Thursday, 13 May, 2021
Just 20 miles south of Washington, D.C., lies Woodbridge, Virginia, nestled between the Occoquan and Potomac rivers. This beautiful area of wooded hills is home to several parks and natural attractions offering a range of outdoor activities. You will find hiking and walking trails, picnicking spots, and sports facilities, plus you can discover the joys of boating in the Potomac. If you are lucky enough to call Prince William County home, then you’ll want to head out to these parks as the warmer days roll in.
Veteran’s Memorial Park
This beautiful park in eastern Woodbridge is situated next to the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The park boasts walking trails, a baseball complex, a skate park, an aquatic center, and a duck pond. There are pavilions throughout the park, along with grills, picnic tables, restrooms, and tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. Whether you like playing sports, picnicking with friends, or sitting and watching the ducks on the pond, you’re sure to have a fun day out for the whole family.
One of the main attractions in Veteran’s Memorial Park is the community center that offers many programs and special events throughout the year. There is a preschool, plus an assortment of programs where children can learn skills and participate in crafts and games. A sports sampler is offered for younger kids, while older children can learn archery or attend camps for skating, golf, and pickleball. The community center’s gym even has open days for sports and dance classes. You can rent the gym for events of up to 150 people, and other rooms are available for smaller gatherings.
Several sports leagues call the park home, including ones for softball, Little League, football, soccer, basketball, and swim. The 50-meter outdoor pool has preschool swimming classes and two-story slides for the more adventurous. A bathhouse and concessions are available nearby. Within the park, you’ll also find the Scott D. Eagles Skatepark for inline skate and skateboarding. The largest skate park in the county, it has a 6,300-square-foot concrete course, a vertical ramp half-pipe, and a 60-foot-long kidney bowl.
Veteran’s Memorial Park is the place to go if you love outdoor activities for the whole family.
Leesylvania State Park
A few miles south of Veteran’s Memorial Park, you’ll find Leesylvania State Park on a point of land jutting into Potomac River. Across the river, you can see Maryland, while Neabsco Creek lies to the north and Powell’s Creek to the south. This area is believed to have once been the site of an Algonquian village that was visited by Captain John Smith in 1608. The park covers 556 acres and includes a fishing pier, boat launch, boat storage, and kayak and canoe rentals along the Potomac. Campsites are available for groups arriving by kayak or canoe only.
Five trails traverse the park: the Bushey Point Trail, Lee’s Wood Trail, Potomac Trail, Powell’s Creek Trail, and a portion of the longer Potomac Heritage Trail. Along the hiking trails, you can find historic markers and artifacts with descriptive plaques. The trails will lead you through scenic woods to boardwalks and sandy beaches along the shores of the Potomac, where you can take in breathtaking views across the river. When you are done with your walk, you can stop by the park’s visitor center and see nature and history displays, explore the environmental education classroom, and get a memento from the gift shop.
One of the park’s most popular activities is boating. The boat launch area has two ramps and a sailboat hoist. There is convenient parking for up to 186 vehicles or trailers, plus a dock with a store and gas station. Sailboats are available to rent through the Northern Virginia Sailing School. There is no restriction on horsepower for motorboats, which are popular for cruising the river. If paddling is more your thing, you’ll find a car-top launch along Powell’s Creek. Don’t forget to pack your life jackets. And remember, this fresh-water tidal river is not safe for swimming.
The Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
This 642-acre oasis of grasslands, marshes, and hardwood forests is home to ospreys, eagles, owls, deer, foxes, otters, and many other species of wildlife. Located on a former army station, the refuge was established in 1998 to provide a safe habitat for migrating waterfowl, nesting raptors, and others. Leftover roads from the military site form the gravel walking trails and the two-mile loop used as a wildlife drive. It is important to stay on designated trails so as not to disturb wildlife and erode the delicate wetlands, woodland, and meadow habitats.
The refuge is home to an impressive 650+ plant species. Wetlands account for over half of the total area and range from marshes and wet meadows to bottomlands and a 4-acre pond. Herons, ducks, kingfishers, and the American bittern are some of the birds that frequent these areas. You can also spot painted turtles in the turtle pond, spotted salamanders, spring peepers, and green frogs. If you’d like to take pictures of the wildlife, you’ll find photo blinds located at the parking lot, at Marumsco Creek, and at the Potomac River where Fox Road meets Deephole Point Road.
The rest of the reserve is comprised of native hardwood forests and grasslands. In the woods, you can identify oak, maple, American persimmon, sweetgum, and northern arrowwood trees, plus willow trees near the marshes. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of large eagle or owl nests in the larger trees. The man-made grasslands provide a safe habitat for migrating and nesting songbirds. Migrating monarch butterflies are seen passing through in September.
Whether you’re a nature lover, an outdoor enthusiast, someone who loves boating or playing sports, or just someone enjoy some peace and quiet at the edge of a pond, these three parks in Woodbridge, Virginia, are not to be missed. From the serenity of the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the bustling activity of the Veteran’s Memorial Park community center, you’re sure to have a wonderful day out. Have you explored all the trails in any of these parks? The team at Koons Woodbridge Hyundai would love to hear which is your favorite, so contact us and let us know!
*Image via Flickr by vastateparksstaff
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