Martinez M
July 31, 2025
Pavilion location was great. Park Ranger and park staff was great. No problems or issues. Lovely event and rental process was easy.
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Featured amenities
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
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Apr
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Currently open - Apr 1 to Oct 31
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Reviews
60 reviews
Summary
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
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
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Gary W
August 10, 2025
This is our 8th here in the park for our picnic. Everything was great... the area was clean (better than last year) and the upgraded bathrooms were excellent (area B).
We will be back again next year.
Thanks
Helpful
Lionel T
August 30, 2025
Our organization, the DC area chapter of the WVU Alumni Association, a 501c non-profit corporation, has been holding our annual Crab Feast at Area A of Ft Hunt Park for the past 23 years, excepting the Covid period. We have had an attendance of up to 500 at our peak and the Ft Hunt facility and the NPS has provided the central venue we need in the Metropolitan DMV area to attract our membership base and enable us to hold a signature event for the area WVU alumni and families.
Helpful
Kate P
September 27, 2025
It was perfect! Signage was clear so I knew exactly where to go. Great pavilion! Will be returning next year.
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Mark S
September 27, 2025
Great venue, very popular with our local Mount Vernon HS alumni.
Great interaction with the park ranger, he was helpful and friendly.
Trash receptacles were already chock full on our Saturday morning event, fortunately we obtained heavy duty bags from the ranger for our liuch debris.
Helpful
Steve B
October 13, 2025
It was a great venue for a church picnic. We had plenty of room for fun activities as well as grilling etc. The only issue with this particular venue is that you are not allowed to use any kind of music. We love this park and will do it again next year.
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Susan N
November 4, 2025
Fort Hunt was the perfect venue for our annual family picnic. Facilities were clean and staff was so courteous and helpful. Highly recommended!
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Linda H
April 28, 2026
The setting was perfect for our picnic and wiffleball game for 45 people. The pavilion was clean and there were plenty of trash cans. The kids enjoyed playing on the spacious grassy areas and exploring in the woods. The park ranger, Daniel Blier, was very responsive, both in email before the event and on the day itself, when he went out of his way to be kind to my grandson and to make sure that we had enough parking spaces.
Helpful
Letrice W
May 20, 2026
The park was a great place to host our organization's 5K and Fun Run.
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Cliola P
May 30, 2026
Pavilion B was convenient, clean, and spacious enough for my family event. The bathrooms and parking spaces was also sufficient. Everything was also wheelchair accessible. I highly recommend it.
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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.
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
Population: 156,976
Nearby city: Baltimore, MD
Approx. 46 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 36 ft
Alexandria, VA
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