Aquia Landing Park

Open year-round, this popular public beach offers fishing, picnicking, kayaking and two large picnic shelters for rent. Rich in outdoor recreation and steeped in history, Aquia Landing is a special place in Stafford County. Located just 7 miles east of Stafford Courthouse (Exit 140 – from I-95). Open 8am to dusk.

This site was the end of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad line, making it an important transportation point between Washington, DC. and Richmond, Virginia. It was the first place to see naval fire during the Civil War, making it a featured stop on the Civil War Trails. Aquia Landing is also an important stop on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Henry “Box” Brown, Ellen & William Craft, and John Washington were among the 10,000 enslaved people who traveled through Aquia Landing on their escape route to freedom.

Contact: Stafford Parks & Recreation (540) 658-5019

Admission: Free for individual use – shelter rental fees apply