Heather Curtis
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON (WMAL) – The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom Monday, and while they’re pretty, the crowds along the Tidal Basin aren’t. Luckily, there are other places to see the delicate flowers.

National Park Service spokesperson Mike Litterest said the crowds aren’t as bad at East Potomac Park down to Hains Point.

“It’s much easier there to get a shot of some of the trees without 5,000 of your closest friends in the shot,” Litterest said.

If your heart’s set on the Tidal Basin, Litterest recommends going on a weekday morning or early afternoon when it’s less crowded.

The busiest times to see the blooms, according to Litterest, are the late afternoons and evenings when people are getting off work.

Destination D.C. estimates up to 1.5 million people come to D.C. over the length of the Cherry Blossom festival, which started March 20 this year and ends April 14.

If you’d rather no go into the District at all, Kenwood in Bethesda, Maryland also boasts beautiful blossoms. National Harbor now has 200 cherry trees, but a spokesperson said they are a different kinds than the ones at the Tidal Basin and usually reach peak bloom earlier.

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