Gravelly Point: The Best Planespotting Spot on the East Coast
Gravelly Point puts you directly under DCA's approach path. Here's how to get there, when to visit, and how to shoot arrivals and departures on Runway 19.
There are a handful of places in the world where you can watch commercial aircraft at genuinely close range from public land. Gravelly Point, a small National Park Service strip along the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington, Virginia, is one of the best of them. If you're within driving distance of Washington D.C., it's worth a trip.
The park sits just north of Reagan National Airport's Runway 1/19, directly under the approach and departure path. Aircraft on final to Runway 19 pass between 100 and 200 feet overhead. That's not an approximation designed to sound impressive - it's the actual altitude, and the first time a jet passes at that height you feel it as much as see it.
I've shot here a few times with a Canon 5D and a 70-200mm f/2.8, and it's one of those spots where the gear doesn't matter... because the subjects come to you.
What You're Shooting
Runway 19 arrivals and Runway 1 departures are the primary show. When winds favor southerly operations - which is most of the time at DCA - aircraft land on Runway 19 approaching from the north, passing directly over Gravelly Point on short final. This is known as the Potomac River Approach - a manual landing where pilots follow the Potomac River as they weave through DC's highly restricted airspace.
Here's a pilot's view:
And a passenger view for those sitting on the side of the National Mall:
Departures from Runway 1 head north and climb out low over the park as well. Either way, you're getting shots of the belly and undercarriage at close enough range that full-frame and a 70-200 is genuinely all you need. Head-on shots as planes roll out on final approach are achievable and dramatic — the compressed perspective as a 737 or A320 comes straight at you down the glide path is hard to replicate anywhere else.
Runway 15 sees occasional use, particularly for smaller regional jets during certain wind conditions or when 19 is occupied. The geometry from Gravelly Point on Runway 15 operations is different — you lose the direct overhead pass, but if you position correctly you can frame regional jets against the DCA control tower in the background. It's a tighter, more compositional shot than the raw overhead approach, and worth having on the card if 15 is active. These are my favorite types of shots of DCA.
DCA's traffic skews heavily toward narrowbodies — 737s, A320 family, E175s and CRJ-900s. American Airlines dominates, which means a steady stream of their livery, but you'll catch many of the major U.S. carriers over the course of a few hours.
Getting There
The park is on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington, roughly a mile north of the airport terminal. The important access detail: the park is only accessible while traveling north on the George Washington Parkway by car. If you're coming from D.C. or the airport side, you'll need to head south past the entrance and double back northbound. It's a minor inconvenience that catches people off guard the first time.
By car: George Washington Memorial Parkway northbound - the Gravelly Point parking lot entrance comes up on the right just after Roaches Run. Parking is free.
By bike or on foot: The park sits alongside the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail, which runs from Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate. If you're coming from Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria, or anywhere along that corridor, the trail access is straightforward and avoids the parking situation entirely.
By Metro: The closest station is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the Blue and Yellow lines. From there it's about a mile walk north along the trail - manageable in good weather.
Parking
The lot is small and fills up faster than you'd expect. Weekends are the most compressed — the park draws a mix of planespotters, picnickers, cyclists, and families, and the lot can be full by mid-morning on a nice day. Evening hours add another wrinkle: parking during the early evening can be difficult due to softball and baseball games in the area. Weekday mornings and early afternoons are generally the easiest window for parking without hassle.
If you arrive and the lot is full, the Mount Vernon Trail offers overflow on foot or by bike, and some visitors park further along the parkway and walk back. It's worth building extra time into your visit rather than banking on an open spot at peak hours.
Shooting Tips
Light: Morning light comes from the east, which puts it broadly behind you for southbound arrivals on Runway 19 — favorable for shooting aircraft on approach. Afternoon light swings around and can work well for departure shots heading north off Runway 1. Overcast days reduce shadows on the belly of the aircraft on overhead shots, which can actually be cleaner than direct sun at midday.
Positioning: You can be on either side of the runway centerline on the Gravelly Point jogging trail, which gives you some flexibility depending on what you're after. For head-on approach shots, positioning yourself on or near the centerline extension gives you the compressed perspective as aircraft descend toward you. For side-profile shots of departures climbing out, shifting off-axis opens up the view.
Focal length: 70-200mm covers most situations well here. Aircraft on Runway 19 approach are close enough that you don't need more reach, and the 2.8 aperture helps in lower light. A wider lens has its place for the dramatic belly shots when a widebody passes directly overhead — at 100-200 feet AGL, a 50mm or even a wide prime captures the full aircraft in frame.
Runway in use: DCA publishes live flight tracking through FlightAware or Flightradar24. Checking before you go tells you which runway is active and whether you're heading into arrival or departure traffic. The experience at Gravelly Point is good either way, but this can help shape how you position and set up for your shots.
A Few Other Notes
The park has portable restrooms and minimal other amenities. Bring water and whatever you need for a few hours outside. The Mount Vernon Trail runs directly through, so expect cyclist traffic and make way on pathways.
The D.C. skyline is visible across the Potomac to the northeast, which adds context to wider shots and gives you something to work with in the background on departure images when the aircraft are climbing out at distance.
Gravelly Point is worth the trip whether you're shooting seriously or just want to watch traffic for an hour.
The Essentials
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | George Washington Memorial Parkway, Arlington, VA |
| Access by car | Northbound GW Parkway only — plan your approach accordingly |
| Parking | Free, on-site lot — small, fills quickly on weekends |
| By bike/foot | Mount Vernon Trail access |
| Fees | None |
| Hours | Dawn to dusk (NPS managed) |
| Primary runways | 19 arrivals / 1 departures for overhead shots; 15 for tower-framed regional shots |
| Best times | Weekday mornings; avoid weekend afternoons and weekday evenings during sports season |
| Gear | 70-200mm covers most situations; wide lens useful for direct overhead shots. The proximity to the runway means that even a cell phone camera can grab some great shots |