Locations for Wild Berries Around DC

[robrrb]

Hi Everyone, this is my first post and I was referred to the site in response to this question. I've been hankering for a berry-picking trip around town for a while. Where I grew up, there were blackberries or raspberries or mulberries in every other non-wooded area. I've looked around rock creek park and seen a few (very few) wine raspberries and unripe blackberries. Does anyone have advice re: places to check? Surely there's a back road somewhere on public lands that is open to picking.

[zoramargolis]

If you want to get technical, removing any sort of plant material is against the law in any National Park, and lots of public park land in DC and the immediate surrounds are part of that system. That said, I haven't ever had a problem (ie. getting caught) picking berries, although I did once see some guys get arrested for cutting bamboo in Battery Kemble. If you ask me, they were doing the Park Service a favor, but that's another story.

You may be too late for mulberries, but there are lots of wineberries around right now. I don't bother with them anymore.--they are pretty, but have no flavor. Blackberries ripen a bit later in the season. Look at the edge of cut-over areas, along roads through wooded areas in the burbs, and trails that get cleared and get sun. The upper areas of Battery Kemble are where I've always had success finding blackberries. Just the other day I saw someone picking wineberries alongside a road in North Arlington. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to stop frequently. The seeking is as much a part of the process as finding.

[dcs]

I know where you might find some mulberries.

[leleboo]

Granted, it's not really "wild" -- but what about pick-your-own farms?