown. Bank swallows have nested while tree, barn, and rough-winged still nest.

Some years the water is drawn down and the exposed mudflats have been attractive to shorebirds including dunlin and white-rumped.

The grassy area on the south side of the reservoir can be an excellent spot to observe migrating hawks and vultures. Golden eagle, goshawk, and Mississippi kite have been seen, although not recently. 

The area behind the reservoir greens up a little earlier than other parts of DC so the first warbler and vireo migrants may show up. This area is also quite brushy with catbirds and fox sparrows sometimes overwintering, thrashers nesting, and Lincoln’s sparrows and least flycatchers occurring during migration.

DC's 14th ranked hotspot

This location is fenced off as it is government property. However, the fence is easy to see through and there have not been any confrontations with birders. Viewing is generally best in the morning as the sun will rise in the East and illuminate the reservoir with minimal glare. In the afternoons, sunset can pose issues with reflections off the water. 

While waterfowl are the main draw in the actual reservoir, birding the Palisades Trolley Trail can add many sparrows, woodpeckers, and passerines depending on the time of year. 

Palisades Farmers Market occurs on Sunday mornings near MacArthur Blvd & 48th Pl NW. Albeit unlikely, parking may be more difficult during mid-morning on Sundays. 

The Palisades Trolley Trail is a trail that runs on the eastern side of the reservoir. However, it extends far beyond the hotspot in either direction with a distance of 2.7 miles.

AllTrails - Palisades Trolley Trail

The section on the "backside" of the reservoir is 0.57 miles long from Eliot Pl NW to Hutchins Pl NW. This trail is a grass/dirt path. Squishy surfaces and mud could be present after heavy rains. 

You may run into folks walking their dog.

The entrances to this trail segment from Eliot/Hutchins Places are not often maintained. It is not bushwhacking, but it is also not a smooth/well-maintained trail. There is about 15' of elevation change down to the Palisades Trolley Trail.