Catoctin Mountain Park originated as a Recreation Demonstration Area in 1936 and is managed today for its recreational use and the conservation of its cultural and natural resources. The park encompasses 5,810 acres of mixed hardwood forest located in the mountains of the Catoctin Ridge in north-central Maryland. Two high-quality streams bisect the park and the unique three million year old geology forms a number of cliffs and scenic vistas.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park is the largest and longest park in the National Capital Region, stretching along the Potomac River for 184.5 miles from Washington, DC to Cumberland, MD. The park's 19,236 acres cut through four major physiographic provinces and include diverse wetlands, floodplain, and upland forests. Hundreds of historic structures are preserved as reminders of the Canal's role as a major transportation system during the Canal Era.

George Washington Memorial Parkway was established to protect the scenic views along the Potomac River and its tributaries in the Washington, DC area. The park's 7,210 acres provide habitat for dozens of state-listed species of rare, threatened, or endangered plants and animals, many of which are associated with rare plant communities of the Potomac River Gorge.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are growing in frequency around the world and their effects are being recognized by ecosystem managers, scientists, and the public alike.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park protects the historic town area and surrounding natural resources lands at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. Preserved structures and landscapes in the park tell of the historic role of the town and lands in the Civil War, African American history, manufacturing, and transportation and other historic events.

Manassas National Battlefield Park was established to preserve the scene of two major Civil War battles. Much of the landscape retains its wartime character with a patchwork of open fields and woodlots scattered across gently rolling hills. The 5,073 acre park is located within the northern VA Piedmont, approximately 45 miles southwest of Washington, DC. Many surrounding lands are becoming residential and industrial developments.

Monocacy National Battlefield is managed as a cultural resource commemorating the Civil War battle that took place along the Monocacy River south of Frederick, MD. The 1,647 acre park is dominated by active farms with some mixed hardwood forests and field/edge habitat. Like other battlefield parks, it has the challenge of combining the preservation of a historic landscape with natural resource management.

National Capital Parks-East includes 14 major sites covering over 8,000 acres within Washington, DC and three nearby counties in MD. The parks lie entirely within the Coastal Plain physiographic region and are managed for a variety of natural, cultural, and recreational resources.

Prince William Forest Park is the largest protected example of Piedmont forest in the National Park System. The ~15,000 acre park in northern VA also protects the Quantico Creek watershed, and is a sanctuary for numerous native plant and animal species.

Rock Creek Park is one of the largest forested urban parks in the United States, containing a wide variety of natural, historical, and recreational features in the midst of Washington, D.C. The majority of the 3,000 acre park surrounds the lower watershed of Rock Creek and its tributaries as the drainage drops from the Piedmont Plateau to the Coastal Plain.