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Visit a section of river between Wilson Bridge and Colonial Farm...
Jones Point Lighthouse
Fort Foote
Dyke Marsh
Fort Washington
National Colonial Farm
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The Dyke Marsh stretches along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It is one of the most important wetlands in the greater Washington area. The grasses and flats are filled with wildlife, making it a popular destination among birders and weekend naturalists. Well over 250 species of birds have been documented as visiting or year round residents.
The marsh is accessible from several small parking areas along the Parkway or by bicycle or foot along the Mount Vernon bike path that travels across the marsh on a series of wooden bridges. In many ways, the marsh provides a glimpse of what much of the Greater Washington area’s riverfront looked like during colonial times. Over the years, most of the wetlands in the area have been filled in and drained as the shoreline was developed. Today the marsh still offers us the opportunity to see herons, wrens, ducks, geese, hawks and host of other birds within a few miles of Old Town Alexandria and the Wilson Bridge.
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