Widewater State Park officially opened on November 8th, becoming the 38th state park in Virginia, and the first in Stafford County. Gov. Ralph Northam stood with the Potomac River at his back and spoke to a crowd of more than 200 people at a grand-opening ceremony. Stafford County Board of Supervisors and other dignitaries join for the celebration. A site once of Civil War batteries is now a 1,100 acre-property that features two miles of shoreline along the Potomac River. The park sits on the Widewater Peninsula and is surrounded by the Potomac River to east and Aquia Creek to the west.
The $143 million Park sits 40 miles from Washington, D.C. and features beaches, fluffs, 46 acres of tidal wetlands, hiking trails, picnic shelters, a public boat launch, and a visitor’s center complete with indoor restrooms and a park store. Two new phases are planned for the park. The new park joins Aquia Landing Park and Crow’s Nest Natural Preserve as the only other public access points to the Potomac River in Stafford County. Read more >>