Description

This magnificent 2,579-acre park offers numerous wildlife viewing experiences. Over 150 species of birds have been documented here.  Habitats include eastern climax forest, more than three miles of Potomac shoreline and managed fields. The visitor center, which has a birding checklist available, lies on the edge between forest and field offering the opportunity for many bird sightings on the short trail behind it. Trailheads leaving from the visitor center offer access to miles of 14 well-marked, year-round trails (A trail map is available on the park’s website), with the Rookery, Hampstead, and Jones Pond Loop trails being particularly rewarding trails for birding.  Songbirds feed in the canopy, and visitors can expect to see a variety of species. The park is perhaps best known for its opportunities to view bald eagles along the Potomac River, accessible via the Boyd’s Hole Trail. The Potomac also offers excellent wading bird and winter waterfowl viewing opportunities. The many other trails cross numerous small creeks, which provide habitat for amphibians, and careful listeners may hear gray treefrogs chirping from the canopy overhead.

Visit the park’s website for fee information.

Directions

Physical Address: 11617 Caledon Rd., King George, VA 22485

From I-95, take Exit 130 (Fredericksburg). Follow SR 3 East for 18 miles to SR 206, turn left, continue 6.3 miles to SR 218/Caledon Road, turn left; the entrance is 1.2 miles ahead on the right.