Riverbend Park, in Fairfax County, Virginia. Nearest town is Great
Falls. This is #4 in the Riverbend Park series.
Follow the previous instructions to Riverbend Park and to the
Nature Center. Keep in mind that the building is closed except
for special events; there is a porta-john in the parking lot, but
clean restrooms are available back at the Visitors Center.
Difficulty: It is about a 20-25 minute walk each way and the return
trip is partly uphill. It is an easier and much flatter walk from the
Visitors Center, but this route takes you through a different part of
the park. You will need a compass, and you will need to
differentiate between a step and a pace. From the parking lot
walk to the Nature Center and follow the signs to the Paw-Paw
Trail. Take the trail downhill, across the bridge and up to the
intersection with a service road. Turn right on the trail/road and
walk down past the pond, bearing right here, and on down to the
intersection with the River Trail. Head upriver on this trail for
10-12 minutes till you come to a new earthen bridge over a
creek. Cross the creek and walk about 80 paces (1 1/2 minutes)
till you come to a small path bearing about 8 degrees, almost
due south. Follow this path for about 31 paces until it is just
about to bear left near the foot of a hill. On a bearing of 143
degrees take 32 steps, past a double-trunked sycamore with a
white "F.C. Boundary" sign on it, to another large sycamore.
WHO COOKS FOR YOU? letterbox is at the base of this second
tree, on the south side, under leaves, sticks and sycamore bark.