Bull Run Regional Park

Drive into Bull Run Regional Park on a spring/summer weekend afternoon and brace yourself for a sea of humanity. On a typical good weather weekend, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people are grilling out and having a genuinely good time. If you don't like crowds, you may be tempted to turn-around - but we recommend you stay. At first glance, Bull Run does not offer the same wilderness-sense of its Occoquan cousins, Fountainhead and Hemlock. But jump on a trail and it's easy to escape the crowds (okay, maybe not during Bluebell season).

The Bluebell Trail at Bull Run Regional Park

View the Bull Regional Park Slideshow on Flickr

Park Amenities & Features

With a vast array of amenities, it's no wonder that families converge on Bull Run like Bluebells to a stream bank.

• For the Kids: Atlantis Waterpark and a children's playground
• For the Adults: 18-hole Disc Golf course 
• For the Family: Hundreds of picnic spots and camp sites including rustic cabins
• For people who like to shoot things: Shooting & Archery Center

And to top it off, the Bull Run Special Events Center is home to Vintage Virginia, Northern Virginia Brewfest, and a few non-booze related events as well.

What are we forgetting? Oh yeah, it's got some hiking too.

Hiking Trails - Virginia Bluebells

Hiker on the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail

Without a doubt, mid-April is the pinnacle of Bull Run hiking when the park's stream-valley trails radiate with color thanks to the Virginia Bluebell. The Virginia Bluebell is one of a handful of local flowers (Cherry Blossoms come to mind) that is an attraction in its own right.

Bull Run Regional Park established an easy 1.5 mile loop leading you through a veritable sea of its featured flower.

Park in the Atlantis lot > Start at the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail (blue-blazed) > Turn right to follow the Bluebell Trail > Turn right to return to the lot via the road

What is it that makes these trail sections such a hotbed of Bluebell activity? The unique flood-plain geography of the trails, which parallel Cub Run and Bull Run, is the key to this annual phenomenon. On your hike, you'll notice that the Bluebells only prosper within a short distance of the stream embankment. As you move inland, other wildflowers like the Spring Beauty and the Cutleaf Toothwort reign supreme.

To celebrate the Bluebell blossoming, Bull Run park staff will be hosting their annual Bluebell Walk on Sunday, April 18th at 2 PM. Or host your own hike, but be sure to act fast. Virginia Bluebells, like the Cherry Blossoms, will be gone before you know it.

Other Hiking Trails

For such a large park (1563 acres), 1.5 miles of hiking is rather wimpy - is there more? Unfortunately, with its focus on "active" recreation (picnic areas, soccer fields, event center, etc.), the park lacks any other clear-cut hiking option within park boundaries. However, the first section of the Bluebell loop doubles as mile 1 of the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail. This trail, which flows southeast for 17 miles along Bull Run and the Occoquan River, is arguably Northern Virginia at its most scenic.

Though not a "hiker's park," the Virginia Bluebell bloom alone makes Bull Run Regional Park worthy of your attention. Bluebells are a photogenic bunch - so don't be shy with that digital macro setting on your new high-tech camera.

Location / Directions: Centreville, Virginia
Park Size / Trail Distance: 1563 acres; 1.5 miles (Bluebell loop) plus Equestrian Trails
Surface / Difficulty: Natural; Easy
Park Map: Map of Bull Run Regional Park
Administration: Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter

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