"Frank came to the town council and said 'listen, I'm negotiating with this landowner. He's got a beautiful piece of land, and we can get it for only $3 million.' I said, 'Frank, that's a lot of money.'"
Supervisor Kristen Umstattd told that story at the September 30 dedication of Veterans Park at Balls Bluff, as Loudoun Now reported. She was mayor when former Town Council member Frank Buttery brought the deal forward. The land was part of a 141-acre purchase made with NOVA Parks. NOVA Parks took 55 acres to expand its battlefield park, and the town paid $2 million for the other 86. A quarter century later, Leesburg has its first public boat launch on the river that forms its northern edge.
The rules are what make this park unusual. It is a launch for people who carry their boats down to the water, and a trailhead that leads into one of Loudoun's most visited Civil War sites. The best weeks to use it this year are the ones happening now. On November 1, closing time moves up two hours, and the free battlefield tours next door end with November.
What the ramp is built for
The Town's park information page sets out the boat launch rules in three lines.
- No gas-powered vessels.
- No swimming or loitering at the launch ramp.
- Use at your own risk.
The parking rules finish the picture. Trailer parking is not allowed, cars may not park on the roadways, and unauthorized vehicles are towed at the owner's expense. The Town's 2025 preconstruction FAQ said large commercial groups bringing boats are not allowed, because the lots can't fit large trailers. In practice, that leaves canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards on a roof rack or in a truck bed, carried from the car to the water.
The same FAQ described the ramp as designed. A concrete ramp runs about 25 feet past the shoreline, and the last five feet are loose stone. The slope goes from 2% to 20% past the water's edge. The Town calls the launch accessible. The steeper grade under the waterline matters when you step off the concrete with a boat on your shoulder.
The current park page answers some questions and leaves others open. It bans gas-powered craft but says nothing about electric trolling motors. It lists no launch fee and no permit process. The FAQ said no rentals or activity fees were planned. For anything the page doesn't cover, the Town lists the Parks Manager at 703-737-7155.
The clock is the real constraint
Most river access around here is open from dawn to dusk. Veterans Park sets its own hours, and they change four times a year.
| Season | Park hours |
|---|---|
| May through August | 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| September through October | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| November through March | 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| April | 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
The page also says no trespassing or loitering outside those hours. Closing time covers your car as well as your boat. The road from Balls Bluff Road down to the river is three-quarters of a mile long, so a paddle that ends at closing time is already late.
From today, October 12, three weekends of 7 p.m. closings remain: October 17 and 18, October 24 and 25, and Saturday, October 31. After that, the winter schedule takes away two hours of evening river time every day through March. If you want to be on the water late in the afternoon this fall, the window is short.
From the ramp to Harrison's Island
The ceremony itself showed the obvious first trip. After the ribbon cutting, Mayor Kelly Burk and Umstattd paddled canoes from the new launch across the Potomac to Harrison's Island and back, according to Loudoun Now. Burk listed picnicking, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking among the park's uses.
Longer trips call for more planning. The Town publishes no river-mile distances from this launch to other access points. The paddling club Canoe Cruisers Association notes that some Potomac takeouts are hard to spot from the water, and it suggests running a new stretch the first time with someone who knows it. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Upper Potomac safety guide warns that the river can be dangerous even at normal flow and tells boaters to check water levels before setting out.
The Town gives the same advice. Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, check weather and water conditions, and expect no lifeguard or lifesaving equipment on site. The water also cools quickly in October, which is one more reason to take that guidance seriously.
Walking in from Balls Bluff Road
You don't need a boat to use the park. Walking trails run through woods and along the river, and primitive paths connect to an existing section of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, blazed in blue. An improved trailhead on Balls Bluff Road leads down toward the river, and a new white-blazed trail offers a shorter, more direct route. There are two parking areas, one near the ramp and one near the historic silos, and both connect to the trails. Dogs are welcome if they are leashed, restrained, and cleaned up after. Alcohol is not allowed.
The park borders NOVA Parks' 223-acre Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, and trails connect the two properties. Parks and Recreation Director Rich Williams spoke to that link at the dedication. "This land has played a significant role in Leesburg's history," he said, according to Loudoun Now's coverage, and he pointed to the property's ties to the Civil War battle.
The battle took place on October 21, 1861, according to NOVA Parks. This year marks the 165th anniversary, which falls on a Wednesday. When we checked, the NOVA Parks events page listed no commemoration, and neither did the Town's October 2026 calendar. The regular weekend tours are the reliable choice. Volunteers lead free tours every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from early April through the end of November. Each tour lasts one to two hours and covers about a mile of moderate woodland trail, per NOVA Parks. Tours start at the kiosk in the battlefield parking lot.
The trail system also reaches Ball's Bluff National Cemetery. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says the half-acre cemetery holds 54 soldiers who died at Ball's Bluff, buried in 25 graves.
One fall Saturday, start to finish
Here is one way to fit the river and the battlefield into a single day while the long hours last:
- Get to the Balls Bluff Road entrance after the 7 a.m. opening, park at the river lot, and carry your boat to the ramp.
- Paddle out to Harrison's Island and back, the same crossing that opened the launch on September 30.
- Load the car, then walk the blue-blazed Potomac Heritage Trail or the shorter white connector into the battlefield property.
- Catch the 1 p.m. guided tour from the kiosk, which ends around a mile of trail later.
- Leave before the 7 p.m. closing. After November 1, the gate closes at 5 p.m.
What the park still doesn't have
Phase 1 covers the access road, parking, the accessible ramp, and related site work. The Town had targeted spring 2026 for that phase, and the park opened in the fall. Phase 2 is scheduled for fall 2029. It adds roadway upgrades, more parking, a picnic pavilion, upgrades to the existing silos, and trail improvements. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors put $4 million toward construction, which began in 2025.
Some details from the planning stage aren't confirmed on the ground yet. The 2025 FAQ mentioned porta-potties and plans showing 50 parking spaces. The current park page names two lots but gives no space count, and it doesn't confirm restrooms. The same FAQ said the corn crib was considered unsafe and slated for removal. The silos were judged sound and were expected to be improved for storage or other park uses.
The Town has also thanked residents of the Potomac Crossing community for their patience during construction, since the access road starts at their neighborhood's edge. Neighbor questions in the FAQ were about traffic, speeding, parking, and after-hours access. The park is at 42314 Balls Bluff Road NE. The park rules prohibit parking on the roadways, so when both lots are full, the road isn't an overflow option.
At Wicker Homes Group, we track changes like this one in northeast Leesburg because a new trailhead and river access can shape how a neighborhood feels from day to day. If you live near Balls Bluff Road and are curious how Veterans Park fits into the local picture, ask us for a free home valuation and we'll go over what we're seeing on your street.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
