Description

Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Park is perched above the Potomac River on 67 acres of farmland now covered with forest. A farmhouse dating back to the 1800s and its associated historical building sit at the entrance to the park. These have been restored, although the farm fields have long since regenerated to hardwood forests stretching down to the river. A nature trail makes a loop through the park leading to several points overlooking the Potomac.

In spring, the meadow at the entrance should be checked for butterflies that are serenaded by indigo buntings singing from the meadow’s edges. Wandering into the forest, search for barred owls quietly sitting in the canopy or perhaps still hooting away as the dawn approaches. Woodpeckers form a central component of the park’s fauna with red-bellied and downy woodpeckers present year-round and yellow-bellied sapsuckers making an appearance in the winter.

During migration, warblers and vireos may join the resident chickadee and titmouse flocks and in winter can be joined by white-throated sparrows, winter wrens and both ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets. The river itself can be good for waterfowl in fall and winter. Bald eagles may put in an appearance at any time as they soar majestically overhead.

Directions

From Balls Bluff, return west on Balls Bluff Road NE for 0.5 miles to Battlefield Parkway NE. Turn right (west) for 0.2 miles to US 15 Bypass/Leesburg Bypass. Turn left (south) and continue for 0.8 miles to Edwards Ferry Road NE. Turn left, and go east 1.4 miles to Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Park on the left.