On this weekend ride I took a mountain bike to Pohick Bay Regional Park, where I the this overcast autumn day riding on the trails and leisurely exploring the park. Pohick Bay is a mostly water-oriented park situated on the Mason Neck Peninsula bordering the Potomac River’s Pohick Bay and Gunston Cove, approximately 25 miles south of D.C. and is located at 5400 Ox Road (MAP) in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
The park has a wide network of trails that wind throughout the park and offer great glimpses of the bay and portions of the local environment. The trails total over eight and a half miles combined.
In addition to the trails that accommodate biking and hiking, the park also features a boat launch facility that is one of only three public access points to the Potomac River in northern Virginia, and is the closest one to D.C. and its famous waterfront and The District Wharf. For shorter boating excursions Pohick Bay also offers canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and Jon boats for rent on the weekends as well as naturalist guided canoe and kayak tours.
In addition to water activities the park also offers family and group camping, as well as deluxe and rustic cabins. Each rustic cabin has electricity, air conditioning and heat, a small refrigerator and two rooms. And a camp store offers a variety of items, including camping supplies, souvenirs, snacks, and firewood.
Picnic areas and a large playground for children are also available. Additionally, the Park is home to Pohick Bay Golf Course, one of Virginia’s most picturesque 18-hole courses, as well as Treasure Island Mini Golf, a fun, yet somewhat challenging miniature golf course. There is also a challenging disc golf course that meanders through the woods within the the park and features 18 holes. Pirate’s Cove Waterpark, which provides water fun for the entire family, is also located at the park.
Mason Neck Peninsula, on which the park is located, is an ecologically fragile land that shelters an abundance of wildlife, including the bald eagle. Nature lovers can expect to see blue birds, osprey, heron, deer, beavers and rare sightings of river otters.
[Click on the photos to view the full-size versions]
The DC Bike Blogger 