National Airport- where to watch planes take off and land

[Anonymous]

My children would like to watch planes take off and land. What's the best place to do this near National Airport?

[Anonymous]

Gravelly Point. Has its own parking lot. Google it. Waze will lead the way.

[Anonymous]

The airport.

[Anonymous]

Gravelly Point. They will love it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point. They will love it

This. It's a great spot. I think it's best when planes are landing from the North, but it's still cool the other way, when you will get planes taking off to the North.

BWI has a viewing area/park next to a runway. It only works, if that's the runway being used. Is there a viewing area at Dulles? This would be the best spot to watch planes. Dulles has a wide variety of international carriers and a better variety of plane types- lots of widebodies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point. They will love it

This. It's a great spot. I think it's best when planes are landing from the North, but it's still cool the other way, when you will get planes taking off to the North.

BWI has a viewing area/park next to a runway. It only works, if that's the runway being used. Is there a viewing area at Dulles? This would be the best spot to watch planes. Dulles has a wide variety of international carriers and a better variety of plane types- lots of widebodies.

Like trains, there is a very active world of plane nerds aka "avgeeks".

https://www.spotterguide.net/planespotting/north-america/united-states-of-america/washington-dulles-iad-kiad/

[Anonymous]

Daingerfield Island is NPS park immediately south of DCA. Accessible from either direction of GW Parkway.

This is nicer than Gravelly Point because there is seating on the deck in back and shade in the summer. Also, one can enter leave from either direction of the GWP. Gravelly Pt one must access from south and must depart to north.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point. They will love it

This. It's a great spot. I think it's best when planes are landing from the North, but it's still cool the other way, when you will get planes taking off to the North.

BWI has a viewing area/park next to a runway. It only works, if that's the runway being used. Is there a viewing area at Dulles? This would be the best spot to watch planes. Dulles has a wide variety of international carriers and a better variety of plane types- lots of widebodies.

You can view Dulles from the top level of the Air and Space museum. It’s a totally different perspective than Gravelly Point but fun to see them line up on the runways. Dulles has bigger planes coming in but you get so close at Gravelly Point.
Flight Radar is great to use at either viewing area to know where the planes are coming from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The airport.

No. Gravelly Point. You can only access it from GW Parkway just north of the airport.

[Anonymous]

Is Gravelly Point open? We went to Dangerfield tha past 2 weekends and there was a very unsafe line of cars parked on the side of the Parkway and cones up.

[Anonymous]

Gravelly Point is closed due to the government shutdown. There is no parking there and the road in is blocked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point. They will love it

This. It's a great spot. I think it's best when planes are landing from the North, but it's still cool the other way, when you will get planes taking off to the North.

BWI has a viewing area/park next to a runway. It only works, if that's the runway being used. Is there a viewing area at Dulles? This would be the best spot to watch planes. Dulles has a wide variety of international carriers and a better variety of plane types- lots of widebodies.

Like trains, there is a very active world of plane nerds aka "avgeeks".

https://www.spotterguide.net/planespotting/north-america/united-states-of-america/washington-dulles-iad-kiad/

Neat site. Thanks for sharing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point is closed due to the government shutdown. There is no parking there and the road in is blocked.

I was wondering how many people were going to suggest Gravelly Point before someone pointed this out.

When the gov is open, the observation tower at Udvar-Hazy is also a good spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gravelly Point is closed due to the government shutdown. There is no parking there and the road in is blocked.

I was wondering how many people were going to suggest Gravelly Point before someone pointed this out.

When the gov is open, the observation tower at Udvar-Hazy is also a good spot.

Why would they close the car park there when you can still go into national parks?

[Anonymous]

A potential alternative/supplement is the Flightradar24 app. If you aim your phone at an aircraft overhead, the app tells you the type of aircraft, who it belongs to, and the route it is on. It can be entertaining.