Mason Neck, Va.

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The 10,000-acre peninsula is preserved by a variety of parks and public lands termed the Mason Neck Cooperative Management Area. Focus of the area is the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, the only federal land in the U.S. devoted strictly to the preservation of the American Bald Eagle. Established in 1969, the wildlife refuge has grown to include 2,272 acres, several distinct ecosystems, the nests of several pairs of eagles, and more than 1200 pairs of great blue herons in one of the mid-Atlantic's largest great blue heron colonies (see also the Nanjemoy Marsh Sanctuaries in Charles County, Md., on the opposite side of the Potomac).

The comeback of the bald eagle is one of the great success stories of Potomac wildlife. A federal ban on the deadly pesticide DDT began in 1973 after studies showed that the chemical poisoned eagles and reduced the calcium in egg shells, rendering them too thin to survive. In 1976, a study by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources found that only 36 eaglets were hatched throughout the state. A decade later, the number had nearly tripled. In the 1995 survey, 265 baby eagles were found throughout Maryland.

Traditionally a home of the eagles, which use the same nest year after year, Mason Neck in 1979 could only locate a single active eagle nest on the peninsula. Now there are at least three active nests and each winter, more than 50 eagles gather to enjoy the protected forest and shorelines. More than 200 other species of wildlife are now protected by the refuge. The area was threatened by real estate development on Mason Neck several times during the past two decades; a strong citizen effort managed to galvanize public support for preservation. Today, Pohick Bay Regional Park, Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, and other parklands work cooperatively to preserve this unique environmental habitat.

Mason Neck State Park is an 1804-acre state park is the newest member of the Mason Neck Cooperative Management Area. The park offers interpretive programs, hiking trails, a modern visitors center, and extensive picnic areas. An environmental education center has programs for schools, and the park is popular for birdwatching and eagle counts. Mason Neck charges a parking fee.

Mason Neck State Park, VA Department of Conservation and Recreation, 7301 High Point Road, Lorton, VA 22079. Telephone: 703-339-2385.

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public from dawn to dusk year round. The Woodmarsh Trail is a 3-mile round trip trail (two shortcuts are available). The Great Marsh Trail is .75 miles long and is handicapped accessible. It terminates at an overlook, permitting some of the best views of the marsh and its inhabitants. To keep people from disturbing the wildlife, the marsh itself is closed to canoeing and there are no public canoe launch points in Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Special permits for shoreline access are occasionally granted to groups engaged in authorized environmental education or research.

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, 14344 Jefferson Davis Highway, Woodbridge, VA 22191. Telephone: 703-690-1297.

Pohick Bay Regional Park—Immediately next to the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is Pohick Bay Regional Park. The park, in addition to preserving a key part of Mason Neck, is a prime location for water sports. It occupies a spectacular setting on Pohick Bay. The recreational sites were located in areas to least disturb the ecology of Mason Neck.

Pohick Bay has 150 family campsites, 103 with electrical outlets (no reservations). The park has excellent boating and swimming facilities; sailboat and paddleboat rentals; boat storage year-round; one of the largest outdoor swimming pools on the East coast; and an 18-hole, par-72 golf course. Unlike the marsh inside Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Pohick Bay is open to canoeists-and affords good views of the marshlands. The park offers special canoeing tours of the marsh during the summer months. For directions, see Mason Neck listing above. The park is open all year. The pool is open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

Pohick Bay Regional Park, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, 6501 Pohick Bay Drive, Lorton, VA 22079. Park Visitor Center: 703-339-6100; Camp center: 703-339-6104; Golf course: 703-339-8585.