“I’ve been leading groups on kayak river trips at Westmoreland State Park for four years now and today was the very best that we have ever experienced”, says Fawn Palmer who leads the Westmoreland State Park Kayak Trips on the Potomac River. According to Palmer, between the main beach and Fossil Beach, a distance of about 1.2 miles there were at least two dozen eagles, adults and juveniles. They were flying overhead, circling lower and lower to fish, soaring higher and higher on thermals & perching on the trees.
She continues her dialogue of the magnificent morning by thanking Rachel Carson for sounding the alarm about the dangers of pesticide accumulation in the fatty tissues of top level predators such as eagles and osprey. Today she says, “We gloried in wild Bald Eagles, thriving on the Potomac.” The group Palmer guided also spotted two Kingfishers, three Great Blue Herons and two Osprey. It’s not too late to take one of these magnificent kayak adventures this year.
The trip includes basic instruction, safety tips, a guided tour of the shoreline and plenty of kayaking. The park offers two types of trips: the Pirates, Privateers and Patriots trip on Fridays, mid-June through mid-August, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and the Fossils, Eagles, Herons and History trip on Sundays, Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The latter is also offered on Saturdays, May through October, 10 a.m. to noon.
After the trip, be sure to hunt for sharks teeth along the beach. The park is known for spectacular fossil finds.
Westmoreland State Park is located on Virginia’s northern neck. It is a convenient drive from D.C. and northern Virginia, Richmond and central Virginia, and Tidewater and Hampton Roads. Westmoreland State Park is located between George Washington’s Birth Place National Monument and Stratford Hall, boyhood home to Robert E. Lee. There is a lot to see and do around the park. Pre-register by calling 1-800-933-PARK at least one day prior to the trip. Sometimes we must cancel the trip for inclement weather or small craft advisories. The trip is a great addition to an overnight stay at the park. Westmoreland State Park offers camping and cabin rentals. Overnight reservations can also be made by calling 1-800-933-PARK (7275) or by booking on line.