Piscataway Park is home to bald eagles, beavers, deer, foxes, ospreys, and many other species. To complement the surroundings, the park has, in addition to a public fishing pier and two boardwalks over fresh water tidal wetlands, a variety of nat...
The Accokeek Creek site was excavated in the 1930’s by Alice and Henry Ferguson who purchased land for their home in present-day Piscataway Park in the 1920’s. After excavating tens of thousands of artifacts, the Ferguson’s came to believe that they had rediscovered the site of “Moyaone,” the principal town of the Piscataway chiefdom visited by Captain John Smith in 1608.
A trail through an open field surrounded by trees.
Standing at the trailhead for Accokeek Creek, a wooden boardwalk extends before you before gently curving left and being lost in the foliage. An observation deck ringed with benches overlooks the view to your right, where marsh grass grows in the creek’s delta. When the tide is out, there may be some of the turtles, snakes, and other critters who call the marsh home. To your left the, Accokeek Creek spills into the Potomac river. The park is a popular spot for birders, and on your walk you may find yourself sharing the marsh with ospreys, herons, and falcons as well as the smaller songbirds flitting in the branches. Across the river is the Virginia shore where cars zip along the George Washington Memorial Parkway – another national park site. George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate stands on the opposite shoreline.
The small gravel parking lot is often ringed with cars as people fish from the shore. A small boat launch at the end of the access road provides a place for visitors to launch their canoes, kayaks, and other hand-paddles watercraft for a new way to explore the Potomac River and Piscataway Creek.
At Marshall Hall’s boat ramp visitors can launch recreational watercraft via two concrete ramps flanking a wooden pier approximately 125 feet in length. Above the beginning of the pier is a white sign with black text reading “NO FISHING From RAMP or PIER BANK FISHING ONLY.” Across the Potomac is the Virginia shore, covered with trees and dotted with large white houses. The paved parking lot is large enough to accommodate up to 40 cars or trucks with boat trailers. Route 227 ends at the shore with access points at the north and south ends of the lot.
After bearing right off of Route 227 you’ll continue along a roughly paved, tree lined drive for approximately a quarter of a mile before arriving at the turnaround loop that passes by the Marshall Hall ruins. Three trees grow in the grass center of the loop, and more trees dot the grassy lawns that surround the road. To the west is a short white brick building, approximately 25 by 15 feet, with a black roof and a chimney. To the north are the ruins of a red brick house. Two walls, approximately 60 feet long, with five rectangular windows face the road. They are capped on either end by shorter walls, approximately 30 feet long, and bisected by a third. Each of the short walls has a chimney in the center. The house is one and a half stories tall with no roof. The ruins are enclosed by a 100 x 115 foot chain link fence that is covered in vines and bushes. To the right of the road is an open field with picnic benches and a cemetery.
Mockley Point juts out into the Potomac to form the mouth of Piscataway Creek. The shore is lined with medium sized broken rocks that protect against the erosion of the Point’s sandy beaches, which are visible at low tide. There are often small rocks and driftwood dotting the beaches. A thin line of trees grows between the beaches along the Potomac and the marshes further inland. Fort Washington is situated across the mouth of Piscataway Creek and may be visible, depending on the day and season. Just over six miles to the north is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Across the Potomac is the George Washington Memorial Parkway nestled along the wooded shoreline of Virginia.
Parking spaces designed to accommodate visitors with accessible needs are available. The distance from the parking lot to the Visitor Center is less than 300 feet, and the distance to the fishing pier is less than 500 feet. The distance from the parking lot to the boat dock is 1363 feet. The boat dock is not universally accessible. The grades are gradual, and the gravel pathways are relatively well packed. Wheelchairs are available at the Visitor Center for temporary use by visitors with the park. Loans are first come, first served. A driver’s license or state ID is required. Accessible restrooms are available at the Visitor Center and are open daily from dawn to dusk. Additional restrooms are available at the Education Center during special events and activities
A small one story building 60 ft wide and 20 ft deep. The siding is composed of vertical one and a half foot thick dark brown wooden boards. The roof is composed of multi-colored brown shingles. There are two red doors on the front side each with a screen door. The building has a small gravel parking area in front of it.
A 45x40 foot large wooden barn. The structure is built of long wood boards that have warped and weathered to a light gray color. The steeply slanted roof is covered with wooden shingles. On one side of the roof extends out to create a sheltered space for small animal pens. The barn is encircled by a dirt road.
Approximately 40 ft from the visitor parking lot stands the Piscataway Park Education Center. The building is a one and a half story split level about 60x60 ft. Its walls are covered in beige siding and its roof has gray shingles. The parking lot entrance is on the right side of the building with a sign over the door that says 'Education center'. The sides of the building are lined with windows that overlook the forest and meadow. The back of the building has a wraparound porch and a path leading to the colonial farm. One side of the roof is a green roof covered in small plants and grasses.
A small, simple one story wooden house. Inside there are two rooms and two small fireplaces. The exterior backs up to a garden and is surrounded by a short wooden fence.
Caddy corner from the farmhouse stands a small log building. The building is just 10 ft x 20 ft. It is built from weathered logs about a foot in diameter. White chinking remains between some of the logs. The roof is shingled in with 3 ft by 4 inch wooden planks. A chimney on the far side is built from logs and smaller pieces of wood rising a foot above the pitch of the roof. A small door and window provide access to the kitchen on both sides. The building is adjacent to the fenced-in garden.
A large wooden barn with a steeply pitched roof. The wooden siding is made of 4 foot planks which have weathered to a dark brown. Inside, the barn is open with large rafters from which tobacco is sometimes hung.
Stairs lead down to the wooden dock. It is roughly 7 feet wide with railings on both sides. About 150 feet long, the dock does not have a railing at the far end. At the end, the dock turns to the left where a floating dock is attached. There are two interpretive signs on the right railing which detail the Battle of the White House in 1814.
The wooden fishing pier is approximately 250 feet long. The pier is constructed to meet Americans with Disabilities Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). When entering the pier, there is a staircase on the left to access the shoreline. The end of the pier turns to the left where there is a floating dock. The floating dock and kayak launch are attached to the pier by a 4-foot by 28-foot L-shaped gangplank, which is designed to have a maximum 8.33% slope (at low tide). The floating dock is approximately two feet above the surface of the water. The water depth near the fishing pier varies between 8 feet at high tide and 6 feet at low tide. It is recommended that visitors check the water depth and tides by visiting the Maryland DNR website.
Piscataway Park is home to bald eagles, beavers, deer, foxes, ospreys, and many other species. To complement the surroundings, the park has, in addition to a public fishing pier and two boardwalks over fresh water tidal wetlands, a variety of nature trails, meadows, and woodland areas. The park is also home to National Colonial Farm.
A wide creek surrounded by trees, grass, and other green folliage.
