Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge February 2009
a view of the marsh
Had perfect weather over the weekend so of course that means hiking! In the middle of February we had 60 degree highs on Sunday so Nancy and I went to Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge for a quick hike. I have been to Mason Neck once before to hike the State Park, but not the wildlife refuge.
We got a late start on Sunday so I was afraid the tiny parking lot would be filled, on such a nice day there were only 5 other cars in the lot. We started down the Great Marsh loop trail headed towards the observation building. The trail was muddy as hell, even though it had not rained for about a week, but that’s what hiking boots are for.
When we made it to the observation building that over looks the great marsh it was a great surprise. This was a brand new building, so new you could still see wood dust from all the boards used to make it. A covered building about 10′ square, it has a great view of the Great Marsh. The building has some benches so it’s a great way to spend a little time with nature without roughing it to much. On this day the water level was pretty low with not much activity. All that was in the marsh were a few Canadian Snow Geese, just hanging out, sleeping in the mud.
After some time spent at the observation building we walked further down the trail making a big loop back to the parking lot. There is not much variety in the refuge, but as a short easy hike near my house it is a winner. I would love to see this place during migratory season. I can only imagine how many bird species would amass in the marsh at that time. I would also love to come back for a cigar and a little solitude.
