In The Park

Oxon Run Park

Nestled within Southeast DC, Oxon Run Park offers a unique mix of natural beauty and greenspace for outdoor recreation and serves as a vital hub that brings the community together. Whether jogging on its trails, sitting beneath the tree canopy near the James Bunn Amphitheater, or connecting with friends and neighbors to do yoga, garden or play with their children, Oxon Run Park, the largest park in the city's inventory, has something for everybody.

The pandemic proved that our city’s parks are not just a nicety—they are a necessity.  When other local amenities were closed or unavailable, neighborhood parks like Oxon Run provided a safe place for residents to do everything from relaxation and testing to protest and mourning. These days, visitors to Oxon Run Park can volunteer at the community garden, make friends while attending workshops on birding and herbal tea making, or spend the day wandering among the largest number of legacy cherry blossom trees outside of the Tidal Basin. But these activities can only be enjoyed if Oxon Run Park is protected from new development and sprawl that threaten to disturb this urban oasis.

Any plans to revitalize Oxon Run Park should be rooted in the needs of the communities who live near the park. Prioritizing their participation and concerns about safety, availability of park amenities and environmental justice, is the best antidote to traditional land development approaches that have typically excluded them from the decision-making process. By protecting Oxon Run Park today, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy this valuable community resource for generations to come.