Located on the border with Maryland, it is the eastern end of a corridor of contiguous greenspace from Fort Totten Park to Barnard Hill.

[1] At the time of establishment of the District of Columbia, Barnard Hill was agricultural land in Prince George's County, Maryland.

[3][4] The park was named after Brigadier General John G. Barnard who supervised the construction of the forts protecting Washington, D.C. during the Civil War.

It contains a mix of open space and a wooded ridge with secluded picnic tables.

The southeast corner of the park includes a baseball diamond.