Urban Wilderness

Plentiful fish, waterfowl, animals, and plants attracted American Indians to this island hundreds of years ago. Greatly changed by the 1920s, the Nacotchtank tribe's former hunting grounds and waters had yielded to a variety of uses including a plantation and a recreation club. In 1932 the Roosevelt Memorial Association said the island should be kept a wild place to retain a sense of sanctuary where people might flee from modern civilization. This philosophy recognized Theodore Roosevelt's explorer character and celebrated the 26th president's conservation achievements. Visitors to Theodore Roosevelt Island today can find inspiration in a wilderness while surrounded by the city.

Washington, District of Columbia · United States