Fort Dupont Park (Washington, D.C.)

Fort Dupont Park is a 376-acre (1.52 km2) wooded park under the management of the National Park Service located in Washington, DC. The name of the park comes from the old Civil War earthwork fort that lies within the park. The fort was one of several designed to defend Washington from a Confederate attack during the Civil War. There are few remains of the actual fortifications. It is one of Washington's largest parks and protects an important sub-watershed of the Anacostia River. The park is a popular place for picnics, nature walks, indoor ice skating, mountain bike riding, gardening, environmental education, music, skating, sports, and ranger-led Civil War programs. The park was purchased by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission (predecessor of the National Capital Planning Commission) authorized by the Capper-Cramton Act provided along with the other circle parks in the 1930s and '40s.