2023-01-20: Point Reno

Point Reno, Washington DC highpoint. US territory HP 1/7.

Another trip to college means, as always, more highpoints! My plans for returning this semester changed quite a bit, going through multiple iterations. The original plan for hitting just the Mississippi highpoint was very drastically changed the day before my original departure date. A second plan, to head west through OH and IN, was stopped by a winter storm moving from that direction. Finally, I settled on South Carolina and, on the way there, I figured I might as well stop by DC.

The District of Columbia is not a state, and therefore, Point Reno doesn't qualify as a state high point. Highpointers are under no obligation to visit Point Reno, or the district at all. However, the US's seven territories are still part of the country, and as far as I'm concerned, their highpoints count, too. Plus it was only a half-hour out of the way and it's a pretty cool spot to visit in general.

Point Reno is located in the northwest corner of the Fort Reno Park in the Tenleytown area of Washington DC. The area has a rich history, once home to a Civil War-era fort, a segregated shantytown, and a government bunker. Today, the park is located south of a middle school, whose students, I would soon discover, frequently spend their lunch breaks on top of the district.

I left home before sunrise, hoping to escape the storm, and headed south along the coast. While I usually take I-81 down to avoid tolls and traffic, I-95 goes right by Washington, so that was the smarter route. This was my first time driving I-95 that far, and came with the added bonus of driving past Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin in northern New Jersey. (Aside from the bumper stickers and unmistakable face, his new car was easy to confirm).

I drove through the Chevy Chase area to get to Fort Reno, a fairly affluent suburb to the north of DC. While the capital conjures up images famous monuments and government buildings in most peoples' minds, much of Washington is residential and sometimes downright suburban. From Fort Reno you can't even see the Washington Monument, so don't plan this as the only spot in your capital tour.

Looking up towards the Fort Reno Park from my parking spot. The high point seen here is artificial; the natural spot is off-camera to the right. The tower is part of the nearby middle school.

I parked my car just beside the park, threw a couple quarters in the parking meter, grabbed my camera, and headed up the hill. Soon I discovered a potential problem: It was just after noon, and the middle school across the park had let their students wander for lunch. Here I was, a single man walking around with a giant camera surrounded by children, and I immediately recognized how this situation could go south very quickly.

Survey marker at Point Reno. The marker was established through efforts by the Highpointers Club and the Highpointers Foundation, two organizations dedicated to helping highpointers such as myself.

A view south from Point Reno shows the Jackson-Reed High School and some communications towers.

I ran to the top of the hill and took three pictures, taking care to make sure no children were around, then set up my camera for a summit selfie, to prove that I was really there. The first angle was awful and I had to retake by balancing the camera in a tree, at which the kids started making fun of me. Ignoring the students, I returned to the car and left. Original plans to visit another park were abandoned as I really didn't have the energy to spend my day navigating DC by car.

Point Reno, 409'. US territory HP 1/7. I had to balance the camera in a sapling for this shot, hence the odd angle.

The rest of the drive down was uneventful, landing me at my hotel in Asheville NC by 730 PM, where I am now. Fingers crossed for Sassafras Mountain tomorrow!