Arritt Park

Located in southern Spotsylvania County just a few miles north of Lake Anna, Arritt Park and its rich habitats warrant a stopover from area visitors. This 26.5-acre park holds a mix of hardwood and pine woodlands with a swampy pond and a popular baseball diamond. Visitors should check the pond for basking eastern painted turtles, the occasional wood duck or migrating waterfowl, and a pair of bald eagles nesting nearby. The pond is also a great place for dragonfly-lovers: It hosts dozens of these smaller creatures in summer including prince baskettail, eastern amberwing, occasional Halloween pennant, and other dragonfly species. As you walk through the park, you’ll notice that the woods ring with the songs of pine warblers and the tiny trumpet-like calls of white-breasted nuthatches. In winter these woods host purple finches and yellow-bellied sapsuckers while a good day in migration could bring Cape May and bay-breasted warblers or perhaps a pair of scarlet tanagers. Although small, this park is well worth some regular exploration to get the most from what it has to offer.