Rumors that the undeveloped park at the end of Seneca Road in Great Falls has secret access keys, circulated among the privileged few who live near the park, are untrue — intriguing, but untrue. The park, known as Upper Potomac Properties, maintained by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, covers 462 acres and has a locked access road leading to the Potomac River, which is the subject of the rumors.
“At one point there was a hunting and fishing club at the end, down by the river. That’s what people may be thinking, but they’ve got a different access [now],” said Fairfax County Water Authority spokesperson Jeannie Bailey.
Several groups, including the Water Authority, the Regional Park Authority and local emergency crews have the keys to open the access road and drive down to the water, according to Julia Claypool at the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
“Keys are given out individually to the people who need to be there,” said Claypool.
“It’s not officially a park yet. We consider it ‘land banked- property’ we hold until we decide what to do with it,” said Claypool.
THE PUBLIC IS allowed on the land, which contains numerous hiking trails as well as some rich cultural resources that have remained unchanged through time.
“It actually gets a lot of use. It’s an incredible natural and cultural resource. One of which is the canal. If you go down to the river, there’s a trail off to the left. There are actually small islands there, and you can see the remains of the stone wall,” says Claypool.
The Water Authority vehicles that trek down to the river for monitoring and business uses are most likely the source of the stories that there were special-access keys. “I’d say we’re down there close to half a dozen times a day,” said Bailey. The official vehicles are not always marked with Water Authority logos, which may have sparked the misconception. “They may not have the logos on the side, but they should have some indicator, like the tags, that it’s a business vehicle,” said Bailey.
Rick Stevens, with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority says, “There are no plans on the horizon to develop the land. There are hiking trails there, but that’s about it.”
“In my opinion, it’s one of the prettiest places around to walk in,” said Claypool. “For this area, we’re pretty much interested in keeping it natural.”
Residents like having this secluded area. “Great Falls Park is great, but this is off the beaten path. You aren’t likely to run into anyone or hear anyone while you’re here. It’s secluded, and it should be kept that way. Not much is these days, you know” said hiker William Cutter.
According to Claypool, on Saturday mornings a local black Labrador club meets down by the river for the members to socialize their dogs and allow them to swim in the water.
“It does get a lot of use. But there are prohibitions, like no motorized vehicles,” said Claypool.
There is not a constant official presence at the park, but one manager and one ranger are assigned to Upper Potomac Properties by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
One reason the land is not likely to be developed beyond its current state is that money is tight for the Northern Virginia Park Authority, which has 19 parks in its six jurisdictions (three counties — Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun, and three cities — Alexandria, Falls Church and the City of Fairfax). “We don’t have a lot of money to do a lot with,” said Claypool.
She said it “would be nice to someday open [the access road] up,” but that’s not in the foreseeable future. Hikers and walkers will have to continue to park their cars outside the gate in the street and walk around the gate toward the river and the trails.
The Upper Potomac Property will be part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's 2004 Suburban Safari series. On Saturday, June 12, hikers can take a guided round-trip tour of the undeveloped parkland for a fee of $15 per person. Reservations are required for the Safari and can be made by calling 703-352-5900 or visiting www.nvrpa.org.