Pohick Bay, Occoquan regional parks boast new amenities for coming season
The new Jean R. Packard Center at Occoquan Regional Park is seen during construction earlier this month. (Erika Christ image)
Despite less than Spring-like conditions in recent days, two regional parks serving Richmond Highway corridor residents are busily preparing to welcome new and returning visitors this upcoming season. Operated by NOVA Parks, Pohick Bay Regional Park and Occoquan Regional Park — located on opposite sides of Route 1 in Lorton — provide an abundance of water- and land-based recreational opportunities for families and outdoor enthusiasts.
Pohick Bay Regional Park
Pohick Bay Regional Park (see map) is gradually “waking up” and “coming back to life,” according to park manager Kevin Casalenuovo. The park’s boat rental facility reopened March 10 and will remain open weekends and holidays through October 8, as well as on Fridays between May 25 and September 3. A new fleet of kayaks are available for rent during the 2018 boating season, including fishing kayaks with rod holders enabling anglers to paddle while fishing. Canoes, paddleboards and stand-up paddleboards also are available for hourly or daily rental.
Pohick Bay’s family and group camping facilities also have opened for the season. Due to the increased popularity of youth group camping, as many as 300 to 400 children are using Pohick Bay’s two group camp facilities at one time, noted Casalenuovo. The park sold out of group camping space to several scout troops one recent weekend.
Pohick Bay also has a boat launch, disc golf, equestrian trails, hiking trails, mini golf, picnic shelters and the Pirates Cove Waterpark, which will reopen Memorial Day weekend.
Occoquan Regional Park
Occoquan Regional Park (see map) is preparing for its grand re-opening celebration on June 23—details yet to be released—following a multi-year renovation. During an on-site tour of the park in mid-March, construction teams were in the process of installing siding made from heart cypress timber to the façade of the new Jean R. Packard Center, as well as continuing the build-out of “The River View” event space and the Brickmaker’s Café, a casual riverfront eatery with outdoor seating, which will make its debut before the rest of the facility.
According to Cori Talbot, hospitality and event sales manager for The River View, the park presently is evaluating bids for furnishings and fixtures to be installed in May. These will include an aquarium stocked with native freshwater fish in “The 1608 Room”—an interpretative foyer depicting Captain John Smith’s historic voyage on the Chesapeake Bay.
The River View is expected to be a popular place for weddings. As of press time, the facility had already booked 22 ceremonies between July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019, said Talbot, noting that they expect to easily surpass their target of 30 weddings for that time frame. She added that The River View will be hosting a wedding open house on July 1; until then, couples can schedule hard-hat tours by appointment.
Other visitors to the new and improved Occoquan Regional Park this summer will be able to enjoy a new playground; a 5K loop trail for walking and biking; and an outdoor shelter (“The Pavilion”) with catering for large events. The park also has gazebos and a shelter for smaller gatherings, athletic fields, a batting cage, boat ramp, boat and kayak rental, fishing and hiking trails.
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to note the correct type of siding installed on the new Jean. R. Packard Center.
Erika,
The siding being installed on the River View actually has a much more interesting story. It is River-Recovered Heart Cypress not cedar. This siding was milled from 2000-3000 year old bald cypress tress that were logged over a hundred years ago. Once these trees were harvested by the loggers of a century ago, they were floated down Florida rivers to waiting sawmills. Many made it, but many sank along the way. Those that sank have slept on the bottoms of the Suwannee, Apalachicola and St. John’s rivers for a century or more. We work with state of Florida permitted divers who pull them back out and sell them to us to mill into flooring, paneling & siding such as you have seen at Occoquan. When Capt. John Smith was exploring the Chesapeake he recorded seeing some of the largest bald cypress trees from that ancient, primeval forest. At Goodwin Heart Pine Co. in Micanopy, Florida we were proud to work with GWWO Architects of Baltimore, Maryland to mill the siding for this wonderful new addition at Occoquan.
Thanks very much for the clarification and additional history on the siding Jeffrey!
Erika,
Sure thing. Architecture firms like GWWO often design with materials in mind that help tell a story; so that a building is more than just a building, but rather, a fully composed idea that reflects its physical, cultural and historic surroundings. The nature of the antique wood that we supply finds us regularly working on projects of this type. http://www.heartpine.com