Blue skies and sunshine, mild temperatures, calm water, and colorful fall foliage – it was a perfect day for a visit to Cockpit Point Civil War Park on the shores of the Potomac River. A few of us paddled from Leesylvania State Park down to Cockpit Point, pulled up on the beach, hiked up to the historic sites in the park, and took in the scenic views at the overlooks. It’s about a 4.5 mile round trip on the water, from Leesylvania State Park to Cockpit Point and back. The PWC Dept of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has not yet established an entrance to the park from land; there is no pedestrian crossing of the CSX rail tracks which cut-off the 16-acre historic area on the bluffs above the river, the site of the Civil War cannon emplacements.
After paddling back to Leesylvania State Park, we walked up to Freestone Point, another historic site with cannon emplacements above the river.
