“I had no idea this was here!” is the most common reaction when I bring friends to this park in the middle of otherwise urban Alexandria. The 1,500 acre Huntley Meadows is a large marsh that contains some of the only wetlands left in Fairfax County. The park is an animal lover’s paradise with beavers, turtles, lizards, deer, and over 200 species of birds, among others.
Huntley Meadows in November
To get to the park, take Metro to either Old Town or Huntington Station. From there, take the Metrobus labelled REX (Richmond Highway Express) in the direction of Fort Belvior. Get off at the Richmond Hwy and Lockheed Blvd stop. Walk past the CVS on Lockheed Blvd about 3/4 of a mile to the end of the road where it meets Harrison Lane. The park entrance will be on the left side of the road with a big sign that’s hard to miss.
The Heron Trail boardwalk is the prettiest walk in the park if you only have a short time, but the other two trails, the Deer and Cedar trails, are fairly short, and all three trails combine to make a 2 mile loop. If you budget about an hour and a half to stay in the park there’s no reason you can’t do them all.
Fall colors
Beaver lodgings
Heron Trail boardwalk
Late afternoon cloud reflections
Some of the park’s birds and turtles
Peramblings 