Old Mill Park

The Chesapeake Conservancy partnered with the Friends of the Rappahannock River and worked with the City of Fredericksburg to establish a soft put-in/take-out site at Old Mill Park in Fredericksburg, VA. The launch was installed on October 27, 2012 and shortly thereafter received its first test of storm conditions from Hurricane Sandy.

The structure held its ground in the face of extremely high river flows; however, the storm revealed the need for greater rock reinforcement and plant stabilization in some areas.

The National Park Service plans to install a John Smith Trail kiosk at the site. The Conservancy received a recognition award for their work from the City of Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation Department at their 26th Annual Recreation Commission Volunteer Banquet. The launch is expected to serve thousands of boaters each year and to further the Conservancy’s effort to create a series of public access points at strategic locations along the Rappahannock River and the Capt. John Smith Trail.