The entrance sign for Fort Hunt Park with historic Non-Commissioned Officer’s Quarters building in the background
Area C-2 Picnic Area at Fort Hunt Park shelter wide view
Remains of Battery Mount Vernon built in 1898
Picnic Area B at Fort Hunt Park shelter
Area A Picnic Shelter at Fort Hunt Park shelter wide view

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly Pet Friendly

About Fort Hunt Picnic Areas

Fort Hunt Park provides six picnic rental areas: Area A, Area B, Areas C1, C2, C3, and Area D. Picnic pavilions are in Area A, B, C-2 and D. Areas C-1 and C-3 are open areas with picnic tables only. Only Picnic Area A has electricity and amplified sound allowed. If you plan to grill, you must bring in your own grill. A fire extinguisher is required for grilling.  If you have a large group and wish to cater food and beverage, please contact [email protected] to obtain a special use permit. If you plan to bring in and prepare your own food and beverage, no catering request is necessary. See the Need to Know section under Food and Beverage for more information.Some types of activities (e.g. organized runs or races, weddings, etc.) may also require a special use permit. Please contact [email protected] for more information.Fort Hunt Park is located only two miles from Mount Vernon, the historical home of George Washington, and is a local favorite for picnicking and recreation. This picnic area has transformed tremendously over time, from George Washington's farmland to a Spanish-American War fort to a top secret intelligence camp during World War II. The rich history of this area is still being discovered and shared with the public.

Seasonal information

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
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Dec
Currently open - Apr 1 to Oct 31

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly Pet friendly
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
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Reviews

60 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Fort Hunt Picnic Areas received overwhelmingly positive reviews, highlighting the cleanliness and spaciousness of the facilities, as well as the friendly and helpful service provided by Park Ranger Daniel. Visitors appreciated the well-maintained amenities, including accessible bathrooms and ample trash receptacles, making it an ideal venue for family reunions, church picnics, and other large gatherings. Overall, attendees expressed satisfaction with their experiences and plan to return in the future.

Based on guest feedback

4.8

Overall rating

Based on 60 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 85.0% (51)
4 stars 11.7% (7)
3 stars 1.7% (1)
2 stars 0.0% (0)
1 star 1.7% (1)

Showing 60 reviews

Sort by: Newest First

Justin N

June 17, 2025

Oue experience was great: Communication was tremendous with email reminders about our event; the facilities suited our purposes, and Daniel was wonderful to work with again. We will be back again next year!

Helpful

Edward D

June 15, 2025

Ft. Hunt Park is a great venue for our annual church picnic. Picnic Area B is a perfect combination of covered space and open fields for play. Park staff are helpful and the online reservation system is easy. Thanks for another great experience.

Helpful

Larico H

June 7, 2025

Great amenities. Loved the updated bathrooms and they did a great job of making sure all the details were covered. Picnic tables were in ideal places and they had more than enough trash cans for a large group.
They even upgraded our site when a larger one became free!

Helpful

Roland G

May 25, 2025

Great Pavillon
Plenty of space and access to fields and playground was excellent

Helpful

Anthony C

May 11, 2025

Really great venue. Helpful
staff

Helpful

Subhinur E

October 26, 2024

Our wedding at Fort Hunt Park's picnic area B was absolutely magical. The beautiful scenery created such a romantic atmosphere that our guests couldn’t stop complimenting it. We’re so grateful we chose this area, and a big shout-out to Daniel! He was incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. Overall, it was a wonderful experience!

Helpful

Brian G

October 10, 2024

Picnic Area A met all of our expectations plus some. We had enough room for food, a cornhole event, team-building activities, or just sitting around and enjoying the company. There was plenty of parking. The on-site restrooms was a big bonus for the size group we had. They were cleaned prior to the event as well.

Helpful

Teddy K

September 21, 2024

Lots of trash cans. Ample parking for guests. Was very clean when we got there and had good access for the restrooms.

Helpful

Paul P V

August 5, 2024

Facilities were accessible and clean. Garbage cans plentiful.
Portapotties very clean. Thank you!

Helpful

Gail K

July 12, 2024

Great place and service. Bathrooms need a bit more up keep but nice to have flush toilets! Needed paper towels!

Helpful

Location & Directions for Fort Hunt Picnic Areas

8999 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308 United States

Elevation: 14 ft

Getting There

From Interstate 395, take exit 10B for George Washington Memorial Parkway. Merge onto the parkway and continue for about 12 mi. Turn right onto Fort Hunt Road and continue to the park.

Nearest town

Alexandria, VA - 7.4 mi

About 15 min to downtown

Highway access

Access to Fort Hunt Picnic Areas is via the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which can be reached from Interstate 395 at exit 10B.

Policies & Rules

General

  • Failure to comply with park rules and regulations may result in the cancellation of your reservation and/or legal action. Visit the Fort Hunt-Picnic Areas Reservations page for details and FAQ's.
  • A park ranger will contact you using the phone number and/or email address you provided on recreation.gov to discuss your reservation and park rules. You may also call the park 202-439-7325. If you do not respond to the park's efforts to contact you, your reservation may be cancelled. 
  • You or someone you designate must have the reservation confirmation email with you on site (printed on paper or downloaded to a mobile device) for the entire event.
  • Beer and wine, but no hard liquor, may be brought into the park by personal vehicle for personal consumption onsite through the Fort Hunt Park picnic permit system. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to comply with all state (DC, MD, and VA) alcohol license requirements. Reservation holders (Areas A-D) may have beer and wine from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Hard alcohol is not permitted. Hired caterers that provide or serve alcohol must have an ABC banquet license from the state of Virginia. Money may not be exchanged at Fort Hunt Park under any circumstance (for example, no selling food or tickets, raffles, alcohol, or any items). Grills may be brought into the park for personal use, but require the following: minimum of one Size II Dry Chemical and ABC Rated fire extinguisher is required. Grills must be at least 10 feet away from any structure.
  • Picnic reservations are only valid from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The reservation provides exclusive use of the picnic area but does not give exclusive use of the restrooms in any area.
  • All picnic areas have a maximum capacity. Your group's size may not exceed the maximum capacity of each picnic area, which are as follows: Area A- 600 people / 150 vehiclesArea B- 350 people/ 140 vehiclesArea C1-100 people/ 40 vehiclesArea C2-120 people/ 40 vehiclesArea C3-100 people/ 40 vehiclesArea D-120 people/ 30 vehicles. Please plan to reserve the area that offers adequate parking for the number of vehicles you expect to come to your event or to make other transportation arrangements (e.g., for a shuttle to bring guests to the park). Reservation of more than one picnic area requires a Public Gathering Permit. If you have questions, please contact the park: 202-439-7325.
  • Amplified sound is only allowed in Area A. If park staff feels the music or sound is too loud, a park ranger will ask you to reduce the volume. The Code of Federal Regulations states no audio disturbance can exceed 60 decibels measured on the A-weighted scale at 50 feet from the source.
  • You may only drive on the paved loop road, in parking lots, and in designated loading zones. Vehicles may not occupy loading zones for longer than 10 minutes. You may only park in marked parking spaces. Parking off hard surfaces (i.e. grass or dirt surfaces) is prohibited, and vehicles will be towed.
  • If you have reserved a picnic area, you may only decorate the picnic tables and pavilion in the site you have reserved. You may only tie or tape decorations to the tables and pavilion. You may not attach decorations in a way that will cause permanent damage, such as with nails or staples. Please note that you may not attach decorations to vegetation, or put signs or decorations outside of the area you reserved, such as along the road. No glitter or confetti of any kind is permitted. All picnic decorations must be removed when your reservation expires. Moon bounces or bouncy castles are prohibited under all circumstances.
  • You may not use anything that penetrates the ground, such as wire sign holders, volleyball poles, or tent stakes. You may only use park water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Recreational water use is prohibited.
  • You may not bring firewood, live plants, or live animals (other than pets) into Fort Hunt Park. You must leave the area you use in the same condition that it was when you arrived. If your use of the park causes damage (beyond what is reasonably inherent in its use) you can be held financially liable for that damage. If park staff must clean up an area that you reserved after you leave, you can be held financially liable for associated costs.
  • Smoking is not permitted within 25 feet of any structure. Electrical outlets in area A may only be used with a picnic permit.

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Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Alexandria, VA

Alexandria, Virginia

Population: 156,976

Nearby city: Baltimore, MD

Approx. 46 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 36 ft

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