We hit the trailhead late to accommodate a lost driver coming from Baltimore, but all three of us headed out around 11 a.m.  We hiked down the boardwalk and towards Bull Run (river) hit the river and then turned right with a sea of Virginia Bluebells everywhere—thousands on the opposite bank of the river and our side of the river.  It was peak Bluebell bloom time and there were plenty of photographers and families taking pictures.  It was a cloudy and overcast day, but warm and humid.

We proceeded down the path until we came to the left turn to the Bull Run Occoquan Trail leaving most of the flower chasers behind and enjoyed a quiet hike.  The trail was muddy from the river overflowing its banks last winter and early spring so waterproof boots were a must.  One bridge was gone so a delicate walk over some tree limbs was our only option to cross.  The other remaining bridges were there plus a new bridge established by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which manages this trail.

We walked along the river up a few fairly steep hills.  Before the next little hill and before crossing a small stream I heard a wren singing loudly in the bushes.  We walked for another 30 minutes and spotted a wood shelter high up on a bluff above the river so we took advantage of the view and the seat for a rest and a snack.  This would be our turning point to head back. We walked back and although we didn’t observed any impressive birds that we say last May, we still enjoyed the local birds. We got back to our starting point around 2:00 pm, making for a good 3 hour hike and about 7 miles.  This is a great gem of a park in Northern Virginia and definitely needs a revisit.

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