Nova News
THROWBACK THURSDAY—NOVA PARKS--NOT QUITE SO SAVAGE
NOVA Parks is a large park authority that is recognized in the Northern Virginia Region for its conservation, preservation and recreational efforts. The organization has many parks and historic areas within its system, most of which are quite well known. There are, however, a few gems hidden within NOVA Parks’ assets. Today, we highlight one of those and share the story of its name.
Blue Ridge Regional Park, a little-known treasure, is located a few miles south of Rt. 7 on Blue Ridge Mountain Road near Bluemont in westernmost Loudoun County. The park spreads out over 168 acres on a high ridge overlooking Loudoun Valley. On a clear day, you can see the skyline of Reston and Tysons Corner in the distance.
The land was donated to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority in 1988 by Wilberta and Carlton Savage. When Mr. and Mrs. Savage donated the property, a frame house did exist there, yet the only remnants now are a large stone wall and stone fireplace, which the Park Authority has stabilized and incorporated into a covered picnic shelter.
Blue Ridge Regional Park is a remote and primitive youth group campground containing tent pads, grills and fire rings. As primitive camping was being installed on the “Savage Property,” we could see the pitfalls in calling it ‘Primitive Savage Camping.’ The name conjured humorous images of Lord of the Flies social dynamics. The name was quickly changed to Blue Ridge, and the camp was never again the punchline of any jokes.
Today, along with camping opportunities, Blue Ridge Regional Park offers a modest 1.25 mile loop trail system for members of the organized youth camping groups staying at the park. On the trail, they can view various types of wildlife, as well as a number of different types of local foliage. The park is also the first one in the NOVA Parks system to receive the Stewardship Award from the Virginia Department of Forestry. Friends of the Blue Ridge often volunteer to help with stewardship of this land.
NOVA Parks is proud to operate and maintain this wonderful regional park for the youth of Northern Virginia. All of the campers who have visited the site through the years with their Boy Scout, Girl Scout, Church group and/or school organization have enjoyed the experience; remembering it fondly as a place that was not so primitively savage after all.
