Overview
Neabsco Regional Park encompasses 300 acres of natural, recreational, and historic amenities including the Rippon Lodge Historic Site, Rippon Landing, the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, Julie J. Metz Neabsco Creek Wetlands Preserve, and portions of historic Kings Highway.
Park Features
The Neabsco Creek Boardwalk traverses Neabsco Creek, allowing hikers access to wetlands where the tall grasses and marsh filter pollution from the river and provide a rich habitat for great blue herons, wood ducks, mallards, sparrow and red-winged blackbirds, just to name a few of the winged wildlife known to populate the area.
The project is designed to showcase Woodbridge's most valuable natural asset -- the Potomac waterfront – while linking historic landmarks such as Rippon Lodge and Leesylvania Park. The walkway is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which was established by Congress in 1983 designating an 800-mile trail network stretching from the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania to the Potomac River, winding through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
The Boardwalk is open from Dawn until approximately one hour after dark daily.
Parking to access the north landing of the trail is available at 15125 Blackburn Road, across from Rippon Lodge Historic site. Portable restroom facilities and accessible parking are available at this lot. A paved, level pathway connects this lot to the north landing of the boardwalk. This is also the parking area closest to the observation deck. This is the primary parking lot for Neabsco Regional Park and the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk.
Parking to access the north landing:
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Neabsco Regional Park |
** This is the main parking area for the park. |
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Parking to access the south landing:
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Neabsco Eagles Parking Lot |
The Julie J. Metz Wetlands Trailhead |
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Rippon Lodge
Rippon Lodge was built circa 1747 is one of the oldest known homes in Prince William County. Situated on over 40 picturesque acres, visitors can tour the home, participate in a number of special events held on the grounds, or even reserve the facility for weddings and other private events. Tours of Rippon Lodge are offered May through October from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Parking for the facility is available at 15520 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191. Learn more about this amazing historical asset at at Rippon Lodge.
Rippon Landing
The Rippon landing area of the park, adjacent to the parking area at 15125 Blackburn Road, features a playground, a portable restroom unit, grills, and a pavilion that can accommodate up to 25 people. For information about pavilion rentals please contact the front desk at Veterans Memorial Park
Group Programming
Click to View/Register for Recreation Programming at the Boardwalk
Historic Programming:
Set up a two-hour tour of the boardwalk. This tour includes discussion of Native Americans, early explorations of the Potomac, Neabsco Iron Works, mills, Civil War, Rippon Lodge plantation, Leesylvania plantation, and how they created our modern landscape. Meet at the observation tower and walk a portion of the boardwalk. Walking tour may involve uneven ground, distances, exposure to the elements, no restrooms, and long periods of standing.
Historic Nature Programming:
See how Neabsco Creek has changed over the years and why; then jumping into the many inhabitants of the creek/wetlands now.
Set up a two-hour tour of the boardwalk. This tour includes discussion on the history of the area along with discovery of the current inhabitants. Meet at the Observation tower and walk a portion of the boardwalk.
Nature Programming:
Discuss the inhabitants of the Neabsco Creek and surrounding wetlands in addition to the plants that shelter them.
*Set up a two-hour tour of the boardwalk. This tour will include discovering the plants and animals we encounter in the park. Meet at the North Landing of the boardwalk and walk a portion of the boardwalk.
Nature Science:
Discuss the importance of the wetlands at Neabsco Regional Park while encountering the plants and animals of the area.
*Set up a two-hour tour of the boardwalk. This tour will include learning about the importance of the wetlands in our watersheds while discovering the many plants and animals in the wetlands. Meet at the North Landing of the boardwalk and walk a portion of the boardwalk.
Programs for Scouts:
Girl Scout Junior Animal Habitats Badge: Learn about the wild animals that live in Neabsco Regional Park. Explore and protect animal habitats. Finish the badge requirements by designing your own animal habitat.
- Discussion of animals present in the wetlands: beavers, muskrats, herons, frogs, turtles, fish, deer.
- Find an animal habitat on the boardwalk (point out why it works for the animal and where it gets all of its needs).
- Are there any endangered animals that live in the wetlands? How can we protect them?
- Protect animal habitats by picking up trash on the walk back to the art center.
- Design an animal habitat on paper (art paper, colored pencils, markers and clipboards)
Girl Scout Brownie Bugs Badge: Learn about the bugs that call Neabsco Regional Park home. What makes a bug an insect? Design your own insect. See insects up close and find out how do these insects live in the park? Best scheduled April through September.
- Learn about the insects that call Neabsco Regional Park home: dragonflies, damselflies, ants, bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, katydids.
- What distinguishes an insect from other invertebrates? What is an invertebrate?
- Design an insect on paper (art paper, colored pencils, markers and clipboards).
- Using magnifying glasses, search for insects along the boardwalk and discuss how they live in the park. (need magnifying glasses with a way to attach them to a string on the scout)
Boy Scout Environmental Science Merit Badge:
- Make a timeline of environmental science in the USA.
- Define: Population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction, pollution, brownfield, ozone, watershed, airshed, nonpoint source, hybrid vehicle and fuel cell.
- Do one activity in each of the following categories: Ecology, Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Land Pollution, Endangered Species, Pollution Prevention/Resource Recovery/Conservation, Pollination
- Choose 2 different study areas that are very different from each other. For both study areas count species in a divided area and make 3 visits and study the differences in between areas over time
- Plant what would need to be included in an environmental impact statement for a planned project (either provided project or another).
- Learn about 3 career opportunities in Environmental Science.
For information about natural, environmental, and science education programs available on the boardwalk, please contact Chris Eckart: [email protected]. For information about historic programs available on the boardwalk please contact Jessica Alicea: [email protected].
About the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) is an 800 mile network of locally managed trails along the Potomac River from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to the upper Ohio River basin in Pennsylvania. The trail system was designated by Congress in 1983 with the goal of linking trail users to the history, culture and natural beauty of the Potomac River. Within Prince William County, the trail is planned to link several parks, communities and other destinations including the historic towns of Occoquan and Dumfries, Occoquan Bay and Featherstone National Wildlife Refuges, Julie Metz Wetlands, Leesylvania State Park, Prince William Forest Park and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
PHNST in Prince William County Map
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Website