"Dyke Marsh is a freshwater tidal wetland consisting of 380 acres just south of Alexandria, Virginia, and north of historic Mount Vernon. Located on the west bank of the Potomac River some 95 miles from the Chesapeake Bay, Dyke Marsh is owned by the U S Federal Government and is managed by the National Park Service as a part of the George Washingon Memorial Parkway. It is an area of open water, cattail marsh, wetland shrubs and plants, and deciduous swamp forest."
This is the 7th year to view the flora and fauna on this walk.
| Dates: | January 2 - December 31, 2008 |
| Start Point: | Roy Rogers Family Restaurant, Belle View Shopping Center, 1506 Belle View Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22307 Location Map 703-660-1264. Ask for the "Walk Box" at the counter. A server will get it for you from the manager's office. |
| Start Times: | Daily 7am to 9pm. Walk only during daylight hours. Call ahead on holidays and during inclement weather to make sure that the restaurant is open. |
| Distances/Trails: | The walking trail is 10KM with an optional 2KM add-on. The trail is rated 1+ and heads east from the start point and follows a hiker/biker trail along the Potomac River. The trail offers splendid views of Dyke Marsh, a birdwatcher's paradise. The trail returns to the start point via pleasant residential streets. An optional 2km detour allows you to proceed onto a peninsula into the river with even better views of birds and wildlife. Dogs on a leash are allowed on this optional trail as well as the regular trail. An alternative 10KM trail rated 2+ through nearby neighborhoods is available for those who want some variety. One one IVV credit stamp is available regardless of which trail you walk. The 25KM bike trail follows the hiker/biker Mount Vernon Trail which parallels the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Potomac River. The bike trails extends between Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria. |
| Award: | This is a credit only event. There is no commemorative award. |
| Fees: | The IVV fee only is $3. |
| Stipulations: | Pets must be under control at all times and must be picked up after. Pets are not allowed in the start point. Restrooms and water are available at the start point and at two locations in early stages of the trail. Food and beverages are available at the start point. |
| Contact Info: | Tom Baerwald (home) 703-765-3128 (work) 703-292-7301 Email |
| Directions: | From either Maryland or Virginia on the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495): Drive towards Alexandria and take exit 177A, (US-1 South, Fort Belvoir). Merge to the left within about 0.2 miles and turn left on Huntington Avenue. Turn left to drive on Huntington for one block to Fort Hunt Road. Turn right to drive south on Fort Hunt Rd for about one mile to the second traffic signal which is Belle View Blvd. Turn left to drive east on Belle View Blvd for about two blocks. Turn left into the shopping center parking lot. The Roy Rogers restaurant is at your right at the far east end of the shopping center (nearest to the Parkway). Bridge Warning: Construction on the Wilson Bridge may result in changes in routes and periodic closings or other disruptions. For current info about Wilson Bridge construction activities, consult www.wilsonbridge.com Via Metrorail: take the Yellow Line to Huntington and exit toward the rear end of the train (towards south parking lot), heading down toward Huntington Avenue. Fairfax Connector buses #101, 151, and 152 have stops near the Belle View shopping center. Call 703-3339-7200 to obtain information about the timing of the buses between Huntington and the shopping center or check at their webpage at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector. |