Widewater State Park

Widewater State Park With access to Aquia Creek and the Potomac River, Widewater provides boat launches and a motorboat ramp.

A visitor center, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and hiking trails are available, and four paddle-in campsites offer a primitive overnight stay.

While often seen as a bad omen, vultures are instrumental to the health of our ecosystem. As scavengers, vultures eat al...
08/30/2026

While often seen as a bad omen, vultures are instrumental to the health of our ecosystem. As scavengers, vultures eat almost exclusively carrion, which can often carry diseases or deadly bacteria.

To combat this, vultures have incredibly strong stomach acid, which allows them to safely digest lethal bacteria like anthrax and rabies. Without our vulture clean-up crew, our world would be a dirtier, more dangerous place.

📆 September 5
🕐 1 p.m.

Join us on a Vulture Venture hike for Vulture Awareness Day! We will discuss the importance of vultures in our environment, ways to protect the species, and some extra fun facts about our native vulture species, the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), and the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)!

ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-08-12-18-16-55-562880-t1l

Did you know that many species of fungi, plants, and even wildlife glow under a black light? From glowing blue lichen to...
08/14/2026

Did you know that many species of fungi, plants, and even wildlife glow under a black light? From glowing blue lichen to fluorescent pink opossums, a black light can reveal much more than what meets the eye. Join our rangers as we use black light flashlights on a night hike along Holly Marsh trail. 🔦

📅 August 21
🕢 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Pre-Registration is required as this is an after-hours hike at the park. There is an age restriction of 12+ years old. The group will leave from the Visitor Center and walk the Holly Marsh trail to the Potomac River, and back (~2 miles).

ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-06-05-09-41-42-979922-y9r

“The Moon and stars are not above us; they are within us." --John Muir 🌕Come join our rangers on an evening hike through...
08/13/2026

“The Moon and stars are not above us; they are within us." --John Muir 🌕

Come join our rangers on an evening hike through the Holly Marsh Trail to view the Full Moon rising above the Potomac River! Bats, owls, and foxes are some of the wildlife we may come across as we trek through the trees, but an enjoyable hike is always guaranteed. 🦇

📅 August 27
🕖 7 - 8:30 p.m.
📋 Pre-Registration is required as this is an after-hours hike at the park. There is an age restriction of 12+ years old.

🔦 There are a limited number of flashlights available for use from the park, so participants are encouraged to bring their own flashlights and headlamps.

🥾 Also, remember to dress for the weather: pants, long sleeves, and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended. Due to the time of year, be mindful of flying insects and ticks.

ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-04-27-09-12-51-183316-iz2

We’re updating our park master plan and we want to hear from you! Your input will help shape the future of our park for ...
08/10/2026

We’re updating our park master plan and we want to hear from you! Your input will help shape the future of our park for years to come. 😀

The master plan guides future improvements by:

🦋 Highlighting Widewater’s natural, cultural, and physical resources
🏡 Identifying needs for new facilities and upgrades
💖 Ensuring recommendations match what visitors like you want

Virginia State Park master plans are updated every 10 years, so now is the perfect time to share your ideas and preferences. Tell us what activities, amenities, and facilities you’d love to see at Widewater State Park!

Complete our your comment counts survey for a chance to win a monthly raffle for a $50 Virginia State Parks gift certificate: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/other/your-comments-count

Thank you to all of the visitors who participated in the Run America 250 race!Participants came from all across the coun...
08/04/2026

Thank you to all of the visitors who participated in the Run America 250 race!

Participants came from all across the county, from Hawai'i and California to New Hampshire and Florida, bringing together 282 individuals from 30 states (and even one international location!) who completed the 250 miles. Together they ran 55,495 miles total; that is double the distance of the equatorial circumference of the Earth.

Whether you walked, ran, or hiked, at Widewater State Park we were excited to see your smiling faces when we presented the medals. Thank you again, and we hope to see you at another park event.

🫂 Tour Stafford VA & Friends of Widewater State Park - FOWSP

During the evening hours of June 20, twelve participants assisted our rangers in Widewater's first-ever mothing event fo...
07/22/2026

During the evening hours of June 20, twelve participants assisted our rangers in Widewater's first-ever mothing event for National Moth Week! Mothing is an activity were individuals partake in programs to attract, observe, and document moth species for both enjoyment and scientific research.

~10 different moth species were identified and documented using the iNaturalist bioblizt project, along with dozens of other non-moth species. The largest moth documented was the Southern Pine Sphinx moth (pictured) while the most colorful was the Black-bordered Lemon Moth.

Come join us at our next mothing bioblizt on Friday, July 24 at 8:30 p.m.!
*Pre-registration is required!

ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-06-30-05-53-43-523002-j08

National Moth Week is July 20-28! This citizen science event celebrates the beauty and ecological importance of moths. 🤎...
07/20/2026

National Moth Week is July 20-28! This citizen science event celebrates the beauty and ecological importance of moths. 🤎

You can host your own mothing night by setting up a light on a white sheet at night and seeing what creatures show up. By taking pictures of moths and uploading them to partner databases like iNaturalist and Project Noah this week, you can help scientists study the diversity and behavior of our moth species! 💡📸

We are hosting mothing programs this week. As these programs are after hours, pre-registration is required.

To learn more and pre-register, visit: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-03-25-16-31-20-778135-e1r

Today is World Snake Day and we want to highlight a very special snake here at Widewater State Park, Maverick! 🐍Maverick...
07/16/2026

Today is World Snake Day and we want to highlight a very special snake here at Widewater State Park, Maverick! 🐍

Maverick is our animal ambassador here at the park and he helps teach people more about snakes and how important they are to our environment. He even helps people get over their fear of snakes!

Maverick is a 7-year-old corn snake, a native species in Virginia. Corn snakes, also known as red rat snakes, are closely related to the black rat snake, which are a much more common sight in the wild at Widewater.

Both species are nonvenomous and harmless to humans and even help us with pest control by eating mice and rats, which are their preferred prey. They will also eat birds, eggs, and even other snakes. Snakes don't need to eat very often; Maverick only eats one mouse once every two weeks.

🗓️ Come see Maverick and learn more about our scaly friends on July 25 at 2 p.m. for our Maverick Meet and Greet!
ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-06-19-11-38-50-995260-t54

Our boat ramp is open and ready for the Fourth of July weekend!
07/01/2026

Our boat ramp is open and ready for the Fourth of July weekend!

Easily recognizable for the bright white heads and tails of the adults, bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been...
06/24/2026

Easily recognizable for the bright white heads and tails of the adults, bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been the national emblem of the United States since 1782. Bald eagles mate for life and will return to the same nest to lay eggs every year until they need to build a new nest. 🦅

Join rangers for a Bald Eagle Hike!
🗓️ July 4
🕑 2 p.m.

There are multiple nesting pairs on the Widewater peninsula, and bald eagles are a common sight at the park, but it wasn't always this way.

These majestic birds were nearly driven to extinction in the mid-1900s due to habitat destruction, illegal shooting, and contamination of their food source by the insecticide DDT, but conservation efforts saved the species, bringing their numbers back from the brink.

ℹ️ https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-06-19-10-40-04-257038-cwh&yoda=yes

Address

101 Widewater State Park Road
Stafford, VA
22554

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 7pm
Saturday 8am - 7pm
Sunday 8am - 7pm

Telephone

(540) 288-1400

Website

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