Hidden Pleasures: Gravelly Point, Arlington, VA

Most of the locals are familiar with that funny little park at the end of Reagan National's runway, but it doesn't get a lot of fanfare. Still, if you want to find a nice place to picnic, toss a football or hang out riverside, you might check out Gravelly Point.

Accessible from the George Washington Parkway northbound, it is literally just past Reagan National, filling a handful of acres that I guess the airport didn't need. There's a jogging/biking path that will take you there from Crystal City (Kat and I hiked it on Saturday), but it meanders a bit and takes awhile to cover. (You can find the starting point in Crystal City right near the Water Park--it's the Mount Vernon Trail path.)

Kat and I took a bottle of water and spent an hour or so walking, sitting and relaxing at the Point this past weekend. Picked up a nice sunburn (I did, anyway) but had a good time.