Best Cherry Blossom Photo Spots in DC
National Cherry Blossom Festival
The best spots to take beautiful, iconic cherry blossom photos in Washington DC are scattered all around the Tidal Basin, and in clusters near some monuments and memorials. Most cherry blossom trees are located around the entire Tidal Basin, and along the shoreline of East Potomac Park, (all the way to Hains Point). From the north side of the basin, you can peek through the blossoms to the Jefferson Memorial. From the west side, you can watch the golden sunset light on the cherry blossoms and the Washington Monument in the distance, or have a picnic in the shade near the FDR Memorial. From the east side, you can watch the sunrise touching the trees along the west bank for a glorious morning. On the south side, you’ll stroll along the water’s edge and duck under low-hanging branches.
There are other places to see cherry blossom trees, such as near the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, National Arboretum, Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, Stanton Park, LeDroit Park arch sign (T Street NW and Florida Ave NW), Oxon Run Park, and Anacostia Park.
Pre-dawn under the cherry blossom trees, Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. One of my favorite spots.
Best Places for Cherry Blossom Pictures
There are over 400 kwanzan trees around the Tidal Basin, and the west edge is where the magic happens! Wide-open spaces, low hanging branches, and fewer people. Read on to discover my yearly cherry blossom sunrise photo pilgrimage.
Get out Before Sunrise
Sunrise is around 6:50 am in early April (Washington DC). To make the most of the early hour, I always plan to arrive 30 minutes prior. For me, that usually means leaving the house at 5 a.m. to give me time to travel there, park my scooter (the National Mall is blocked off to electric rideshare scooters), walk the ~ 20-minute distance from Constitution Ave to the Tidal Basin, pick that morning’s spot, and set up my camera.
The whole trip, though short in distance, is for me a meditative journey that never ceases to leave me feeling fulfilled and peaceful. The process of waking up exhausted yet overflowing with creative thoughts; the cool-breeze-in-my-hair scooter ride through well-lit, deserted downtown streets; the first sips of hot coffee in my thermos; the anticipatory walk from Constitution past the WWII Memorial as the still dark sakura directly ahead of me hide in plain sight. At this hour, I’m still well in advance of other photographers hoping to catch the sunrise. At this hour, the city is mine.
First Stops on My Cherry Blossom Journey
My first stop is to take pre-dawn photographs of the Washington Monument over a small Inlet of the Tidal Basin at Independence Avenue and 17th Street. It's right before the bridge you have to cross over before arriving at the Tidal Basin.
Jefferson Memorial
Then, I'll head straight to the Jefferson Memorial where I’ll find a magnificent 360-view of the entire Tidal Basin, so I can easily photograph the west, being eliminated by the morning sun, or the east, still cloaked in nighttime blues and purples.
“Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?” ~ Before Sunrise (Julie Delpy)
The iconic and adorable Swan paddle boats are on the way, and I couldn’t resist capturing this one last look before night turned to day.
First rays of morning light touching the west bank of the Tidal Basin cherry blossom trees. Arlington Cemetery’s Robert E. Lee house in the distance.
West Edge of the Tidal Basin for Cherry Blossom Sunrise Photos
Depending on my mood and what I've taken in the past, I usually like to watch the first rays of sunlight hit the West edge of the Tidal Basin from across the water. It’s rather nice to take a minute to enjoy the new day without worrying whether I’ve taken a photo of every color change that occurs. Most days, the water is calm. By now a handful of other photographers have popped up along the basin, each setting up shop at a low-hanging branch with a specific vision in mind for their morning’s artistry.
Long Exposure Photography at the Cherry Blossoms and Exploring the Tidal Basin
After I've spent about 10 minutes taking a few long exposure photographs, I run like mad to the other side of the Tidal Basin; I prefer to stand amidst the blossoms to capture the hazy, golden light before it becomes eye-searingly bright. That's my favorite area, as the wider, flatter, grassy areas, though still on an incline, and lack of metal fencing, allow for easy-to-maneuver wide open space. I can easily stand on the incline and take a variety of angles through flower-covered tree branches.
Beat the Crowds for Gorgeous Cherry Blossom Photos
The gentle incline also means you can easily take gorgeous photos in spite of crowds in front of you since you can stand on higher ground, and there’s more than enough space to maneuver wherever you please without coming close to people. Most of the crowds that arrive at the Tidal Basin come from the Smithsonian Metro around 7:30 a.m., and therefore begin at the east side with the fence, creating shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, bumping into each other, trying to get the best spot on the water. The west side is even more beautiful and less crowded overall.
Sakura at the FDR Memorial in Washington DC
The waterside area near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial off Ohio Drive SW is always a fantastic place to find a seat and just admire the start of spring. While there are plenty of people by now, the area is so vast that it’s easy to get some distance and take it all in without being disrupted. There are lots of benches, granite seats, and grass for spreading out a blanket and enjoying breakfast. I’ve even seen a few kindly ladies and their grandchildren set up a table there and giving away lemonade and fresh berries!
Interesting and Unusual Spots for Cherry Blossom Photos
The Japanese Pagoda is an unexpected treat to come across while out on your adventure. It’s tucked away amid dozens of cherry blossom trees, and if you’re not looking out you might walk right past it! I’ve heard some call it one of DC’s more bizarre memorials, and while it’s not the usual splendid, white granite, column-adorned structure, the slender pagoda dates back to the 1600s, and was gifted to Washington DC in the 1950s, symbolizing not only friendship, but also traditional Japanese ideology. It weighs around 3,800 lbs, as much as a car.
More photos and history in my e-magazine, Cherry Blossoms From Dawn til Dusk. Available on Amazon Kindle or as a page-turning effect magazine in your browser.
Depression breadline statue at the FDR Memorial on the Tidal Basin, Washington DC.
Capitol Building Cherry Blossom Trees, Capitol Hill
Around 9 am, after a few hours circling zigzagging between the trees and hopping over roots, making sure I’ve admired each and every blossom I can reach on my tiptoes (don’t climb the trees, please!), I make the trek down the National Mall to the Capitol Building, where more dreamy, sakura-filled views await. The National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, and Mall grounds offer a variety of picturesque spots to view our iconic blossoms at their finest.
I published an e-magazine!
Late spring 2020, when Washington DC went under lockdown due to covid19, I made the most of my time in self-quarantine to publish my first e-magazine,
Cherry Blossoms From Dawn til Dusk:
A dreamy exploration of Washington DC's iconic sakura through photography and poems
Featuring dozens of landscape and detail photographs, alongside history and classic sakura haiku, my magazine is available on Amazon Kindle or as a page-turning effect magazine in your browser.
Square 5x5 Cherry Blossom Photo Prints in my online store
Haiku Master Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) made about 1000 haiku poems during his life as he traveled throughout Japan.
Very brief – Gleam of blossoms in the treetops
On a moonlit night.
A lovely spring night suddenly vanished
while we viewed the cherry blossoms.
5x5 cherry blossom art prints, available in my online shop.