Things to do In Occoquan VA

Have you heard of Occoquan VA? It’s a Charming and Historic Town on the Occoquan River. It’s also a suburb of Washington DC and has a population of about 1200. Occoquan is located in Prince William County. Prince William County includes Washington DC and is the largest county in Virginia.

While planning our vacation this year we wanted to stay close to home but still have a new adventure. The states surrounding our state of North Carolina are; South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. We researched places in about a 6-hour driving distance from us. We were also researching reasonably-priced Airbnbs at the same time. Our goal was relaxation in a town with a waterfront, great restaurants, and a reasonably priced place to stay.

We found all that and more in Occoquan!

Occoquan is derived from an Algonquian Doeg Indian Word meaning “at the end of the water”. It’s located on the Occoquan River and was home to several indigenous people. The Dogue Indians were the first to settle in the Occoquan Valley. In 1608, the first Europeans arrived and found the Tauxenent tribe. Their main village was at the mouth of the Occoquan River.

In the early 1600s, Captain John Smith(he established the first English settlement at Jamestown, VA) sailed and explored the Occoquan River

By 1755, the Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with bakehouses, grist mills, tobacco warehouses, and dwellings.

In 1759 the Merchants’ Mill was built and became one of the first fully automated grist mills in America. It’s said that they produced cannonballs for the Revolutionary War!

The Mill was destroyed by fire in 1924, all that remained was the Mill House. The Mill House soon fell into disrepair until the Alexandria Water Company purchased the Mill House in the middle of the 20th century and restored it for use as office space. The company’s successor, the Fairfax Water Authority (now known as Fairfax Water) eventually turned the structure over to the Town of Occoquan, which leases it to the Occoquan Historical Society for use as a museum. 

Things to do in Occoquan

• Stop by the Visitor’s Guide
• Check out the Mill House Museum
• Kayak rentals
• River Mill Park
• Rockledge Mansion
• Shopping at the many stores
• Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• Take the Occoquan Ghost Tour
• Scuba dive, Patriot Scuba

The Prince William County Visitor Center

Located at 200 Mill Street in Occoquan, the Visitor’s Center is full of helpful information and brochures for anything and everything you want to know about Prince William County. They are open daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. The people there are very knowledgeable about Prince William County and Occoquan and can give you great advice on where to stay, what to do, and what to eat!

The Mill House Museum

Located at 413 Mill St. in Occoquan. This building was formerly part of the Merchants’ Mill and was where the mill’s administrator worked. After the Mill was destroyed by fire in 1924, this Mill House was all that remained. It is open from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm daily. You will find a history of this mill and the other mills in this area.

Kayak rentals

Located behind Madigan’s Waterfront restaurant at 201 Mill Street, Occoquan, Penguin Paddling Kayak Tours is a great place to rent a kayak for the hour or the day. Their Late summer/ Fall hours are Monday-Friday 12:00 – 5:00 and Saturday, Sunday 5:00 am-6:00 pm. They will remain open until mid-October.

• Single Kayaks – $18/hour, $55/day
• Double Kayaks – $23/hour, $65/day
• Standup Paddleboards – $23/hour, $65/day
• Ten(two hours) Visit Puch card – $125

River Mill Park

Located at 458 Mill Street, Occoquan. This is a 1.1-acre riverfront park along the Occoquan River with a public restroom, event Pavilion, open space, and paved walking trail. The town of Occoquan hosts concerts and other family-friendly events at the Park You can even rent 1/3 of the park for your private events. It is also a dog-friendly park. The walking trail leads over the bridge where you will see a beautiful waterfall. The River is a great place for fishing and kayaking.

Rockledge Mansion

Located at 440 Mill Street in Occoquan.

Rockledge was built in 1758 by John Ballendine, who also purchased 20 acres and established an iron foundry, a grist mill, a sawmill, bakehouses, and other businesses on the banks of the Occoquan River. He soon ran into financial issues and lose all his properties to foreclosure in 1765. Ballendine went on, however, to work with George Washington and others to expand Virginia’s economy, building canals and improvements along the Potomac River.

Rockledge was purchased in the late 1700s by Nathaniel Ellicott, whose family founded Ellicott City in Maryland. Ellicott and his partners formally established the town of Occoquan on 31 acres, laying out streets, building an automated grist mill, and constructing a bridge over the Occoquan River.

It was used as a wedding venue and banquet hall, unfortunately, it is closed to the public at this time.

Shopping

You will find all kinds of small shops in Occoquan. Here are a few of the best;

• Glory Be – 305 Mill Street, Antique Store, vintage furniture, home decor, candles, and handmade crafts
• Puzzle Palooza Etc. – 305 Mill Street, 1000’s of puzzles, plus games, brainteasers, books, and more
• The Reclaimed Treasures – 199 Union Street, Furniture, home decor, candles, and Paint supplies
• Gift & Gather, 307 Mill Street, Handmade gifts
• Personally Yours, 402 Mill Street, Home goods store
• Elements, 313 Mill Street, Pottery store
• The Preservations Station – 204 Union Street, Antique Store
• Hitchcock Paper Company – 125 Mill Street, Stationery Store
• NazBro Chocolates – 309 Mill Street – Chocolate store
• Mom’s Apple Pie Company – 126 Commerce Street, Bakery

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife refuge

Located at 14050 Dawson Beach Rd, Woodbridge, VA. the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a 642 acres refuge. Some ways to enjoy the refuge;

• Walk the dock at Painted Turtle Pond
• Take photos from the photo blind overlooking Marumsco Creek, and keep watch for ospreys and bald eagles
• Take a break at the gazebo
• Check out the informational kiosks along the trails
• Take a hike on one of the four miles worth of trails
• Be on the lookout for wildlife, Osprey, Woodcock, River Otter

The Occoquan Ghost Tour

The Occoquan Spirits – Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour. It’s said that almost every home, pub, or business in Occoquan has at least one non-living resident. The Haunted Tours begins at 408 Mill Street, for adults 21 and over, the Pub Crawl is on Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday they host a Family-friendly haunted history tour.

Scuba Dive with Patriot Scuba

Located at 305 Mill Street, unit B-1, Patriot Scuba has experienced scuba instructors to help you get in the water for your first dive and equipment rental to get you started. They are your go-to for all your scuba diving needs!

Where to stay

Lately, we have been choosing to stay at Airbnbs. You have all the comforts of home and they are located in quaint neighborhoods making you feel like a local. Our Airbnb in Occoquan was a condo located right on the river. It is located in a historic building right above NazBro chocolates. Who wouldn’t want to stay above a Chocolate store?

Hotels

• Best Western Potomac Mills, Woodbridge, VA
• The Westin Washington National Harbor, Washington DC
• Hyatt Place National Harbor, Oxon Hill, MD
• Hilton Garden Inn Tysons Corner, Vienna, VA
• Courtyard by Marriott Arlington, Arlington, VA
• Best Western Springfield, Springfield, VA

Campgrounds

• Pohick Bay Regional Park – Located in Lorton, VA – Open daily from March 1 – October 31. Cabins, Cottages, and campsites are available at 2 locations; Bull Run and Pohick Bay, with full hookups. The Park also has a waterpark, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and a public boat ramp.
• Burke Lake Park Campground – Located in Fairfax Station, VA – Open April 9 – October 30. Non-electric campsites only
• Oak Ridge Campground – Located in Triangle, VA – Open March 1 – November 30. Non-electric campsites only
• Prince William Forest Campground – Located in Dumfries, VA – Open year round. Full hookups are available.

Restaurants

The great thing about staying right on Mill Street is that we had access to many great restaurants within walking distance. The first restaurant we tried was a seafood restaurant, Madigan’s Waterfront. I tried their special which was called OMG, it was a sampling of three different fish; Swordfish, Salmon, and Maui Maui. All three were amazing! My husband had seared scallops that were cooked perfectly! From our table, we could see the riverfront, some people were eating on the outdoor patio.

Another wonderful restaurant is Bar J-Chili Parlor and Restaurant. This is a Tex-Mex style restaurant, we had great chili and burritos here!

If you’re in the mood for pizza, you have several choices. We chose Third Base Pizza & frozen Custard they have a wonderful crust that is kind of like flatbread, YUM!

Here’s a list of more restaurants;

• The Secret Garden Cafe, American
• Cock & Bowl, Belgian
• D’Rocco’s, Italian
• Bottle Stop Wine Bar
• Bann Thai Old Town, Thai
• Ballywhack Shack, Sandwich shop
• Grind N Crepe, Creperie
• The Spot on Mill Street, Cafe
• Riverside Coffee Shop, coffee & ice cream

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In Conclusion…

We took a chance by choosing an unknown destination and it turned out to be one of our best vacations! If you have a chance to visit Occoquan VA, I know you will not be disappointed. I hope this post has provided you with enough information for you to plan your trip. Please comment below and let me know if you have been to Occoquan or anywhere in Virginia.

Don’t forget to share this post with your family and friends on social media!

*You may also enjoy reading about some other small towns we have visited; Murphy NC and Punxsutawney PA

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