Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Marks Opening of Occoquan River Trailhead

The Prince William County Park Authority and Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition (PWTSC) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 29 at 10:00 a.m. to mark the opening of a new Occoquan River trailhead. 

The trail, located below the Lake Jackson dam near Mercury Drive off Route 234, will serve as an additional river access point for canoeists, kayakers and fishermen. 

Years of planning, hard work and commitment will come to fruition during the trailhead opening ceremony weekend.  The project’s completion was expedited as a result of recent donated services and materials by Dominion Power, Branscome Paving and Olde Town Landscaping. 

An opening paddle event will commence right after the ceremony.  Registered canoeists and kayakers can paddle 9.5 miles from the Occoquan River trailhead to Bull Run Marina Park or 5.5 miles from the trailhead to the Riverview Estates HOA take-out site.  Permission to use the HOA take-out site was granted solely for the October 29 opening event.

Prior to the ceremony paddlers will drop off their equipment at the trailhead and park their vehicles at the Bull Run Marina or Riverview Estates HOA parking areas.  A shuttle bus will transport paddlers from the parking areas back to the trailhead to begin their downstream trip.  Directions to the trailhead and parking areas can be found on www.pwtsc.org.   

Register as a canoeist or kayaker in the opening event by calling PWTSC Project Coordinator Ed Dandar at 703-791-6158 or email him at blueways@pwtsc.org.