The Friends of Mason Neck State Park is a Section 501(c) (3) organization that works to conserve, enhance and interpret the park’s natural, educational, recreational and cultural resources. we provide financial support for the park’s activities, and our volunteers assist at the park’s events and activities. The Friends also sponsor events designed to showcase the park; publish a monthly newsletter and website that highlight events at the park; and work to improve the accessibility of the park.   

The Friends Released their 2025 Annual Report

Spirit of America, purchased by the Friends in 2017

The Friends' 2025 Annual Report is now available. As an all-volunteer organization, we were able to devote 94% of our expenses to projects and programs that directly support the park. You can read a summary of the Friend's activities and support for the park, as well as their income and expenses for the year, at Friends of Mason Neck State Park 2025 Annual Report.pdf. 

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Enter the Friends of Mason Neck State Park

2026 “Picture the Magic” Photo Contest

and Win up to $300!

Indigo Bunting - photo by Randy Streufert

Entries for the Friend’s 2026 Picture the Magic photography contest are now being accepted. We’re looking for images that highlight the park’s magic such as striking images of the park’s scenery, flora, fauna, and aquatic activities.

Images taken by young photographers and adults will be judged separately and both will be eligible for cash prizes. 

Six prizes totaling $1200 will be awarded – a $300 Grand Prize and two $150 First prizes in the Youth category (under 18 as of October 15, 2026) and a $300 Grand Prize and two $150 First Place prizes in the Adult category.

The best youth and adult photos will be published in our newsletter, website, and social media.

The entry period for the photo contest closes on October 15, 2026.  Prize winners will be notified by October 31, 2026.

The 2026 contest rules and a downloadable entry form are here.

Please Help the Friends of Mason Neck State Park

Support the Park

Please help the Friends of Mason Neck State Park support the park by making a donation! The Friends is an all-volunteer organization, and our passion is to protect, enhance, and celebrate this beautiful place. We work hand in hand with park staff, providing crucial support for programs, shoreline cleanups, educational events, and infrastructure improvements. Your donations are critical, enabling us to continue our work in the coming year.

The Virginia Inspector General reported that the state park system has a backlog of $360 million in deferred maintenance. Donating to the Friends enables us to provide support to the park for educational programs, events for the underserved, initiatives that make the park more welcoming and accessible for all and other things that improve visitors’ experiences at the park. 

Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we were able to spend $34,000 to support the park in 2025:

•         The resurfaced trail and accessible parking pad at the Marsh View Trail.
•         An accessible parking pad and trail from the picnic area parking lot to the overlook to Belmont Bay.
•         Arrangement for the donation of a path from the Visitor Center parking lot to the patio behind the Visitor Center, making it easier for all visitors to enjoy the view over the bay whether the Visitor Center is open or closed.
•         All the expenses of the Park’s annual Eagle Festival, their signature event, including rental of the show tent, programs such as the raptor shows by Secret Garden Birds and Bees, the bands, bus transportation to the park from offsite festival parking, and even the portable toilets – something we have done for many years. 
•         Support for other activities, including refreshments for the park’s First Day Hike, lunch for underserved youth at Lorton Community Action Center Day at the park, trash pickers for use at the park’s trail and shoreline cleanups, and prizes for the Picture the Magic photo contest that highlights the beauty of the park. 

  

We are committed to continuing our work to support Mason Neck State Park in 2026. To do that we are relying on donations from you and others who love the park. With your help, we can protect the park's natural resources, expand the educational programs, and ensure that everyone can experience the peace and beauty of Mason Neck State Park.

You can make a tax-deductible donation from your Traditional IRA. Learn more about how to do that here. 

You can donate via PayPal here.

Or you can send a check to:

P.O. Box 701

Lorton, VA  22199

Thank you, 

 

Steve Levenson

President

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The Friends' Accessibility Initiative

The Friends have devoted substantial time and money to improving accessibility at the park, in coordination with park management. You can read more about their projects here. You can also learn about the accessible trails in the park here. 

All-terrain Wheelchair

The Park has a Trackmaster all-terrain battery-powered wheelchair available for guests with limited mobility. The chair can be used on most of the park's trails, and is available without charge. Call the Park at 703-339-2385 for more information.

Join the Fight Against Disposable Plastic

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park are doing their part to slow the production and disposal of plastics.  Plastic bottles take as long as 450 years to decompose in the environment.  Before they do, they break down into micro-plastic and nano-plastic bits that are eaten by animals, absorbed into plants, and flow int our water, and can end up in our own bodies.  On land, plastic adversely affects soil fertility, and can choke our streams and rivers.

Mason Neck State Park also is committed to reducing the use of disposable plastic bottles and has installed water bottle filling stations at the Visitor Center and the picnic area.           

Do your part too: find ways to limit your use of disposable plastics, including those grocery store bags that have a typical useful life of 15 minutes -- the time to get from store to home -- and take 1000 years to decompose in a landfill.