14750 River Road, Darnestown, MD 20854
My family and I, along with our two dogs, visited this park for the first time recently. It’s located on River Road, about 6.8 miles west of Potomac Village. We were looking for somewhere to enjoy the fall foliage that wasn’t the C&O Canal (not very relaxing with occasional bicyclists barreling past within a couple of feet of you at 20+ miles per hour), was a place we hadn’t been to before, and allowed dogs.
There are several miles of marked and maintained trails. And, you don’t have to worry about hunting ― it’s not allowed here (like it is at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, further west on River Road). There’s a bit of history here ― during the Civil War, the overlooks at the end of Blockhouse Trail and Paw Paw Trail were used by Union soldiers to watch over a stretch of the Potomac River to keep Confederate soldiers and infiltrators from fording across.
We were thrilled, and a bit lucky, to see an eagle at the end of the Blockhouse Trail. It lifted off a tree as we approached, flew up, and then slowly glided over to the Virginia side of the Potomac River. What an amazing bird to see in flight!
- For views of the Potomac River, go to the overlook at the end of the Blockhouse Trail or the Paw Paw Trail; the best views will be when there are no leaves on the trees.
- The most direct routes to the Potomac River overlook will be from the parking area just to the west of Pettit Way (on River Road).
- Be advised: There is no way to get from the park to the C&O Canal towpath, which is directly on the other side of the C&O Canal from the park.
- Random fact: If you are curious where Dan Snyder lives and are driving from Potomac Village, look for 11900 River Road, on your left. The main house, though, isn’t visible from the road. It’s set back toward the Potomac River.
Resources/links:
Description, trail map, and brochure:
http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/blockhouse_point.shtm