See a Million Daffodils Bloom at Lady Bird Johnson Park

Few spring moments in the entire DC metro region rival the daffodil bloom at Lady Bird Johnson Park, and the fact that it remains relatively unhyped makes it all the more worth seeking out. Situated on Columbia Island in the Potomac River — accessible from the George Washington Memorial Parkway just north of the Pentagon — the park erupts with what can only be described as a staggering quantity of yellow each March and early April. The landscape design, conceived during the Johnson administration’s Beautification Program and executed by landscape architect Edward Durell Stone, planted large drifts of daffodils across the island alongside more than 2,700 flowering dogwood trees that bloom in complementary succession. From the grove there is a beautiful view of the river and the monuments in DC. This was apparently one of the Johnsons’ favorite spots to stop and admire the view.

The park is also home to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove,— a quiet, reflective 15-acre space anchored by a 19-foot pink Texas granite monolith and inscribed with memorable words from President Johnson’s speeches — and the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial at the island’s northern tip. Parking is free at the Columbia Island Marina lot, which also puts you steps from the Island Time Bar and Grill and the Mount Vernon Trail. The park is open daily and free to visit year-round, with the daffodil peak typically falling in the last two weeks of March. For current bloom status and trail information, visit nps.gov/gwmp.