Back in April of 2020, about a month after the COVID pandemic closed schools, stores, restaurants, and even most outdoor recreational activities, my family and I were looking for something to do in order to get out of the house. There were five of us at the time stuck at home (we were hosting two exchange students), and there were only so many TV shows and movies we could watch, board games to play, and puzzles to put together to occupy our time.
And besides, Virginia in springtime is gorgeous and it just seemed like a waste to view it from indoors.
So one day I was scrolling through Facebook and a friend shared some photos from a hike she had her family had gone on earlier that week. I asked her where it was, hoping it wasn’t private property. She sent me the link and I was super excited to find out it was a local county park open on weekends.
“Kids!” I announced “Load up in the truck! We are going hiking!”
And that is how Riverside Preserve just outside of Warrenton, Virginia became one of my favorite local places to spend a couple of refreshing hours out in nature.
Tucked away on a small country road, Riverside Preserve is Fauquier County’s only river access to the Rappahannock River. Visitors can kayak, canoe, fish (but you need a permit, of course), swim and even picnic along the river, as well as hike along the preserves nearly 3 acres of trails. The preserve is rather quiet during the spring (sometimes we are the only ones there) but in the summer it becomes a popular place for families to fish and swim. But it’s never extremely crowded.
The trails are relatively easy to navigate. The first part of the hiking trail starts at the lower parking area and cuts through a large grassy area. There are some paths down to the riverbank. At the far end of the field, the path continues in a loop through a wooded area, with a portion of the trail along the bank of the river.
It’s also dog-friendly, much to our dogs delight.
While the preserve is open year-round, my favorite time to visit is in the spring time. Not only can you see Virginia Bluebells, but it’s also fun to look for and photograph ferns.
need to know
Riverside Preserve is located just about 8 miles down Rt. 211 west of Warrenton.
The parking lot closest to the river only has about 5 spots and can fill up fast. Otherwise parking is allowed in designated areas along the entrance road.
