The 1,500-acre park features a visitor center with restrooms and exhibits, a beaver-created wetland with boardwalk, wildlife observation platforms, and an interpretative trail system. The park is home to abundant wildlife and is known for attracting many birds, amphibians, and plants. Some of the best wildlife watching in the area is here. The boardwalk allows one to get close to wildlife without disturbing them. There are several informative signs throughout the trails.
Location: 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22306 (Hour+ drive from the Fredericksburg area. Check I-95 traffic before heading here.)
Due to known issues with GPS units, please use the street address if you are following GPS to the park.
Huntley Meadows has three entrances. The main entrance is at 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria VA 22306. There is a parking lot, and during Visitor Center open hours there is access to restrooms, an exhibit area, and staff naturalists. There is a small parking area at 6901 South Kings Highway, Alexandria, VA, that leads to a paved, one-mile woodland hike-bike trail. Historic Huntley is at 6918 Harrison Lane, Alexandria VA.
Hours: Trails open dawn to dark daily
Webpage: Huntley Meadows
My kids love Huntley Meadows. Hubby introduced this park to us when we first moved to the area. He lived in Alexandria as a child and visited Huntley Meadows on several school field trips.
We used to venture to Huntley Meadows quite frequently before Neabsco Boardwalk and Government Island ever opened. It definitely is a wetland oasis. During the warmer months, you’re practically guaranteed to spot turtles of all sizes, frogs, great blue herons, cardinals, and a variety of other birds. During one spring visit, our oldest found a huge snapping turtle. We didn’t believe her till we saw it. We’ve also seen wildlife photographers during many of our visits.
Park Trail Map: There are three main trails. The Cedar Trail starts at the visitors center and heads to the boardwalk. This is about a 1/2-mile hike. From this point the Cedar Trail veers off into the woods, and the Heron Trail winds through the wetlands on a boardwalk which leads to an observation tower. The observation tower provides panoramic views of the whole area. The third trail is the Deer Trail which goes around the meadow. There are benches along the way if you need to take a break.
As home to more than 200 species of birds, the park offered weekly bird walks.
Huntley Meadows definitely is a must-see.
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Historic Huntley House: Huntley was the country home of Thomson Francis Mason, a grandson of George Mason. George Mason was an American patriot who participated in the American Revolution and the Constitutional Convention and who was influential in penning the Bill of Rights.
The grounds at Historic Huntley are open dawn to dusk from March through November. Historic Huntley is closed during December, January and February. Saturday tours are 10 am – 3 pm beginning in spring through fall. The cost is $40 for families and $20 per couple. Please check in at the lower house adjacent to the parking lot at 6918 Harrison Lane, Alexandria VA 22306 (just north of Huntley Meadows Park).
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