Hike in the Footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt

Posted by Jeff on Jun 21, 2017 @ 11:30 am in Hiking News | 0 comments | Last modified: June 20, 2017

When Theodore Roosevelt took office as the United States’ 26th president, he was only 42, the youngest president in the history of the nation. He was also a fanatic for the outdoors, and was actually heading back from a hike when his predecessor, President William McKinley, took a turn for the worst after an assassination attempt and died.

The presidency and life at the White House didn’t stop Roosevelt from enjoying a life outdoors, though. He had a tendency to take ambassadors and friends with him on intense hikes around Washington, D.C., and across the country. “What the President called a walk was a run: no stop, no breathing time, no slacking of speed, but a continuous race, careless of mud, thorns and the rest,” French ambassador Jean Jules Jusserand detailed in his memoirs.

When Roosevelt was in office, Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. was one of his favorite spots to go hiking. He’d often suggest a walk to members of his “tennis cabinet” (a group of informal advisors) or to foreign ambassadors visiting the U.S. Follow the 3.5-mile Boulder Bridge hike through the part of the park Roosevelt frequented. He lost a gold ring at the bridge itself, leaving an ad in the paper for its return: “Golden ring lost near Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek. If found, return to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Ask for Teddy.”

On one hike in this area, he brought along Jusserand—who was said to be the only one who could actually keep up with Roosevelt on his hikes. The two became fast friends after an incident on the hike. The president, intending to cross Rock Creek, stripped naked in order to keep his clothes dry for when they emerged on the other side. Jusserand reluctantly did the same.

See more of Teddy’s favorite hikes…