Widewater State Park
Virginia State Park, Opened 2018, On A Peninsula Between The Potomac River And Aquia Creek In Stafford County · Stafford, Virginia
A thousand acres on a long narrow peninsula in Stafford County with the Potomac on one side and Aquia Creek on the other, opened in 2018 and still filling out. The shape is the whole character of the place: the land runs out between two very different bodies of water, so a short walk takes you from a broad tidal river with container ships visible in the channel to a sheltered creek where herons work the shallows and the only noise is a kingfisher. There are about six miles of trail along both shores, a visitor centre on the high ground, cabins and camping added since opening, and a kayak launch onto the creek that is the best reason to come - Aquia is protected, shallow and almost empty, which makes it a far better beginner paddle than the Potomac ever is. It is also the closest state park to the Washington commuter belt that does not feel like it, which on a weekday morning is worth a great deal.
101 Widewater State Park Road, Stafford, Virginia, 22554, United States
Park open daily, generally 8 AM to dusk with seasonal variation. Visitor centre keeps shorter hours and is reduced in winter. Kayak rental is SEASONAL and weather-dependent; the launch is hand-carry only, with no ramp for trailered boats. Camping and cabins by reservation. Parking fee applies per vehicle. OPENED 2018 AND STILL BEING BUILT OUT - facilities may differ from any published list.
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