Potomac River beach, history, and trails at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Our family had an amazing visit to Leesylvania State Park on a recent sunny day! This state park s located fairly close to interstate 95 in Woodbridge, VA but feels miles away from the suburbs. We found this park to be very family-friendly and cannot wait to return!

The park is over 500 acres with many trails and river beaches to explore. After paying the $10 entrance fee, we drove to the Visitor Center and talked with a helpful park ranger who shared trail maps and a general map of the park with us. The Visitor Center has bathrooms and a small gift shop, as well as historical and natural exhibits. There is a parking lot next to the Visitor Center. After our stop there, we moved our car closer to the riverfront where there is an abundance of parking! The Potomac Trail is not paved but would be stroller or wagon friendly and runs parallel to the river's edge. Along this trail, there are multiple picnic areas, a restroom pavilion, and a playground! The picnic areas and playground have a lot of nearby shade which is a great break if you will be spending time out in the sun on the sandy river beaches. The picnic areas had grills and we saw trash cans available to properly dispose of waste!

Several spots along the Potomac Trail allowed easy access to the river. The trail came to an end at a long pier that actually extends so far into the river that you are considered to be in Maryland once you cross a certain point. The kids really liked the idea of "walking to Maryland" as well as straddling both sides of the sign to be in two places at once. A lot of people were fishing from the pier which has decent shade at the end of it!

Our family set up our beach towels along the biggest areas of sandy beach near the pier. We waded into the water which has gentle waves, however, the water is quite murky so water shoes may be a good plan since it is hard to see where you are stepping. We looked for seashells and found some interesting rocks as well. Some people were swimming which is allowed but there are no lifeguards on duty. 

After our beach adventure, we hiked the Lee's Woods trail, a path that takes you past civil war fortifications and cannons up to several outlooks over the river. The trail then turns into the woods and takes you past the home site of the Lee family who lived on this land in the 1700s. The Lee's Woods trail was not overly challenging or long but would not be stroller or wagon accessible so bring your carrier if you have a very little one. 

The Visitor Center hours change throughout the year and other amenities at the park, like boat rentals and the marina cafe, are closed currently due to Covid. We arrived around 11 am and were able to pay our fee to get into the park with no wait but by the time we were leaving close to 3pm, there was an incredibly long line to get into the park so we suggest arriving early!