R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks
R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks, 201 Enon Church Road. The 188-acre park in the Enon area of southern Chesterfield County opened in 1980 and features a diverse natural area on the tidal Appomattox River and a rich history. Athletic facilities and picnic areas are concentrated in the upper areas of the park. Access to the lower level is provided by a system of nature trails, which includes a floating boardwalk through the freshwater tidal marsh of Ashton Creek. Amenities include picnic shelters, play equipment, tennis and basketball courts and fields for football, soccer and baseball and dirt and gravel trails for hiking and biking (some single and double track).
Info: 530-2459; for shelter reservations: 751-4696.
www.chesterfield.gov
HISTORY
The park is often a good spring migration stopping point. The Ashton Creek marsh and tree line that overlook the marsh are perfect habitats for warblers and other songbirds. The walk over Ashton Creek Marsh was built in 2000-01 and had to be reconstructed after severe damage from hurricane Isabel in 2003. The walk is built in segments that can adjust to the level of the water in the marsh. The boardwalk through the marsh will bring you close to breeding red-wing blackbirds, common yellowthroats and overhead raptors.
The area around Ashton Creek Marsh in eastern Chesterfield has been used for many things. It has been a hunting ground for ancient man, a village and farming area for Indians, a battlefield in the Civil War, an industrial site in the late 19th century, a port until the 1920s and a farm until it became Chesterfield County’s Point of Rocks Park in 1980.
R. Garland Dodd was a Chesterfield County supervisor from 1977 until 1987 helped create the Henricus Historical Park and supported improvements to Route 288 and Route 10. Dodd championed development, but fought for and held a special place for conservation. The county’s rich history held a special place for Dodd, a resident of Chester who traced his direct lineage back to Thomas Jefferson. He died in 2002.
Originally published July 2008 in "Discover Richmond."
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