THE PARKS...
Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge
Phone - (703) 806-4007
Website - http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/vbwt/site.asp?trail=1&site=CMN05&loop=CMN
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Fort Belvoir Military Base, Fairfax County; from I-95 take the Fort Belvoir/ Newington exit to the southern leg of the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100). Follow the parkway east approximately 3 miles until its end at Richmond Highway (Route 1). Turn left onto Route 1 and at the first light make a right into Tulley Gate. Follow to the refuge main entrance ahead on the right. Before that, the first parking lot you see is for the short handicap accessible trail; the second leads to the heart of the trail system. Access to the base can be limited without notice.
The Park
The refuge was established in 1979 to protect sensitive wetlands and wildlife habitats associated with Accotink Bay and to provide opportunities for environmental education and low-intensity recreation. In 1988, Fort Belvoir established a second refuge, the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, to protect another sensitive wetland area. Abbott was an army engineer whose ornithological illustrations were chosen to appear on a duck stamp. Today, more than one-third of the installation’s acreage has been preserved as a designated wildlife sanctuary encompassing over 1,300 acres.
The Walks
There are some fifteen short, intersecting trail segments on both sides of the Accotink Creek to explore with your dog here. The going can be a bit rough at times, especially along the creek where the narrow bands of pathway can be overgrown or muddy in wet tmes but overall this is easy going with some mild ups and downs. The highlight ramble in the refuge is the Beaver Pond Trail loop that slips past several small ponds filled with turtles and frogs. For a longer leg stretcher head down the Great Blue Heron Trail to a bird blind on the Accotink Bay. Across the suspension bridge are miles of dirt trails in the hardwood forest that was once used for target ranges. The Abbott Wetland Refuge has a one-mile asphalt trail with an observation deck overlooking the wetland area.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface and asphalt
Workout For Your Dog - Easy trotting
Swimming - Accotink Creek is a great spot
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The bridge across the Accotink Creek linking the trail system was built by D Company of the 11th Engineer Battalion.
Ball’s Bluff Regional Park
Phone - (703) 737-7800
Website - http://www.nvrpa.org/ballsbluff.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Leesburg, Loudoun County; take Route 7 to Route 15 Bypass North, just east of Leesburg. From Route 15, turn right on Battlefield Parkway and left on Ball’s Bluff Road to the parking lot at the end of the road.
The Park
In the early days of the Civil War both armies centered around the Potomac River. General Charles P. Stone was directed to move the Confederates out of the Leesburg area and ordered a scouting party across the river from his camp in Maryland. Once across the Potomac haystacks were mistaken for enemy tents which lured the Union men deeper onto Ball’s Bluff and attracted the attention of the Confederates. On the morning of October 21, 1861 the Southern soldiers engaged the enemy and drove the Union army back toward the bluff’s edge. At 4:30 p.m. Colonel Edward Baker, a lifelong friend of President Abraham Lincoln, tried to rally the Northerners out of their trapped position. Baker leapt to the front of the line and was mortally wounded by four musket balls. Suddenly emboldened, the Confederates routed the Union soldiers and pushed them to the edge of the 80-foot bluff. Some scrambled down the cliff only to be picked off by Confederate bullets or drowned under the weight of their uniforms and ammunition. Five hundred and fifty-three Union troops, about 1/3 of their force, were captured.
The Walks
The centerpiece hike in the 223-acre park is a one-mile interpretive loop that can get steep and rugged in places after a benign start on soft wood chips. The Old Cart Path leads down the bluff to the edge of the Potomac River that gives you a feel of what the Union Army had to face to pull two howitzers and a cannon into position on the battlefield - and try to escape under withering enemy fire. There are other unmarked natural trails through the woods on the edge of the Potomac River.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and wood chips
Workout For Your Dog - Yes, into the ravines and out
Swimming - The Old Cart Path will take your dog to the muddy banks of the Potomac for swim time in the river
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The national cemetery at Ball’s Bluff is one of the smallest in America, with only the remains of 54 Union soldiers buried in a semi-circle. The identity of only one fallen man is known.
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
Phone - (703) 669-0316
Website - http://www.co.loudoun.va.us/prcs/parks/banshee.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Leesburg, Loudoun County; take US Route 15 South for approximately 1/4-mile South of the Leesburg Bypass, turn left onto Route 621, Evergreen Mills Road. Proceed south along Evergreen Mills Road about five miles. Turn right onto The Woods Road (Route 771). Proceed down The Woods Road (a dirt road) for approximately one mile. Entrance to Banshee Reeks is on the left.
The Park
Legend has it that an early landowner of these rolling hills was of Irish or Scottish descent. After a night of revelry in a nearby town he returned to his farm and heard what he thought were “banshees in the reeks” - translated from Gaelic as female spirits in the hills. When the 695-acre passive nature park was established the name of local lore was given to the preserve. The land was acquired by Loudoun County in 1995 and envisioned as a typical active recreation park of picnic sites and ballfields. But public agitation led to the establishment of the preserve, believed to be one of the few nature preserves of this scale operated by a county government in the country.
The Walks
Banshee Reeks was originally developed for use by organized groups but has been opened to the general public one weekend per month. Call ahead to determine if any restrictions are in effect. Canine hikers will want to make the special effort required to use these trails. Paw-friendly grass trails are cut through the stunning meadows and well-maintained trails traipse through riparian forests. Expect stream crossings and a good workout for you and your dog. Pay attention to avoid trails that are closed for maintenance or under construction so that public access will not be closed for maintenance or under construction so that public access will not be restricted.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and grass
Workout For Your Dog - Easy to moderate terrain
Swimming - Check in at Goose Creek for canine aquatics
Restrictions On Dogs - None that don’t apply to people as well
Something Extra
Archeology is an ongoing concern at Banshee Reeks. The land has been occupied for thousands of years but not much history has been recorded. Initial efforts involved digging holes every 50 feet over the entire property in hopes of finding artifacts from the past. More obvious are the structures sprinkled throughout the preserve that include a manor house, an 1880s log cabin, a bank barn, long-abandoned silos and the ruins of a spring house.
Battlefields of Manassas
Phone - (703) 361-1339
Website - http://www.nps.gov/mana/
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Manassas, Prince William County; travel west on I-66 to Exit 47B, Route 234 North (Sudley Road). Proceed through the first traffic light. The entrance to the Henry Hill Visitors Center is on the right, just past the Northern Virginia Community College.
The Park
Twice in the first two years of the Civil War the Northern and Southern armies clashed five miles north of town near a creek called Bull Run, resulting in 30,000 casualties in an attempt to control that railroad junction. On July 21, 1861 the Civil War was expected to end. The fully-equipped Union Army under General Irvin McDowell was prepared to take the field for the first time at Bull Run. The complete submission of the rebels was such a certainty the Federal troops were accompanied by picnickers and sightseers. After ten hours of bloody fighting the Union Army was in retreat towards Washington and it was apparent this was not going to be a one-battle war. The armies returned to Bull Run a year later, seasoned and spirited. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was at the peak of its power and he outmaneuvered General John Pope’s Union army in three days of struggle beginning August 28. With his masterful victory here Lee was able to carry the war to the North for the first time.
The Walks
The main canine hiking here is on two trails that interpret the two critical Civil War clashes over this ground. Each route covers more than five miles and offers a pleasing mix of open-field and woods hiking. Expect the fields - that retain much of its wartime character - to be muddy in times of wet weather. The First Manassas Trail takes in Bull Run and the Stone Bridge where the first shots were fired. It also features more open fields. The Second Manassas Trail across the western section of the park is the preferred route to take your dog on a busy day. If time is limited take the one-mile Henry Hill Loop Trail around the Visitor Center where the critical fighting in the first battle of the Civil War took place. The trail follows part of the Southern Line where General Thomas J. Jackson received his immortal nickname “Stonewall.”
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Grass and dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Long trots over rolling hills
Swimming - Bull run can flow deep enough for dog swims
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The battlefields are probably the best place in Northern Virginia to see whitetail deer. Come to the park late in the day to see the herds.
Bull Run-Occoquan Trail
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Access from several parks in Fairfax County.
The Park
The word “Occoquan” is roughly translated from the Doag Indians of the Powhatan Confederacy who originally inhabited the stream valley, using it as a wilderness highway. With European settlement the indigenous peoples moved away and not much happened until the arrival of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in 1848. When the Civil War erupted the first clash between the North and South took place on the south bank of Bull Run. The Bull Run/Occoquan River comprised the boundary of the “Alexandria Line” set up by the Confederates to protect against a Union move towards the capital in Richmond. The town of Clifton was the southernmost post for the Union. When the war ended Cifton enjoyed a brief flurry of prosperity as the home to the healing waters of Paradise Springs where several presidents reportedly came to take the cure. Clifton was the first town in Fairfax County to be electrified. After the county acquired over 5,000 acres of land along the rivers it created a series of parks cnnected by the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail.
The Walks
If you have a car shuttle this could be the best place to hike with your dog in northern Virginia. The 18-mile trail begins in the east in Fountainhead Regional Park and by the time you reach Bull Run Regional Park your dog will experience most of what the region has to offer. Hills and stream valleys predominate from Fountainhead to Bull Run Marina, a distance of about 6.5 miles. On the trail to Hemlock Regional Park stands of dark green Eastern hemlocks begin to mix into the forest with the tall beeches and oaks. When the trail reaches Bull Run it begins to level out and hug the shoreline. You’ll emerge from the woods more often and the trail can even get muddy and downright impassable in wet weather. An access point where Route 28 crosses Bull Run slices the western segment of the trail into manageable hiking chunks (on the Fairfax side of the stream take the last driveway on the right before crossing the bridge).
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface
Workout For Your Dog - Plenty of ups and downs but nothing brutal
Swimming - yes, in Bull Run
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Freshwater mussels like to live in shallow, swift-moving water as can be found in stretches of Bull Run.The United States has over 300 species of mussels, which is the most diverse anywhere in the world.
Bull Run Regional Park
Phone - (703) 631-0550
Website - http://www.nvrpa.org/bullrunpark.html
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Centreville, Fairfax County; take I-66 to Exit 52 (Route 29) at Centreville, drive 2 miles south, turn left onto Bull Run Post Office Road and follow the signs to the park entrance.
The Park
The first English settlers in the area called the peripatetic stream Bull Run, the term applied to creeks unaffected by tidal influence and therefore flowed in only one direction. The waterway provided easy transportation and sustenance to those who lived along it and it would have continued forever in anonymity like so many thousands of similar streams if it wasn’t by chance a key defensive line between the North and South during the Civil War. Today the forest on the north shore of Bull Run is left undisturbed as a sanctuary protected by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
The Walks
The first thing your dog will find when he hangs his head out the window driving into Bull Run Regional Park is that he won’t need his climbing gear. The next thing is the abundance of large, open fields. You could spend a sunny day just hiking with your dog around these wide open spaces in the 1,500-acre park and never venture onto the trails. The park is the northern terminus for the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail that runs for 18 miles along the water to Fountainhead Park. The segment here scrambles 1.72 miles to a parking lot on Route 28. This and other trails are wide and flat and make for easy canine hiking - and also muddy when wet.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface trails and roads
Workout For Your Dog - Flat and level land
Swimming - The streams can occasionally flow deep enough to serve as more than a splashpool
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The Bluebell Walk begins on the Nature Trail near the Visitor Center and makes its way to the confluence of Cub Run and Bull Run. This is a meandering 1.5-mile canine hike through the largest stand of bluebells on the East Coast. In springtime the display on the forest floor is unforgettable.
Claude Moore Park
Phone - (703) 444-1275
Website - http://www.co.loudoun.va.us/prcs/parks/claude.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Sterling, Loudoun County; from the Beltway (I-495), take Route 7 West and exit at Cascades Parkway South. Immediately get into left lane and stay on Cascades Parkway South for approximately 1/2 mile. You will go through two lights. After the second light, the first entrance to the park is on your left. Enter here for the nature area. If coming from the south the nature area is the second entrance on the right. Center is on the right, just past the Northern Virginia Community College.
The Park
In 1941 Dr. Claude Moore purchased the property at auction from the family who had lived here for 170 years. In 1975 he donated the property to the National Wildlife Federation. In 1986 the NWF sold the property to developers and Moore, then in his 90s, was forced to initiate lawsuits to save the land that went all the way to the Virginia Supreme Court. He lost all his appeals but county residents passed a bond referendum to purchase the site and preserve one of the last remaining greenspaces in a vast area of houses and box stores. A year after the park opened in 1990, Moore, still living on the property, passed away at the age of 98.
The Walks
Claude Moore Park serves up a pastiche of a dozen short trails that add up to more than ten miles of canine hiking. Two trails - the whiteblazed Little Stoney Mountain Trail and the blue-blazed Scout Trail - both follow essentially the same route to explore the entire park so you only have to choose one. A popular destination for first-time visitors is the scenic overlook at the north end of the park on Little Stoney Mountain (at 442 feet, the hill’s name dates to a 1779 survey map). The scenic view is of the monolithic Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland (another great place to take your dog hiking). Among the short trails around the Visitor’s Center, the purple-blazed Cedar Grove Trail is a standout.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and cobblestones
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate haul to the top of Little Stoney
Swimming - Dogs aren’t permitted in the ponds
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The last known undeveloped section of the historic Vestal’s Gap Road runs across the park. This trail, first used by American Indians, was used as early as 1692 by the Rangers of the Potomac under David Strahan. It became the major route for travel between Alexandria and Winchester.
Conway-Robinson State Forest
Phone - None
Website - http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/vbwt/site.asp?trail=3&site=PCU02&loop=PCU
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Manassas, Prince William County; there are no signs for the forest that is on the north side of the Lee Highway (Route 29) sandwiched between Manassas National Battlefield and I-66. Look for a small picnic area.
The Park
This swath of 444 acres of Prince William County open space provides outdoor recreation opportunities and protects water quality conditions in the Occoquan watershed. There are no facilities or amenities in the park, save for a few scattered picnic tables.
The Walks
The trail system in the Conway-Robinson State Forest is a perimeter loop embracing a series of stacked loops. Your canine hike begins as a common woods walk but you shortly cross a pipeline cut and enter an area known as The Pines - as lovely a stretch of path as you are likely to find in the region.Most of the forest is on level ground – save this outing for a dry day since the ground can get wet - although it slopes a bit after the pipeline. The trail narrows again after the pine trees as you move into a typical oak-hickory forest. The trail often winds back on itself to give it the feel of a greater length than its two miles.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural dirt surfaces
Workout For Your Dog - Easy going for your dog
Swimming - None
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The Manassas Gap Railroad was chartered in 1850 under the direction of Edward Carrington Marshall, son of Chief Justice John Marshall. The dream was to link the waterfront in Alexandria to Gainesville, 35 miles away. Construction began in 1854 but was slowed by delays in acquiring land and the need to make substantial “cuts” and “fills” to create a level grade. When the landscaping was finished and rails were waiting in Alexandria the Panic of 1857 crippled America’s business environment and sent the Manassas Gap Railroad into deep debt. No track was ever laid but a few years later Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson found the unfinished railroad cut handy in establishing a defensive position during the 2nd Battle of Manassas. Remnants of this cut slice across the Conway-Robinson State Forest trail system.
Ellanor C. Lawrence Park
Phone - (703) 631-0013
Website - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ecl/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Chantilly, Fairfax County; take Beltway Exit 49 for I-66 West and go eleven miles to Exit 53B, Route 28 North (Sully Road). From Route 28, make an immediate right onto Walney Road. The visitor center is one mile up on the left.
The Park
The first land patents in what is now western Fairfax County were issued in 1727. In that year, Francis Aubrey acquired the land now within the park south of Big Rocky Run. For the next 250 years the property known as Walney belonged to only three families who farmed tobacco, grew grain and raised livestock. Ellanor Campbell Lawrence, a native of South Carolina, moved to Washington, D.C. in 1916. She met and married David Lawrence, who would later found and publish U.S. News and World Report. The Lawrences used Walney as a country estate where Ellanor would landscape and garden. After her death in 1969, David Lawrence donated 640 acres of land in her memory to be preserved in a natural state.
The Walks
Lawrence Park is not a place where you’ll strap a pack onto the back of your dog but there is great variety in its four miles of trails. From the Walney Pond lot you can take your dog through a field pond environment and across the street at Cabell’s your dog can hike briefly on groomed meadow trails. The Big Rocky Run Trail begins its twomile one-way jaunt through mature woodlands here. The star hike in Lawrence Park is the North Loop that begins in the back of the Walney Visitor Center. For about one mile this natural, paw-friendly path spreads across a mixed forest. In the stream cuts and ravines large hardwoods that were never cleared for cropland can be found while pines and cedars dominate in the flatlands as they reclaim the cultivated fields. Your dog certainly won’t object to extending this genial canine hike by tacking on another half-mile down the Wild Turkey Loop.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Soft dirt and grass
Workout For Your Dog - Gentles slopes and some hills
Swimming - Walney Pond is more for ducks
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
In 1875, while he was building an expansion on his house, James Machen enclosed a time capsule in a small wooden box. What he didn’t realize was that his farm itself would become a time capsule for future generations. A short discovery trail leads through the remains of the dairy where butter and cheese were crafted, a smokehouse and an ice house.
Fountainhead Regional Park
Phone - (703) 250-9124
Website - http://www.nvrpa.org/fountainhead.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Fairfax Station, Fairfax County; Take I-95 south of the Beltway, exit at Occoquan and travel north on Route 123 approximately 5 miles. Turn left onto Hampton Road and drive 3 miles to the entrance on the left.
The Park
As far back as the 1950s, visionaries in Fairfax County began preserving watershed land along the northern banks of the Occoquan River. Eventually they acquired more than 5,000 acres, creating a green necklace of regional parks. Fountainhead, at the confluence of Bull Run and the Occoquan is the keystone of those efforts. With the population of the Occoquan watershed inching towards a half-million people dependent on the fresh water from the river, Fairfax County’s actions seem downright prescient. Conversely, across the river the land was developed in Prince William County that now puts pressure on the region’s drinking water supply.
The Walks
Fountainhead is a trail user’s park. Equestrian trails cover the eastern section down to the reservoir, mountain bikers have their own eight miles of wooded paradise and those traveling under their own power have plenty to smile about as well. The white-blazed pedestrian trail is a snaking, two-mile excursion around wide ravines and through airy woods. The hard-packed dirt path can be rooty in places so keep your dog high-stepping. For real canine adventures you can set out on the 18-mile Bull Run-Occoquan Trail. Fountainhead is the southern terminus for the scenic, long-distance hike. If you just intend to sample the trail you’ll find the Fountainhead leg to be a hilly exploration (sporty enough to require a switchback and wooden steps) of a finger of the Occoquan Reservoir. The trail is wide enough for a pack of dogs in most places.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Well-maintained dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Long canine hikes on moderate hills
Swimming - Dogs aren’t permitted in the Occoquan Reservoir
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs on the mountain bike trail
Something Extra
The Davis family cemetery, anchored by a majestic white oak, pops up in the woods just a few steps into the canine hike on both the white and blue trails. The graveyard was established in the 1860s. The ancestral Davis home was destroyed by fire during the Civil War, and a newer house was built to the east, but is now gone.
Franklin Park
Phone - (540) 338-7603
Website - http://www.co.loudoun.va.us/prcs/parks/franklin.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Purcellville, Loudoun County; take Route 7 west towards Winchester. Exit on the Route 7 Business ramp (approx. 20 miles west of Leesburg) towards Round Hill/Purcellville. Turn left at bottom of ramp on to business Route 7 at the bottom of the ramp. Drive .7 miles and turn right on Franklin Park Drive.
The Park
Franklin Park is a regional park in the western portion of Loudoun County. Its 203 acres of rolling hills harbor majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Franklin Park opened July 4, 1998, offering a wide variety of outdoor activities, including canine hiking.
The Walks
Former dairy farms are the bedrock for this community park favored for its views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Most of the park is given over to sports and recreation but two perimeter trails over three miles long circumnavigate the property. The Inner Trail is used mostly by equestrians so visiting canine hikers will want to set off on the Outer Trail. Most of the marked paths are wide open across the rolling hills but the trail dips into natural areas along the way.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural and paved surfaces
Workout For Your Dog - Gentle grades along the trail
Swimming - Your dog can slip into the park pond when fishermen are not dropping a line
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are not allowed in the sports complex, on the playing fields or in the fenced-in playground area
Something Extra
During the winter this is an ideal place to snowshoe or cross-country ski with your dog.
G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Refuge
Phone - None
Website - http://www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/wma/thompson.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Paris, Fauquier County; the park is located on the western border of the county off Route 688, north from I-66 or south from Route 50.
The Park
The major portion of the management area’s two parcels, totaling nearly 4,000 acres, are located in Northwestern Fauquier County. Beginning at its lower reaches, the property rises in a series of steep inclines and benches to the crest of the Blue Ridge. Elevations range from 700 to 2200 feet. Though predominantly a hardwood forest, there is some open land at the lower elevations and at the top of the Davenport Tract. Other physical features of the area include numerous rock outcroppings, and several major streams and ecologically unique spring seeps. Parking is provided in 11 designated parking lots; two on the eastern slopes along Route 688.
The Walks
Trails from both parking lots lead up to the Appalachian Trail although the most popular route is from the northern lot at Lake Thompson. This is not a mountain hike with stunning views, dramatic waterfalls or tumbling streams. You’ll actually get none of those. But if you are looking for a long walk in the woods with your dog, Thompson Wildlife Refuge is your destination. The climb to the Appalachian Trail – that crosses the park for seven miles - is moderately strenuous and the full loop will cover about eight miles. Abandoned homesites and the occasional apple tree from long-ago orchards provide a bit of diversity.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and rock
Workout For Your Dog - That’s the reason to come
Swimming - The 10-acre Thompson Lake is a superb dog watering hole
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The Trillium rhomboideum variety grandiflorum was given its name by French botanist Andre Michaux in 1803. The specific name, very appropriately means “large-flowered.” Sometimes called Snow Trillium because it is the first trillium to bloom and therefore would be caught in a late snowfall, the white-flowered plants (the petals turn pink with age) prefer to inhabit slopes 1,000-3,500 feet in elevation. Of the 10 or so species of Trillium in the Blue Ridge, grandiflorum may be the most abundant. The largest colony in the country can be found in the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area, where an estimated 18 million plants thrive.
Hidden Oaks Nature Center
Phone - (703) 941-1065
Website - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hiddenoaks/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Annandale, Fairfax County; Take Beltway Exit 52B which is Little River Turnpike or Route 236 east to the first traffic light at Hummer Road. Turn left on Hummer Road and then left at the park entrance.
The Park
This small 52-acre sanctuary is squeezed into the heart of Fairfax County, just inside the Beltway. The urban woodland forest features a vibrant diversity of plant and animal species thriving in a green oasis.
The Walks
The feature trail at Hidden Oaks is a 1/3-mile, wood-chip-covered interpretive Old Oak Trail around the nature center. The average oak, by the way, will drop about 5,000 acorns a year but less than 50 will sprout and half of those will die. For additional canine hiking you can take your dog into the Accotink Creek stream valley where the dirt trail crosses the water three times. There is modest elevation gain on this trail but nothing close to setting your dog to panting. The trails are wide and airy in the woods below the nature center.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Soft dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Dips and rolls around the stream but never taxing
Swimming - The Accotink Creek is only deep enough for splashing
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
One of the most abundant plants growing at Hidden Oaks Nature Center is poison ivy. The tri-leaved plant grows on a hairy vine up a tree trunk or on vines on the forest floor and turns quite colorful in the fall. About half of the human population is allergic to poison ivy and if you are in the unlucky half even the bare, woody stems will trigger a reaction. Birds love to eat its waxy white berries. Dogs cannot get poison ivy but they can transmit it to you.
Leesylvania State Park
Phone - (703) 730-8205
Website - http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/leesylva.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Woodbridge, Prince William County; from I-95, take Rippon Landing Exit 156; then go east on Route 784 to US 1. From US 1, follow Route 610 (Neabsco Road) east two miles.
The Park
Henry Lee II, great-grandfather of Robert E. Lee, named this property Leesylvania, or “Lee’s Woods.” In the 1950s entrepreneur Carl Hill ingeniously took advantage of an ancient grant to Lord Baltimore in 1632 that gave rights to the Potomac River to Maryland. He built a pier out into the river and anchored a 200-foot cruise ship at its end for use as a floating nightclub and gambling spot - liquor and gambling both being illegal in Virginia at the time. Freestone Point opened as the “Pleasureland of the East” in 1957. But a gambling emporium in the shadow of Washington, DC was not going to rake in money unnoticed. Legislation was passed to doom Hill’s slot parlor and he sold the land to the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, owned by Daniel K. Ludwig. The reclusive Ludwig, tagged in his biography as the “Invisible Billionaire,” was an admirer of the Lee legacy and donated the land to the Commonwealth for a state park. Leesylvania opened in 1992.
The Walks
There are three loops to enjoy with your dog in Leesylvania - the star being the Lee’s Woods Trail. This canine hike packs history aplenty into its two sporty miles atop the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River. Look for the brick fireplace that is the only reminder of the hunting lodge, earthwork gun placements from a Civil War battery, foundations from the plantation home and a family cemetery all located along the old stony dirt roads used for this trail. Powells Creek Trail leads to long views across the water through woodlands away from the recreation areas of the park. For easy hiking with your dog take the Potomac Trail as it weaves through the former waterside amusement park that was part of the gambling gambit.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and stony roads
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate climbing to the bluffs on the Potomac
Swimming - A sandy beach doggie heaven off-season
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs on the fishing pier
Something Extra
As you explore the bluffs and ravines around Free Stone Point you may not realize that they aren’t all natural. A deep valley was excavated shortly after the Civil War to ease the grade for new railroad tracks. With the railroad long gone and the forest regenerated it looks like any other wide ravine.
Occoquan Regional Park
Phone - (703) 690-2121
Website - http://www.nvrpa.org/occoquan.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Lorton, Fairfax County; exit off I-95 onto Route 123 North and follow 1.5 miles to the park entrance on right.
The Park
In 1910 the federal government purchased land along the picturesque Occoquan River for a new prison. A product of the reform movement of the day, the new Occoquan Workhouse stressed that “a prisoner’s hard physical work, learned skills and fresh air would transform him into a model citizen.” So the small initial cadre of 60 inmates worked building and maintaining a 1,200-acre farm. The reform experiment ended shortly after suffragettes seeking the vote for women were detained here and reportedly mistreated. Bars and cells were built at Occoquan as the facility expanded to over 3,000 acres housing more than 7,000 inmates - far beyond its capacity. The outdated facility finally closed in 2001 sending 2,440 acres to Fairfax County, 400 of which were used for this spacious park along the river.
The Walks
Hiking is clearly not the recreation star at Occoquan - there are no trail maps and it takes a sharp eye to spot the trailheads but remain dogged in your determination to get your dog on the trail here and you wil be rewarded. You will find a Virginia state Bird and Wildlife Trail in the woods on the left just past the boat ramp, next to an elevated picnic shelter. It begins as a desultory affair, slogging uphill on a paw-unfriendly stony road and when the trail leaves the road it gets downright wild and wooly on a narrow, overgrown path. You’ll even find the trail studded with long-ago discarded bricks. But stick with it. Soon the path opens up as it rolls aong ravines and into a stream valley. Another hiking option is the white-blazed Ridge Trail that climbs a bluff overlooking the Occoquan River. Look for a set of wooden stairs and work your way back towards the park entrance. The paved multi-use trail closes this loop.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt, pine straw, macadam, grass
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate hills along the river
Swimming - Use the boat at the Occoquan River for canine aquatics
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
In the center of the park is the last of nine beehive brick kilns that were used by prisoners to churn out many of the red bricks used in Northern Virginia buildings.
Prince William Forest Park
Phone - (703) 221-7181
Website - http://www.nps.gov/prwi/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Dumfries, Prince William County; take I-95 south of Washington to exit 150 (Joplin Road/VA Route 619). Take Route 619 West to the park entrance road (approximately 1/4 mile).
The Park
This was some of the earliest European-settled land in the country but tobacco farming drained the land of much of its nutrients and for centuries only a few farms survived around the creeks flowing into the Potomac River. During the Depression of the 1930s this was one of 46 locations of marginal farm land selected to be developed for recreation and work camps from the Civilian Conservation Corps were established to build roads and trails and bridges. Five rustic cabin camps built at this time are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Walks
The canine hiking here is through the only preserved Eastern Piedmont forest in the National Park Service. You will be working up and down and around the many slopes in the Quantico Creek watershed – often with long views through the forest that features little understory in many areas. Many of the trails lead away from Scenic Drive to the South Branch and the North Branch of Quantico Creek. In addition to the wide, well-marked hiking trails you can take off on several old access roads that deliver a country-lane feel to the hiking. You can also use the paved - but walkable - Scenic Drive to close some of your customized loops.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt paths and roads
Workout For Your Dog - Long, hilly canine hikes
Swimming - Some small pools deep enough for a good canine swim
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
If you head off on the North Valley Trail and continue about one mile down the Pyrite Mine Trail along the North Branch of the Quantico Creek you will reach the remains of the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine. The mine opened in 1889, pulling nugget-like rocks known as “fool’s gold” for their appearance to the precious metal. In fact pyrite is loaded with sulfur (needed to make gunpowder) that kept the operation profitable into the 1920s, including an important stretch during World War I when as many as 300 men worked the mine. Many acres of historic underground workings, pilings and foundations have been reclaimed by the Park Service and are remembered today.
Red Rock Wilderness Regional Park
Phone - (703) 737-7800
Website - http://www.nvrpa.org/redrock.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Leesburg, Loudoun County; Take Route 7 West and then the Route 15 Bypass North. Turn right on Edwards Ferry Road (Route 773) and drive 1.5 miles to the park entrance on the left.
The Park
This longtime farm on the palisades of the Upper Potomac River was purchased as a parkland with the help of Mrs. Frances Speck, who donated half the value of the property. The farmland has regenerated into woodlands that completely cover the 67-acre park.
The Walks
When you set out into the woods behind the parking lot there is no way for your dog to guess at the workout that awaits her. The birch and oak trees here are almost completely devoid of any understory and there is plenty of elbow room for a whole pack of dogs if need be. After a few easy steps a little hook trail detours down to the Potomac River floodplain for more easy hiking with your dog. Once back atop the bluff the trail begins to dip and turn in and out of two ravines before you reach the namesake overlook after about one mile. It is another half-mile back to the parking lot but the forest has changed completely, congested with cedars and pin oaks. The trail is narrower but the terrain is flat again. Several connector trails are available for additional time with your dog in this quiet woodland.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt trails
Workout For Your Dog - Some hearty climbs along the river
Swimming - In the Potomac River
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The ruins of the 19th century farm are still scattered around the parking lot - a granary, a carriage house and a barn. A brick ice house built after the Civil War was restored in 1982. Ice was cut from the Potomac River and stored under hay in the ice house and was good through the summer.
Sky Meadows State Park
Phone - (540) 592-3556
Website - http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks//skymeado.htm
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Paris, Fauquier County; from Route 50 turn left on Route 17 South to park entrance on right. From I-66, take Exit 23 on Route 17 North seven miles to the park entrance on left.
The Park
It was 1731 when James Ball picked up 7.883 acres on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountain from Lord Fairfax. Over the years through inheritance the land was divided and divided and divided. In 1966 a housing development was planned that called for further division into 50-acre lots. At this Point Paul Mellon stepped in and eventually donated 1,132 acres that became Sky Meadows State Park in 1983. Mellon was happy enough with the results to donate an additional 462 acres across Route 17 that had originally been purchased by George Washington from Lord Fairfax.
The Walks
The real star here are the meadows - there simply aren’t many openair hikes available across Northern Virginia. The trail system offers about ten miles of marked paths that can be molded into canine hiking loops, the most popular being the North Ridge-South Ridge circuit. The South Ridge Trail utilizes an old farm road while the North Ridge Trail picks its way up the mountain like a traditional hiking trail. You are probably best served by going up the South Ridge since it is not as steep and are longer coming down the North side. For those looking for a full day of hiking with your dog the Appalachian Trail is
1.7 miles away and there are loop options up there as well. If you just want to enjoy the meadows you can confine your explorations to the Piedmont Overlook Trail on the North Ridge. It is also possible to enjoy the park without hard climbing on the Snowden Trail interpretive nature walk and the Shearman’s Mill Trail.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt, grass and some old road
Workout For Your Dog - Oh yes, your dog will be climbing
Swimming - There are seasonal streams on the mountain and a reedy three-acre pond off Route 17 to refresh your dog after a hearty hike
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs on the bridle trails
Something Extra
Once a month, on Saturday evenings beginning in April, Sky Meadows hosts astronomy events behind the Mount Bleak House. Isaac Settle built the house and gave it to his son Abner as a wedding gift in 1835. It now serves as the park visitor center.
Weston Wildlife Refuge
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Warrenton, Fauquier County; southeast of town. Take Route 643 East (Meetze Road) to Route 616 (Casanova Road) to the crossroads of Casanova. Pick up Route 747, Weston Road, to the end of the road and Weston. Take a left to the refuge parking area when you spot Weston outbuildings.
The Park
The rambling frame building that is now Weston began life as a log cabin around 1810 and is one of the oldest Colonial houses in Fauquier County.Charles Joseph Nourse from Georgetown purchased the property in l859 and named it for his ancestral home Weston Hall in England. Following Nourse’s death in 1906, his widow, Annie, operated a school and summer camp here. During World War II the Nourse daughters maintained Weston as a hospitality center for servicemen, serving some 11,000 meals by the end of the war. Weston and its important collection of outbuildings is now a farm
museum owned by the Warrenton Antiquarian Society on 10 acres of the 271-acre refuge.
The Walks
The canine hiking across the Weston Wildlife Refuge takes place on two stacked loop trails divided by an old woods road that can be used to close the loops. The orange-blazed Nourse Woods Trail rambles through an eastern deciduous forest on rough, unmaintained paths but the going is easy enough for any dog. The Turkey Run Trail trips through dense thickets of cedar that have replaced the former farmland. Turkey Run itself has high banks and limited, overgrown access. Be aware that the refuge is open to hunting but it is chase only - no firearms allowed. Primitive camping is also allowed in the refuge.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Wooded dirt paths and some grassy lanes
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate hills across the park
Swimming - Turkey Run is wide enough for some spirited splashing but not deep enough for a swim
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Weston Wildlife Refuge is a popular rabbit and dog-training area. The Casanova Hunt, founded in 1909, leases land here for its “Terrier Trials.”
Whitney State Forest
Phone - None
Website - http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/vbwt/site.asp?trail=3&site=PCU04&loop=PCU
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Warrenton, Fauquier County; south of town. From the James Madison Highway make a right onto Lovers Lane (Route 744). Continue to the T-intersection at the end. Make a left onto Lees Ridge Road (Route 684) to the forest parking lot on the right.
The Park
The Commonwealth uses this 147-acre forest for timber production and research. Whitney State Forest is a designated wildlife sanctuary. There are no facilities or amenities on the property.
The Walks
This off-the-beaten-path woodland serves up almost six miles of trails for your dog to enjoy. An old fire road runs through most of the property but you will want to slip off onto the extensive network of narrow dirt paths. Come with a mind to explore because you won’t get any wayfinding aids in Whitney State Forest. This is mostly hardwood but you’ll likely stumble on a surprise or two in this airy forest, like a grove of loblolly pines. The terrain can get downright hilly depending on the route you choose and you can get your dog quite a workout here.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface footpaths and roads, completely under wooded canopy
Workout For Your Dog - Easy to moderate going
Swimming - None
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Without question, the greatest tree in America prior to 1900 was the chestnut. Rot resistant with fine-grained wood, the chestnut tree supported both vibrant wildlife populations and entire rural economies. It was estimated that one in every four trees in the eastern forests was a chestnut tree - some as old as 600 years. But in 1904 an Asian fungus was discovered in the Bronx Zoo and the blight soon decimated the chestnut population. By 1950 millions of acres of woodlands were left with dead, standing trees. The chestnut blight remains 100% fatal - young chestnuts may reach 20 or 30 feet but are doomed to succumb to the disease.American chesnut saplings have been planted in clearings in the Whitney State Forest.