VSP Caledon

What did I expect before I left home:

The beautiful Visitor Center closes at 5pm

Caledon State Park is situated on 2579 acres of mature forest along the Potomac river. Originally established in 1659, this area was owned and farmed for centuries by the Alexander family. It was donated to the state of Virginia by Mrs. Ann Hopewell Hewitt Smoot in 1974 and now is an important site for conservation. In 1974 Caledon State Park was designated a National Natural Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior because it is one of the best examples of an old, undisturbed, oak-tulip poplar-dominated virgin upland forest in the country. This park offers one of the few areas where bald eagles, a recently endangered bird, can nest peacefully. While enjoying the park please stay within designated open areas on the shoreline. On July 14, 2012 Caledon Natural Area was renamed Caledon State Park - http://www.virginiaoutdoors.com/parks/details/caledon-state-park

Weather of the day:
Mostly Sunny 65/45
The trip in 140 characters:

It was a gorgeous day for a hike thru the woods, marsh, beach, and river. There are so many trails that I will have to come back for more.
— Topher Gee (@WVUGEE) April 3, 2013

Leo thinks he's human

Special needs:
-The park has open parking but you still need to pay.  Bring cash to put in the parking box and use the parking sticker.
-I'll point out why later but you may want to think about dog shoes.  I haven't met a dog yet that likes them but its better than carrying them back.
-The 3.5 mile Boyd's Hole Trail leading to the Potomac River is the most popular of the trails. Because human traffic disturbs the park's summer population of roosting and foraging eagles, this trail is only open from Oct. 1 through March 31.

Most interesting thing to see:
It makes for the longest trip in one direction but you have to see the view from the coast/jones pond.  There are some shots here of Leo but it doesn't come close to the real thing. It really made me feel good to take some extra waste bags and fill them with some of the beach trash.  I left it a little cleaner than when I found it.

Name those tracks

I think he was as surprised as I was

The second best thing was seeing some bird tracks in the soft gravel.  There was some discussion between the rangers and some of us hikers that it was either the Bald eagles from just across the marsh or some visiting Turkey's  The only real difference is the size of the talons.  After the ranger saw my picture it was confirmed Bald Eagle tracks.  I'll take his word for it. *Caledon is known for hosting the largest concentration of Bald Eagles on the East coast.*





Trails Hiked:
I have a great function on my Garmin GPS that will show your complete adventure with tracks, stats and pictures mapped along the way.  I used to use my cell phone but it only lasts about 5 hours and I plan to have longer trips than that.
Use the link below to find this trip.  I'll show pictures here since its the first post with this type of route mapping.

Click the link below

VSP Caledon | Garmin Adventures

• Boyd's Hole Trail - closed in the summer
• Hampstead road Trail
• Potomac Overlook Trail
• Stuart's Wharf
• Jones Pond

Tree-Mendous Fact:
     Willow Oak - mature Size: 50-80 ft.
Produces good acorn crops, making it a valuable and dependable wildlife food source.

Worst part of the trip:

GRAVEL - If you were to only look at the map, this is the most expansive and varied trail hiking area in the northern region.  This however doesn't mean that its comfortable to walk on with doggie paws.  It took me a couple hours to find out that Leo had punctured his left paw.


Pro Tip: Here's how you take selfie's when completely alone!

GoPro Hero3

Treat or Lecture... you choose!