Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 28, 2025
They've reached peak bloom.
The National Park Service called it this morning: the cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom as of today, March 28.
That sets them up nicely for a fantastic weekend of cherry blossom viewing.
But it’s worth clarifying a little what peak bloom means. It’s a threshold; it means that at least 70 percent of the cherry trees are flowering. The remaining trees will come out over the next few days as temperatures warm over the weekend. So they will be looking lovely for the next several days at least, potentially up to a couple of weeks or so.
Now What?
Now that they’ve reached peak bloom, the natural question is: how long do they last?
And the answer, unfortunately, is: it depends. Which isn’t very helpful by itself.
But I can break it down a bit more than that, which will hopefully be more helpful and at least give you some idea of what to watch for.
What it mostly depends on is the weather over the coming week or two.
In the right conditions (cool, dry, calm), they can last a couple of weeks, or perhaps even more if it’s absolutely perfect.
In the wrong conditions (hot, windy, rainy, stormy), they can be gone in as little as four to five days. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between those extremes. And I’ve not yet seen any forecasts of drastic weather that would rush them out very quickly this year.
I’ve put together a visual timeline using photos from previous years that shows what they can look like at X days after peak bloom. There’s quite a wide variety.
This Morning at the Tidal Basin
It was an overcast but calm morning at the Tidal Basin. With the clouds out, there were far fewer people at the Tidal Basin very early this morning than yesterday, but things soon picked up after the sun came up.
Something worth noting: if you look closely at some of the blossoms that have been out, you can see some of them starting to change color, with the white and yellow at their centers starting to radiate pink. I have more examples here.
Tips for the Weekend
This coming weekend (March 29-30) is going to be prime time for the cherry blossoms. Right now, the weather forecast is for a marked jump in temperatures for a few days. That will bring out any remaining cherry blossoms.
If you plan on going, the cherry blossoms are looking spectacular. But expect crowds. (If you’re looking for less crowded alternative locations for cherry blossoms, here are some suggestions.)
If you can take Metro or some other way of getting there, it will likely end up a lot smoother. But I also recognize that that’s not always possible, so you can find some logistical information on getting there and parking below. Driving and parking will be slow and difficult. Expect traffic jams and potentially long walks from your parking spot (reminder: the Circulator Bus is no longer operating).
Monuments of the Tidal Basin. You can’t miss the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, or MLK Memorial, but there are also some other lesser-known monuments and landmarks near the Tidal Basin.
Gentle Reminders
Please don’t climb on the trees, pick the flowers, or break off branches.
Please be careful on the walking paths. There’s no railing around most of the Tidal Basin, and some areas are quite uneven and muddy.
Please dispose of any trash thoughtfully. The trash collection often gets overwhelmed at this time of year. There are trash cans around the Tidal Basin, but it’s never nearly enough to deal with the huge influx of visitors that come during a full bloom weekend.
It is a no drone zone. And it’s strictly enforced for all sorts of good reasons.
If you get a chance, it would be a nice touch to thank the NPS rangers and staff that you see around the Tidal Basin. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
What to Know
The National Park Service has set up the Welcome Area on West Basin Drive, so it’s closed off to traffic and now open for business. West Basin Drive will remain closed through April 11.
Ohio Drive is currently open as normal (with the exception of the end up by the Lincoln Memorial, which the new road compensates for).
It seems I was misinformed about plans for the paddle boat parking lot (aka the Main Ave SW parking lot). It is now closed to parking until April 8. They’ve put in a temporary beer garden and a few food trucks.
The Paddle Boats are open. It’s walk-up only until mid-April.
There are no special traffic restrictions on Ohio Drive yet. Expect that to be in place for the coming weekend.
Photo Safaris
If you're taking a camera and want to use the opportunity to get some expert help improving your photography, take a look at Washington Photo Safari's offerings.
They combine their local expert knowledge with on-site photography lessons at the Tidal Basin. (They also have other classes, like shooting the monuments at night-time on the National Mall.) So it's a great way to combine getting some photography tips with an expert local guide.
I'm not affiliated with them, but I've long been impressed with their offerings and expertise, and I welcome the opportunity to support a local business. I imagine their cherry blossom spots are filling quickly; you can check prices and availability on their website.
What to Expect
There’s a lot happening around the National Mall at the moment in the lead-up to the 250th celebrations next year.
To give a sense of what to expect if you visit for the cherry blossoms in Spring 2025, I’ve posted some rundowns of activity at various major sites.
There’s nothing particular happening at the MLK, FDR, and World War II Memorials, so I won’t post separate overviews of those.
Visiting from out of town?
If you’re coming in from out of town to see the cherry blossoms, I’ve put together some resources that I hope you find useful.
And there’s plenty else to see while you’re here, so I’ll feature some of those things from my ExploreDC site here to give some inspiration and a sense of what to expect.
Where to Stay. Some local recommendations.
How Long Do the Cherry Blossoms Last? And some fallbacks if you miss them.
Tomorrow morning (Sat 3-29) what is best time range to arrive to have less crowds? I bike so easy to not-park haha