Piscataway Park is steeped in history and offers a unique connection to the past. The trails themselves are a bit limited (and don't forget insect repellent!), but the river view of Mount Vernon Estate across the Potomac was clear. The park has a working farm feel -- the livestock were out during my visit -- and the butterfly garden was a delightful surprise. The river trails don't offer much unless you're fishing, so this isn't really a hiking destination or photography in September. What makes it worthwhile is the history and atmosphere. It's a peaceful place to reflect, take in the landscape, and enjoy a slower pace just outside the bustle of DC. read more

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On the Potomac River in Maryland, Piscataway Park showcases natural landscapes, cultural history, and views of the river and Mount Vernon. Established in 1961, the park preserves the historic view of George Washington's Mount Vernon and the surrounding area. Piscataway Park houses the National Colonial Farm, a recreation of a small 18th-century Maryland tobacco farm. Operated by the Accokeek Foundation, the farm includes historic buildings, heirloom crops, and livestock breeds typical of the colonial period. We visited Piscataway Park towards the end of the day. We walked the path through the farm and saw the Hog Island Sheep. This is a heritage breed the park seeks to preserve....there are less than 2000 of them left worldwide. The park is fairly small and there wasn't a ranger on site when we were there. The passport stamp is in the gift shop. The interpretive signs have seen better days, but still it was a lovely, albeit brief, visit. read more

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Went walking 5.5 miles as part of a hiking group today. Wasn't really familiar with this location but at least me and the group got a chance to experience it. The views are very unremarkable aside from the ones of the Potomac facing Mount Vernon across the river on the Virginia side. Basically trails and grass - and a few cows - a couple of little ponds (one with a few water birds) - and a dead raccoon in the road. Hit by a car apparently. That was it for today. Oh, and some geese flew over our heads, twice. There's some picnic tables although if you bring your family don't have small kids bcuz there really won't be much for them to do or see. Bring your water as there's no water fountains. There are a few private beach areas that border the Potomac. Overall decenct experience with nothing that I'd particularly return to see. The trails are lined with lots of honeysuckle & lavender among other things: on the good side so the smells are pretty nice, I'll say that much. On the bad side, there are some rickety wooden boards and overpasses which seem a bid questionable to walk on + there's also poison ivy out there too, which one of the fellow hikers pointed out. read more

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We chatted with the helpful, friendly staff at the visitors center before setting off on a 2 mile loop trail. Easy walk. Beautiful setting. Nice view of Mount Vernon across the River ! read more

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Disclaimer:COVID-19 review-first phase reopening I saw another Yelper's review (thanks Austin G!) and bookmarked Piscataway Park and National Colonial Farm as a place to visit with my 18 month old. We made the trip this past Friday. It was very hot and very humid. Be forewarned there is zero shade in the gardens and minimal shade near the farm animals. Also, currently, there are no bathrooms which is a problem when you try to stay hydrated on these hot days. It took about 40 minutes from Arlington. Parking was no problem. We started in a garden that also had a cabin open to pop into. After spending some time digging, we went to the farm animals. My kid did not understand that he couldn't go into the animal enclosures (and that when the animals do come close you can't hug them) so this was more stressful than fun for me but a few other slightly older children appeared to be having fun. We saw: pigs,cows,goats,sheep,chickens,a rooster, and turkeys. After that (and a snack) we walked to the dock to look at boats. Right across the Potomac was the Mount Vernon estate-gorgeous views from the dock. There were a few people fishing. Then we stomped around on the Pumpkin Ash trail which runs by the water. There's a boardwalk but very big openings so be careful. Oh, and always watch your step! I almost stepped on a very long black snake that my son pointed to right before I put my foot down. read more

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Piscataway Park is 30 minutes south of Washington, D.C. near historic Fort Washington. It's a large park along the Potomac River with trails, a colonial farm (with animals), gardens, and docks. This park came to be when the view across the river from Mount Vernon was threatened by proposed development. A Congresswoman from Ohio stepped in and purchased a 500-acre farm. Now it's a park run by the Accokeek Foundation and the National Park Services. There are several places to park for free throughout the park. The trails are clearly marked. The colonial farm includes a few historic buildings and chickens, hogs, sheep, and turkey. Our toddler loved the animals! Spend some time wandering the gardens and enjoying the view along the Potomac River of historic Mount Vernon. read more

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A hidden park with a nice view of Mount Vernon. This is a hidden park. To get to it you have to drive south of DC and through a rural community for a few miles until you get to a parking lot that marks the beginning of this park. Be looking along the way as we saw a lot of deer grazing in the open fields along the route. According to the NPS website, "Piscataway Park is home to bald eagles, beavers, deer, foxes, ospreys, and many other species. To complement the surroundings, the park has, in addition to a public fishing pier and two boardwalks over freshwater tidal wetlands, a variety of nature trails, meadows, and woodland areas. The Park is also home to National Colonial Farm." The parking lot leads to the walkway and the dock. There are several informational signs along the walkway. Mount Vernon can be seen from the dock across the water. The walkways lead either along the water or through the farm. The farm has old-style fence construction and original wood structures. Some very nice people came out and answered our questions by the barn with the rams. Some birdwatchers told us about unique fowl that were visiting. Overall, I found it fascinating, educational, and informative. read more

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It's difficult to find for non-locals; signage isn't clear. The riverwalk trail is a bit of a disappointment except for the fact you can see Mt. Vernon from the two piers that exist on the trail. George Washington's home is quite spectacular, and it's nice to view it from the Maryland side. But actually observing the Potomac River from the riverwalk trail isn't really possible. Several guys were fishing from the piers and having some luck, too. That was fun to watch. Saw a few birds--flycatcher, cormorant, and chickadee; actually heard more birds than anything else. Saw some turtles; almost stepped on one! The various trails are generally well marked and mowed. The Visitor's Center is closed due to Covid-19, so no maps available. And the park is open at 7 AM, not at 10 AM as stated on the website. read more

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Very nice spot for all of you that enjoy nature and all the beauty and joy within it. Great place to take kids to enjoy nature

A lovely park filled with just about everything! This park seems to have everything you could want for a park outing. There are historical buildings, pretty trees, animals, waterfront views, picnic tables, etc. There are many different farm animals at the park, all with lots of room to roam free! There are two docks where you can enjoy the waterfront. One of the docks has stairs to a rock covered beach. I'd highly recommend taking a trip to this park. I spent around two hours in the park and would go back again soon! read more

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A perfect spot for a day trip. My 5-year-old loves all of the animals, and the grounds are lovely. It's a super easy trip from DC, and the view across the Potomac to Mount Vernon is stunning. We love to pack a picnic and take our time throughout the day. If you're interested in native trees and plants, this is a great spot for observing. The hogs are friendly, the fowl hilarious, and the cattle is beautiful. The setting on an 18th century farm is stunning. A great spot! read more

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Went on the park to enjoy a beautiful morning the park has access to the lake for fishing, or just relaxing. The park has a beautiful trails to enjoy, the park has, old wooded house and wooded rails. The park very small farm with a few animals has cow, wild birds to see. The trails are very lonely so would someone just to be safe. There no fee to enter the park or to park. The park is far from the city so you definitely need a car to get there. If you going in the summer wear bug spray to avoid mosquito bites. read more

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Great little hidden park on the Maryland side of the Potomac. I came here with my dog, and we had a great walk. The visitor center volunteer was greatly friendly and chatty too - even gave our dog a treat! Loved seeing the castle and sheep so much that I signed up to volunteer, but it seems the park management isn't quite together in terms of managing volunteers. Another guy and I showed up for our first scheduled shift, and ended up being stood up by the volunteer coordinator. Yikes. Overall, I highly recommend this park! We'll be back. read more

Ft Washington Marina - Piscataway Park is a great place to search for flora and fauna, and bird watch. While walking the trail I saw a blue heron, Canadian geese, and ducks. Spectacular views of the Potomac River are to be had. read more

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My partner and I come here a lot to walk the trails and visit the farm animals. My favorite are the pigs--they are Ossabaw Island hogs and I just love them. Also great is the dock, which affords a great view of Mt Vernon from across the Potomac, and the boardwalk along the river from which you can see all kinds of birds, including an osprey nest. Some of the trails through the swamp have a bit of a jungly feel, while others are more open and easy going, depending on what you're in the mood for.. At this park, I once saw an osprey dive-bomb a great blue heron. Another time, I rounded a corner to see a fawn jump up from a little nest of ferns and hurry away through the brush. Lots of different kinds of flowers blooming from spring to fall--bright colors and vivid smells, making one wish, as Yeats did, to "live alone in the bee loud glade." One warning though: there make be snakes. read more

This place is just beautiful; it is really hard to believe this is part of PG county. All kinds of footpaths and breathtaking views of the Potomac River. It might be worthwhile to visit on a day when reenactments or events are being held, but we had fun today just wandering around picking blackberries and admiring the gardens and historic structures. Great way to spend a summer afternoon. read more

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I'm of mixed feelings about this one. It's great that this place exists; a farm (two farms, really) and surrounding lands open for public use, with a view across the river to Mount Vernon. However, the trails were pretty poorly manicured, and the location is an absolute haven for bugs, which somewhat limits its enjoyability. I've been to trails along the Potomac from West Virginia down to the Bay, and literally never have I walked through so many spider webs or been swarmed by so many wasps and flies. And the river view trail really didn't live up to the name, there were only a few places where you could see the river, and they were mostly near the visitor center, not on the trail. Getting here is a tad confusing; you take a turn off of 210, and then have to make a couple of immediate turns to reach Bryan Point Road, after which you are greeted with an ominous "No Outlet" sign and drive a couple of miles past it to the location. The farm area had some pretty interesting and seemingly content animals, and the views from the docks were nice. I imagine their demonstrations would be a worthwhile reason to come. It's free to enter, always a big plus (though driving here will rack up some gas expenses). Bottom line: come for the farm, not the trails. Support the foundation, and bring kids groups here. And bring plenty of bug spray. read more

The park is clean and offers many outdoor interest on the farm and the fishing pier. Wear comfortable shoes and watch out for the poison ivy. The trails are not well mark d. It you can find your way around. read more

We came here to attend the annual Lambs and Lattes event. It was a cute morning for the kids, with farm animals, donuts, different activities, and most importantly, puddles to jump in :) I had never heard of this park before and we took the drive from Alexandria to check it out. It is a sprawling park with many trails on the Potomac. No rugged hiking, but lots of bird watching and a peaceful environment. I wish they would have more events for ids. We would definitely come back! read more

It's a pretty trail around private properties... Or at least that's how it seemed anyway. The trails are very poorly marked (just some spray paint or bird cages), as it hardly had any historical facts of the area. If you're just looking for some woods to get lost in, look no further. read more