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    Mallows Bay Park

    3.9 (11 reviews)

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    Austin G.

    Mallows Bay Park is a preserved area along Mallows Bay in Maryland. There's a large parking lot with trails to overlooks and hiking trails. Although fun to visit, the real beauty of the place happens when you kayak. Out in the bay are dozens of sunken World War I container ships now used as a wildlife sanctuary. You can see a few from the shore, but to kayak by them is a whole different experience.

    Avionna Desh S.

    For the historian traveler, military historian, or Maryland historian, Mallows Bay is a must see. Mallows Bay is located off of the Potomac River and was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a National Marine Sanctuary in 2019. In this bay, known for its 'Ghost Fleet', more than 100 steamships for World War I rest. It is home to the "largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere". Some remnants still can be seen above water. If you want breathtaking views of the Potomac River, see various birds and wildlife, and/or enjoy local floral and fauna, be sure to visit. Activities such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking various trails, and boating are available and/or accessible. Sporadic seating is available.

    An awesome spot to kayak! Mallows bay has many sunken ships that you can kayak around and over. It's usually a pretty easy drive from DC(depending on traffic) They have plenty of parking and an easy drop off spot for canoes, kayaks, SUPs, and small boats. If the water is clear you can see the skeletons of old boats. There are also a few boats that are out of the water. Be careful around the sunken boats, there is a lot of rusty metal and spots where you can easily bottom out. They close at sundown.

    Igor B.

    Mallows Bay Park visit was memorable. The configuration of the bay and high winds made a water having boiling effect and kayaker very humble. The expectations were high for a ghost fleet graveyard, and worn out after paddling for few hours I needed more visuals to make it amazing. However, it was memorable and I felt reverence for the remains of an old Navy ship with an eagle perching atop with, "I am a king of the world." moment. There are many hidden dangers that you can feel as you slide over the iron components hidden right underneath the murky water. It was great to witness it all but it was more like "been there, done it" feeling instead of - I must go back.

    A shipwreck at Mallows Bay

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    10 years ago

    Great floating kayak ramp and a long gravel road to get here. No bathrooms just prota pottys.

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    Alum Spring Park

    Alum Spring Park

    4.4(24 reviews)
    17.0 mi

    My husband & I stumbled upon this park when looking for things to do in Fredericksburg. We will be…read morerelocating in the coming months & wanted to get to know the area! The park is pretty big. There are a ton of trails, picnic tables, playgrounds for the kiddos, & a stream that runs all the way through the park. It's a great spot to take family photos and to enjoy one with nature! We love taking our dogs & letting them play in the stream. We have only gone to the park during the fall/winter time, so I can only assume how busy it is in the summer. The trails are dog friendly & we always stumble upon a new trail when visiting (who wants to do the same trail over & over again? Not me!). If you bring the doggies, make sure to also pack a towel & some water. There is no dedicated water station for them. I can't recall if there are poop stations along the trails, so bring those too! I also recommend calling the park ahead of time to see if they are open. There are times after a heavy rainfall that the stream is too high to cross with a vehicle. In this case, you'll have to park on the outside of the park. Another big thing is you have to drive pass an apartment complex (kinda weird I know) in order to enter the park. Don't be alarmed though! You will definitely see the park entrance if you keep going. I give this park a 5 star because it never disappoints. There is always something to do & my fur babies love it. I will definitely be back & can't wait to check it out in the summer! If you are in the Fredericksburg area, go to Alum Spring Park & enjoy the beautiful nature views!

    Great park and playground for kids. Beautiful streams and walking trails. Definite must visit in…read moreFredericksburg.

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    Alum Spring Park - A great playground with grills and picnic tables

    A great playground with grills and picnic tables

    Alum Spring Park
    Alum Spring Park

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    Prince William Forest Park - Museum

    Prince William Forest Park

    3.8(82 reviews)
    7.8 mi

    This national park has been on my list of places to see for two years. Active duty military & their…read morefamily get free access to this park as well as military veterans and gold star families. They charge $20 for a vehicle (car) to enter this park. Annual park fee is $35 and a better option if you come to the park often and pay for entrance. We were immediately impressed by the scenic drive, low traffic, and visitor center of the park. This is the least crowded national park we ever visited with so many trails to hike & explore. Bicyclists will love the immense bike routes and trails in this park. They engineered the roads with bicycle only paved roads beside the automobile road. Perfect for bicyclists. The visitor center was conveniently located by the Laurel Loop Trail and restroom areas. It was the first place we visited to get information for the park and a stamp for our national park passport book. The rangers were very helpful and showed us locations & trails we might be interested in seeing. We hiked two hours on the easiest trails in the Prince William National Park. We hiked the Laurel Loop Trail, the Birch Buff Trail, the Mary Byrd Branch Trail, the Quantico Falls Trail, and the North Valley Trail. The rugged terrain of some of these trails made it difficult to hike. I actually got holes in the heels of my old boots walking these trails. While we hiked we listened to birds on the trails and identified some birds we never heard before: Golden-crowned Kinglet, other unknown birds - etc. The Lauren Loop Trail had miniature Fairy Homes placed along the trail which was a delight to see. The Quantico Falls Trail was one of the smallest trails and winded down to the Quantico Creek & small waterfalls. We spent the most time in this area sitting on the large flat rocks on the creek watching the falls and the fish in the water. Proper hiking boots and socks are a definite must for these trails even the easiest trails. Prince William's Park has of the most difficult hikes we encountered despite going on the easiest trails we encountered yet it was one of the most memorable and enjoyable times we had hiking. Looking forward to coming back to this park.

    A long time ago, Prince Wiliam Forest Park would bus in kids from the city to spend the week to…read moreenjoy nature at one of their camps. Now those camp sites are available for rent and include a working mess hall and kitchen, two art camps, medic lounge, as well as bunks. My group and I literally had an entire summer camp at our disposal! We came in late April so we dealt with a lot of weather malfunctions, but the area truly is a beautiful space to get away from it all. There is no air conditioning in cabins, but hearing and feeling the wind howling outside was oddly comforting. We had so much space to spread out and run around which was super idyllic until several run ins with wolf spiders. When they say this place is historic ... they truly mean it. The main mess hall area is updated with not one but two walk in fridges/freezers and two fire places. But the medic room looked straight out of a horror film (five stars out of five if we were filming a scary movie!). We scheduled an orienteering tour with a ranger and she was absolutely so fun to work with! She was so patient and did a great job keeping our group of girls on track. The wolf spiders might stop us from scheduling a trip back into their cabins but my sister camps often in a tent and says the entire experience is lovely!

    Photos
    Prince William Forest Park - Visitors Center, museum and gift shop.

    Visitors Center, museum and gift shop.

    Prince William Forest Park
    Prince William Forest Park

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    River Mill Park - Outside park map

    River Mill Park

    3.9(9 reviews)
    15.0 mi

    I recently visited this park and it was honestly a pretty disappointing experience. The grass was…read moreovergrown and looked like it hadn't been maintained in a while. Several trash cans were overflowing, and there was litter scattered around the walking paths. The playground equipment also seemed worn down and not very clean. On top of that, the bathrooms were in poor condition and didn't seem to be cleaned regularly. It made the whole park feel neglected. Parks are supposed to be relaxing places to spend time outside, but this one just felt poorly taken care of. I hope the city puts more effort into maintaining it because it could be a really nice spot if it were cleaner and better managed.

    I really do like the town of Occoquan. There have been some changes. It's been yuppiefied…read moresignificantly, and fishing isn't allowed on either side of the river in town. That's not a huge loss, but for those who love angling, it's disappointing. Such is life as River Mill Park has some nice river views. My guess is when it warms up, maybe they'll have some outdoor concerts or family events here. Park in the public lots. This isn't a long walk. There's the cheesy "Love" sign you can get a picture with your significant other if you have one. I do like that there was a menorah and Christmas tree. Today this plus the holidays wreaths on the bridge were done with class. The new rocking bench is solid. Do I wish it was wooden? Yep but it's probably for safety reasons. The walkways had some ice on them. Definitely watch your step. I think this is a good place to chill from the busy land of northern Virginia. If you're in the area it's worth stopping by here.

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    River Mill Park - Restrooms

    Restrooms

    River Mill Park - Waterfront // River Mill Park * Occoquan, VA

    Waterfront // River Mill Park * Occoquan, VA

    River Mill Park

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    Mallows Bay Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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