Steven Burt

Review of Huntley Meadows Park

Beautiful county park with two entrances. It almo...

Beautiful county park with two entrances. It almost seems as if we see or hear a new bird each time we are there.

The south entrance has a straight paved track to the water. This is suitable for foot traffic, bikes, strollers and dog walking (all animals must be on a leash). There is about a mile from the parking to observation deck at the water.

The north entrance is tucked away in a corner. It has a visitor center there with water fountains and public rest rooms. There is a small shop with a park ranger on duty. Other than that, there is an informational room with stuffed versions of some of the critters in the area. Outside is a pavilion available for rent.

The trail on the north side is packed, not paved, and is more meandering. It is still suitable for walking, strollers and dog walking. It performs one of a few loops around, one leads to the boardwalk. The boardwalk goes over the water (no strollers or dogs are allowed on). From there you can get a better view of the wetlands life. I recommend bringing binoculars.

The area is classified as a hemimarsh, so the water can and should range between full and empty. In the warmer level you will see turtles sunning on logs. In the water you can see massive snapping turtles swimming just under the surface. Frogs and tadpoles are plentiful and make huge rackets in mating season. If you are lucky, you might see a muskrat swimming in the bushes. Deer roam around so you have a fair chance of seeing one, potentially with a faun.

As with any pond in the area, you can also find heron, ducks and of course geese. I've seen coot in the water as well. Redwing blackbirds are fairly common in the park, as well as cardinals. You can also find many woodpeckers. A birder once had a scope on a redheaded woodpecker that stayed posed for most of us once. I've seen a wild turkey in the park. It had quite a reaction when it walked out on to the paved path. I've seen an ibis eating in the marsh.

All and all a beautiful park in southern Fairfax County.