fort hunt park

Originally a ring fort built opposite Ft. Washington on the Maryland bank of the Potomac, was rebuilt in the the 1890's to house Coastal Artillery guns and finally used to train OSS inductees during WW2.

This park is very clean and wild life is available to be seen (deer). Nice place to picnic and relax.

This park is accessible from the Mt. Vernon Trail. The first time I went on a quiet day in March and was able to wander with my dog and friend around the park and enjoy the peace and quiet. The second time was in warmer weather, and there were more people around. However, there was ample space for wandering and plenty of parking. I can imagine it is great for a picnic or outdoor gathering.

The park provides a great place for family picnics. One can bring one's grill and dispose of the hot coals in special cans. World War II fans will be interested in the information by the flag post. The remains of the Spanish American war batteries are also interesting.

We attended my husband's high school reunion. Fort Hunt park has great pavilion facilities, perfect for a large gathering.

What an excellent local park, great place for bike riding, softball, Frisbee, picnics and birthday parties. Pavilions sometimes rent in advance so call ahead to reserve. Bald eagles often nest nearby, and there are Park Service Horses stabled at one end of the park. What a gem.

Fort Hunt is 99.9 percent locals; few tourists ever stop here. It's worth a stop for various reasons.First, it is an excellent spot to come for a picnic after or before a visit to Mt. Vernon. There are plenty of tables, excellent facilities and lots of green space to throw a ball around and let the kids run off some energy. Second, if you walk about a half mile to your right on the trail leading south from the park, you will come to a point where you get a breathtaking view of Ft. Washington across the Potomac. Third, it you are carrying bikes or are hikers, this is an excellent place to park. It is truly a rarely used park, so there are already a zillion parking places. It is a 2.5 mile bike ride or hike to Mt. Vernon. the ride/hike along the Potomac is lovely, including that view of Ft. Washington I mentioned.Fourth, Ft. Hunt kept a historical secret for more than 50 years. If you are driving into the park, look to your left just before you reach the first intersection where you must turn right to circle the park. In the distance, you will see what looks at first like the remains of an old cement lookout. In fact, it is above a huge underground facility that housed our famously successful decryption specialists during World War II. This secret was only divulged when a clever history sleuth stumbled into it ten years ago. While the marker outside the bunker does not acknowledge this, nor can you enter the bunker, you will be among the few who knows what the men and women who served their country did for all our fighting men and women 60 years ago. They deserve more honors than they have received, and few enjoyed any recognition in their lifetimes.

This Fort is a hidden Alexandria gem. Cool forts to climb and explore. Wide open fields to picnic on and play football or throw the frisbee around. The park is absolutely beautiful!

Fort Hunt Park can be very crowded at times with no parking available in the summer; but most of the time parking can be found. There are lots of family activities, the park itself is a little over a mile in circumference so there are a lot of walkers and joggers there who share the road with cars in a one way direction around the park. Also, handicapped accessible spots, however just as to err on the side of safety, I would not recommend walking there alone because there are thickets of woods nearby and a fence is broken so anyone can access it other than the main driveway which is right off the G.W Parkway.

I enjoy having picnics at ForHunt Park and walking around the grassy areas. It is easily accessed from the George Washington Parkway or Fort Hunt Road.

you can picnic or just roam around, very large area with parking which is always a plus. just off the gw parkway, so very easy to get to

This is a large, beautiful park just off the GW Parkway south of Alexandria, A former military installation and a POW camp for German prisoners, its history has only recently been discovered with a few stories shared somewhat reluctantly by American guards who were sworn to silence. There is still evidence of the fort as well as the camp throughout.. A number of picnic pavilions as well as tables scattered about with plenty of parking. Good walking opportunities as well as green grass and trees that provide a retreat from asphalt and concrete. Plenty of room for quiet gatherings and solitary strolls or runs. Reservations required for the pavilions but everything else is first-come-first served. Even when there are crowds, you won't hear them.

As noted in previous review this is a large and beautiful park good for jogging, bicycling and especially great for large picnic groups. "Area A" is a largest site with a pavilion and a stage. It is easily able to accomodate few hundred people. And a beauty is that sites are so spread out that people don't get into each others way. Garbage bins and bathrooms are abundant.A word of warning. Make sure you follow parking rules or you WILL get a $95 ticket.

Ft. Hunt is a free access National Park, and it has National Park Service Offices onsite. It is a former German POW camp, but the best feature of this park is its natural beauty, many trees and paths, and plenty of picnic areas and restrooms. Come down the GW parkway to visit Mount Vernon, but stop along the way at the Safeway at the Belleview Shopping center to pick up ingredients for a nice breakfast or lunch to be consumed outdoors at Ft. Hunt! I say this because the food at Mt. Vernon (other than at the Inn) is not very good. Another great thing to do here is to jog, roller skate and bicycle, since there is a nice long circular road around the main park area.