Where in Leesburg can you carry a kayak from a Town parking lot to the Potomac? Until this fall, there was no such place. The first Town park with direct access to the river opened on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

That park is Veterans Park at Ball's Bluff, at 42314 Balls Bluff Road. In its first winter it does a few things very well. It has a road down to the river, a launch for canoes and kayaks, and trails into the woods that link up with the Ball's Bluff battlefield. The picnic spots and other gathering amenities come later. The best time to use it is short, too. Winter hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. took effect November 1, and the guided weekend tours at the battlefield next door end after November.

A Road to the River, Twenty-Five Years in the Making

The property has been waiting a long time. The Town bought 86 acres in 2001 for $2 million, in a joint purchase with NOVA Parks, which used to be called the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. According to the Town's opening announcement, retired judge and former Council Member Frank Buttery started the talks with the private owner, and the Town held the land for more than 20 years until it had money to build.

Construction took 16 months. The total project cost was $4.2 million, and Loudoun County paid $4 million of it. The Town's capital project page names Alpha Construction and Engineering Corp. as design engineer and Madigan Construction Inc. as contractor. It also thanks the Potomac Crossing community for its patience while work was underway.

The opening day made the park's purpose clear. The Loudoun Times-Mirror reported that the park opened after two decades of planning, and that Mayor Kelly Burk and Supervisor Kristen Umstattd took a ceremonial canoe trip on the Potomac. In the Town's release, Mayor Burk described it as a place "where friends can launch a canoe or kayak, and where residents can hike the trails and discover the native plants and natural beauty that make this area so special."

What Phase I Built, and What It Left for Later

Phase I is mostly about getting people down to the water. The project description lists a three-quarter-mile, two-lane access road from Balls Bluff Road to the Potomac, parking, and an accessible boat ramp. Here is what's open today:

• River access road: three-quarters of a mile and two lanes, running from Balls Bluff Road to the water's edge.
• Two parking areas: one by the boat ramp and one by the historic silos. You can reach the trailheads from either lot.
• Boat launch: for non-gas-powered craft only.
• Trails: primitive paths that join an existing stretch of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, blazed in blue, plus a new, shorter connector blazed in white. An improved trailhead on Balls Bluff Road leads down toward the river.
• Silos and corn crib: the Town's facility page lists them as reminders of the land's farming past.

The picnic pavilion isn't open yet. The Town's October 2 release says it "will open in the spring." The capital project page places the pavilion in the second phase, along with roadway upgrades, more parking, silo upgrades and trail improvements, and estimates overall completion in Fall 2029. For now, you come here to walk, fish or paddle. The family-gathering features the Mayor described depend on that next phase.

Fishing is welcome. The facility page describes the river access as being "for paddling and fishing."

The 5 p.m. Clock

Seasonal hours shape the park more than any other rule. The Town posts four schedules:

The park opened during its 12-hour season. Now it's in the 10-hour one, which lasts five months. A paddle after work that fit easily into a September evening doesn't fit at all on a weekday in December. The Town also posts that no one may trespass or loiter outside operating hours, so a launch or walk has to end with enough time left to get back up the access road to the car before 5.

The battlefield next door follows a different clock. NOVA Parks keeps Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park open dawn to dusk for walking, hiking and self-guided tours. Weekday visits are realistically weekend outings until April, when Veterans Park's closing time moves to 8 p.m.

November Is the Last Month With Guides Next Door

The trail network is what makes Veterans Park more than a boat ramp. The Town confirms that its paths connect to the blue-blazed Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and to other NOVA Parks trails that run toward nearby parks. The closest is Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park. NOVA Parks describes it as the site of one of the largest Civil War engagements in Loudoun County. It has an interpretive trail, signage, and an overlook on the bluff above the Potomac.

The park also contains Ball's Bluff National Cemetery, which NOVA Parks calls the third-smallest national cemetery in the United States. The National Park Service places the cemetery near the Turtle Run fork on its Potomac Heritage Trail page.

This is why November matters. NOVA Parks runs guided tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday from April through November. They start at the kiosk in the battlefield parking lot. After this post goes up, four weekends of guided tours are left: November 7–8, 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29. From December through March, the battlefield offers the self-guided brochure, which NOVA Parks makes available year-round.

The two parks also share history. Veterans Park sits on land the Town describes as having played a significant role in Leesburg's history. In the Town's release, Parks and Recreation Director Rich Williams said the goal was a park "that continues to recognize the history of the property." On a November Saturday, the 11 a.m. tour gives the battle's story at the bluff, and the river below gives a view of the Potomac you can now reach from a Town lot.

Before You Drive Down Balls Bluff Road

The Town posts a short set of rules. Most of them are about the narrow space at the water's edge and the limited parking.

General

• No alcohol.
• No weapons. The Town cites Town Code Sec. 26-24.
• Dogs must be leashed, restrained and curbed at all times.
• Areas marked Restricted Access are for authorized personnel only.

Parking

• No parking on the roadways.
• No trailer parking.
• Unauthorized vehicles are towed at the owner's expense.

At the launch

• No gas-powered vessels.
• No swimming or loitering on the launch ramp.
• The Town's posted water-safety guidance calls for a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD, notes that no lifeguard or lifesaving equipment is provided, and asks visitors to check weather and water conditions. Use is at your own risk.

Trailers aren't allowed anywhere in the park. The preconstruction FAQ the Town published in 2025 said large commercial groups bringing kayaks or canoes wouldn't be accommodated, because the lots can't fit large trailers. The Town's site map comes with a note that it doesn't show current conditions, so the posted signs at the park are the final word. If you have questions on site, the Parks Manager's line is 703-737-7155.

For the latest hours and amenity updates, the Town keeps a Veterans Park information page. The first big change it lists is the pavilion opening the Town has promised for spring.

At Listed by Leslie Group, we follow changes like this one, where a road to the river can redraw a household's weekend map. If you're wondering how a new park, trail link or Town project near your street could affect the value of your home, request a complimentary home consultation and we'll go over it with you.