Pohick Creek

NEW IMPASSIBLE SEIVE. In the 3 mile section of Pohick Creek between Hooes Road (the traditional put-in) and the Pohick Road bridge, the Fairfax County Cross County Trail crosses the stream 6 times. At the first five crossings, there are concrete stepping stones in the water. At the sixth, a concrete footbridge was installed July 2021. The bottom of the bridge is 2 feet above the river bed and the original stepping stones were left in place under the bridge. THIS BRIDGE IS AN IMPASSIBLE WOOD-CATCHING SEIVE. The new footbridge is about 75 yards downstream of the fifth trail crossing. TO AVOID THE SEIVE, TAKE OUT ON RIVER RIGHT AT THE FIFTH TRAIL CROSSING. It’s a short carry along the trail to an easy launch point just below the bridge. If you lose count of the crossings, you can identify the fifth crossing by watching for major high voltage power transmission lines crossing high above the river. These power lines are just downstream of, and are visible from, the fifth crossing. The power line right-of-way, which is cleared of trees for 50 yards on both sides of the river, is also visible from the fifth trail crossing. If you miss the take out at the fifth trail crossing, there may be an emergency take out at some water levels on river right at the very downstream end of the cleared area for the power lines. There are highly visible yellow petroleum line marker poles on each side of the river here. DO NOT GO PAST THESE POLES. The bridge is about 25 yards downstream and the banks below this point are mostly steep and brush covered and it will be extremely difficult/impossible to take off the river in this short stretch.

If you use the alternative put in—that is carrying down the footpath from Lake Pleasant Drive—you will be launching on river left at the fifth trail crossing. To avoid the footbridge sieve 75 yards downstream, you will need to ferry directly across the river, take out on the trail ramp on river right, and then make the short carry along the trail to an easy launch point just below the bridge.

Other hazards on this section are the stepping stones at the first five crossings and wood in the river. The stepping stones are wood magnets and un-runnable at low levels. At higher water levels they are underwater but may still have trapped wood. Even at very low levels, it will be difficult to get out your boat upstream and lift it over the stepping stones. The river may be waist deep upstream of the stepping stones even at minimal flows and the concrete slabs that cover the stream bed downstream of the steeping stones are likely to be covered by moss and slime and be extremely slippery. There is also likely to be a lots of wood elsewhere in the river. Most of the first 2 miles of this section are not visible from the trail but in the parts that are visible there are 2 river-wide logs blocking passage as of August 2021. In the third mile of this section which begins at the footbridge trail crossing, wood is blocking two significant rapids that are visible from the trail as of August 2021.

Ned Howenstine