How to Hike Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia
Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge is a peninsula on the Virginia side of the Chesapeake, between the Occoquan and Accotink bays, and only several miles south of Washington D.C. Trails through woodlands and marshland allow visitors to see the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed in its most natural state. Deer and squirrels are plentiful. With a focused eye, animals that gain sustenance from the Chesapeake are also visible: beavers and muskrats, in particular. It is the waterfowl, however, that thrive in these environs. Blue herons, duck, and bald eagles can be seen at various times throughout the year.
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Instructions
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Explore a Chesapeake Marshland
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Avoid a trip during months with extreme heat or cold. Spring awakens plant life, welcomes hatchlings and newborns. The foliage during autumn is spectacular.
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Make hotel reservations in any city within the Washington D.C. suburbs. Price can range from the affordable to the elegant. There are no camping facilities in the refuge.
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Plan a visit in the early morning hours when the day is fresh. This is the time when most of the waterfowl and land animals are active.
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Use the map of Virginia, following Interstate 95 south of the District to the Lorton exit (Exit 163). Access the Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) south to Gunston Road and follow the directional signs.
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Continue on Gunston (State Highway 600) and follow the signs to the Great Marsh trail head. At just under two miles round-trip, this trail is a relatively easy walk that offers the best views of waterfowl in the refuge. The trail approaches the eastern side of the Great Marsh.
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Return to the automobile and backtrack on Gunston to High Point Road. Make a left and follow the signs to the Woodmarsh trail head.
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Take the Woodmarsh trail, which loops along the western side of the Great Marsh for a three-mile trek. This trail offers the best opportunity to observe woodland creatures. Eagles nest here during winter and spring.
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Return to the automobile and continue westward on Highpoint Road to road's end at Belmont Bay. Both Belmont and Occoquan bays are visible here. Occoquan Bay is fed by its tributary and offers great boat access to the Chesapeake. Many yachts and sailboats moor at slips near Woodbridge. Sightings of passing leisure crafts are possible from Highpoint.
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Return to the automobile and backtrack to Gunston Road. Visit the Gunston Hall Plantation, an 18th-century home to George Mason, a Virginia founding father. The plantation had original claim to the refuge land.
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Use the map to locate Woodbridge and Occoquan. The area offers a great variety of bay-side dining.
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