Catch Miss Rivershore in Lorton Once Again

Nurturing its waterfront is vital as Occoquan Regional Park charts a new course, and a pontoon boat plying the Occoquan River has a key role to play.

Rivershore Charters’ Miss Rivershore is back on the river for a seventh season, continuing a rich history of ferry service on the Occoquan dating to 1684. After a stop behind Madigan’s restaurant in the town of Occoquan, Capt. Mark Perry describes various points of interest along the way to the Belmont Bay community before returning to Lorton.

Perry points out the multi-million dollar homes on the Prince William County side of the river without missing a bald eagle or osprey along the way. He delights his passengers with little known tidbits of history. Did we know that we were passing through what was once the largest steep water port on the East Coast or that Colonial Route 1 once ended at the water’s edge?

How about the near catastrophe that almost befell George Washington in 1791? Washington was crossing on the ferry when his four-horse carriage fell into the river. Luckily everyone, including the horses, survived. And as he gestures to the Belmont community, Perry tells passengers that electromagnetic pulse testing used to take place there, at what used to be the Army’s Harry Diamond Laboratories.

River Shore Charters operates as a park concession during its April to November season. That means it gives 10 percent of its revenue to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, which operates Occoquan Regional Park. In its first year as a concession in 2010, Perry said he gave the park authority about $860. Perry said he hopes to carry as many as 5,000 people this year.

Miss Rivershore also has been hired by a tour company to give Civil War tours in May as part of the 150th anniversary commemoration.

With a new 99-year lease for Occoquan Regional Park in hand, NVRPA is looking to the future. Ideas to improve the waterfront are being talked about, and River Shore Charters already is part of that, said John Houser, the park’s manager.

“Come on down, it’s a nice little activity for the family,” Houser said.

Perry sees a role for Miss Rivershore in tying the Lorton-Occoquan area into a tourist destination, especially with the opening of the Workhouse Arts Center. With parking in the town at a premium in nice weather, tourists can leave their vehicles in the park and use Miss Rivershore as a water taxi. Perry also ferries people back and forth during the Occoquan craft fairs in June and September.

The river also could be used to ferry commuters. Perry said it would take 35 minutes to get to the Navy Yard in Washington and he could get 1,200 people a day off the roads. He said he has pitched ideas to the governor’s office but not gotten a response.

So for now, he said, he is encouraging Fairfax County residents in particular to come out and enjoy the river. Miss Rivershore operates from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to dark on Sundays.