I heard about this park from a friend of mine who grew up in King George. I was reminded about it when checking the Fredericksburg Area Running Club's (FARC) website for race information (www.farc.org). I discovered they put on a series of low-key (i.e., no prizes or t-shirts) cross-country races here during the summer. I had to do some business in Richmond, so arranged to do it on a day when I could get to the race (6:30 pm) on my way home.

My business concluded a bit earlier than planned, so I was undecided about racing. I considered just checking out the park and heading home. As it turned out, the traffic decided for me. I-95 came to a dead stop about five miles from exit 126 (Route 1, south of Fredericksburg). As I approached the exit, I could see that traffic was still not moving as far as the eye could see. This was a no-brainer. I was armed with the directions from the FARC website and hoped that Route 1 would lead to me to Route 3. It did.

This park is clearly off the beaten path, tucked neatly in the backroads of the King George area. It is a small but well- maintained park with two small parking areas, which can be extended by parking on the grass. The visitor's center was closed, but the door on the side of the building leading to the alcove where the bathroom is remains unlocked. It is not clearly marked, though, so you could miss it.

Caledon is a conservation area, so trail use is limited to pedestrians. The trails are well-marked and are composed of piggy-backed loops allowing for several combinations ranging from less than a mile to six or seven miles. The race was "somewhere between 3.5 and 4" miles. There is another trail, called the Boyd's Hole Trail, which is only open certain times of the year (October-March) due to eagle nesting areas nearby. This is a longer trail and has a stretch which follows the Potomac River. Be forewarned, there are good climbs and, at least on this trip, mud and slick spots. Fortunately, the gentleman in front of me was fearless and executed a few spectacular falls and slides, previewing the dangerous zones for me.

The park itself contains 2,579 acres of undeveloped land and 3.5 miles of shoreline. It is true to its name as a natural area: insects are in abundance, so bring your spray. There is a protected case which houses park maps and information on local and regional park sites at the trailhead. There is an amphitheatre for educational programs, and a protected shelter with picnic tables. It is a part of the Virginia State Park system, Department of Conservation and Recreation.

In summary, the park rates a "3" Muddy Shoes rating. It is well- marked, has bathroom facilities and water fountain, and a picnic shelter. Its downsides are short trails (which can always be repeated for increased distances) and location with respect to the bulk of WRR readers. I highly recommend the diversion should you find yourself stuck in traffic on I-95. I don't know about you, but I usually have my running stuff in my car. If I'm going to "lose time" on the road, I'd rather pull over and run off the stress. I just look for brown signs indicating parks. Most of the time, I arrive at my destination within a thirty minute window of when I would have if I crawled through traffic. But I arrive with a much better attitude!