Curtis Memorial Park

Curtis Memorial Park sits just north of US 17 in the quiet countryside of Stafford County. In addition to its hardwood forest and open fields, the park holds the Gauntlet Golf Course and Curtis Lake. Curtis lake acts as a veritable magnet for waterfowl in the area and can often be productive for fishing. When there you might see great blue herons fishing its shores and belted kingfishers and the occasional osprey or bald eagle perching on the many dead trees.

Upon entering the woodlands surrounding the lake, you’ll be greeted by the raucous calls of red-bellied and hairy woodpeckers. The nearby fields house several pairs of northern mockingbirds and family groups of eastern bluebirds. In the summer months look for dragonflies such as eastern pondhawks and the occasional great blue skimmer along the trails and eastern amberwings and slaty skimmers along the lakeshore. Butterflies can also be abundant, with American snouts, eastern tiger swallowtails and question marks flitting throughout the park.

Note: Portions of the hiking trails are in the same area as the disc golf course. Visitors should remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings while walking these trails.