Nokesville Park, VA Day Hike

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This hike occured on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018. Participants were Tom O'Brien, Mary Gordon, Jessica Lowry, Dave McIntyre and Mike Calabrese.

As usual we met at the church parking lot and left at 8:00 AM. We got to Nokesville Park at 8:30 AM and started the hike. It was a cool day

but perfect to hike in. Temps were in the 50's. Mary's niece Jessica joined us for this hike. Glad that she could hike with us. There were some buzzards hanging around on top of the light poles in the park. We joked that they were waiting for one of us to not finish this hike.

The trail was very wet from the rain that we received overnight. We had to constantly walk around puddles and step off the trail to avoid our feet getting soaked. We were disappointed that the leaves were not more colorful as they were falling from the trees. We concluded that it was because of all the rain that we had gotten earlier in the year. The terrain was very level. There were no 'ups'.

Towards the back of the park we got a bit lost. The map was not clear as to where the trail went and there were no blazes in this park. So we had to wander and backtrack a few times. Finally, we made it to a road and used Google Maps to get us back to our vehicles. I will contact Prince William county Parks and Recreation about this.

This was a nice, easy and short hike. Don't be put off by the sign that says Horses and riders only. I was assurured by a park ranger on a previous trip that hikers were welcome. And I heard through a reliable source that someone is building a solar farm next to the park and will be offering additional land to this park as a proffer in the future. We are scheduled to visit this park again in 2023 so maybe it will be larger then.

Mike C

I could not find anything about the history of this park but will check with PWC Parks & Rec about that. Meanwhile, from

wikipedia.org:

Nokesville, VA is the center of a farming community with cattle and dairy farms. It became a town and intermediate stop on the Orange & Alexandria Railway in 1865. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Nokesville was the location of a religious movement called the German Baptist Brethren, which became known as the Church of the Brethren. In the 1950s, it was cut off from passenger trains and remains a rural community today. The population was 1,354 at the 2010 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.5 square miles, all of it land. The Nokesville postal delivery area borders Bristow to the north, Catlett to the west, Independent Hill to the south and Canova to the east. Most of the area consists of farms and wooded lands with the "Village" straddling Fitzwater Drive between Aden Road and Nokesville Road (SR 28), which consists of a U.S. Post Office, Carter Bank and Trust, Herf Jones Rings, Nokesville Print & Copy, Nokesville Library, Nokesville Tires, Nokesville Veterinary, and many other small businesses. On the same street is the former Nokesville Elementary and several churches. Nearby is the Nokesville Fire Department and Brentsville High School. These are the only main collection of buildings in the area. Nearly all of the rest of the area is populated by small farms and more churches.

  Group pic at beginning of hike.
   By Mike Calabrese

  On the trail at Nokesville Park, VA.
   By Mike Calabrese
  Crossing Slate Run at Nokesville Park.
   By Mike Calabrese
  Walking the road back to the vehicles.
   By Mike Calabrese

  Buzzard drying his wings.
   By Mike Calabrese

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