A hidden gem associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the availability of free tours given by National Park Service Rangers

WASHINGTON — A hidden gem associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the availability of free tours given by National Park Service Rangers.

“There are morning tours, lantern tours in the evening [to] take advantage of the sunset and our very popular Pets and Petals Tour — bring your dog for a walk with a park ranger,” said Spokesman for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Mike Litterst of the National Park Service.

You also can take a “Run with a Ranger” and bike tours to enjoy and learn about Washington’s iconic cherry trees.

Informative talks include myriad topics such as the history of the cherry trees and how they’re cared for. One tour even highlights the Park Service “indicator tree,” that helps horticulturists make peak bloom predictions each year.

Tour and talk dates and locations can vary at spots around the Tidal Basin. But, tours will happen every day from March 18 — April 3 at the Tidal Basin Welcome Area, located near the paddle boats at Maine Avenue Southwest and Raoul Wallenberg Place Southwest.

Those dates have been adjusted to accommodate an earlier peak bloom than initially predicted. The Welcome Area was previously scheduled to be active between April 2-17.

Peak bloom for cherry trees near the Tidal Basin in 2016 is expected to occur sometime between March 18 and 23. That’s when 70 percent of the blossoms are expected to be fully open.

Find a full schedule of Ranger talks and tours, visit the National Park Service’s website.