MVT 4th of July fireworks?

[MCL1981]

Hey ya’ll. Has anyone tried watching the 4th of July fireworks from the MVT on Columbia Island. I’m thinking between the inlet and Memorial Bridge. I would imagine the view is great from there. Do a lot of people set up “camp” along the shore there? I’d like to go down there with a friend, a blanket, some snack food, and drinks.

[KLizotte]

I haven’t done it myself but I know it is a very popular place to watch the fireworks from. Gravelly Pt is also very popular though I think I’d prefer CI due to the presence of bathrooms and picnic tables. I suspect any of these places would be best visited by bike due to a lack of parking and the inevitable parking jam trying to get out.

[PotomacCyclist]

Another option is Long Bridge Park in Crystal City, just behind the MVT. Since the 1st phase of the park is complete, they now schedule day-long events in the park on Independence Day, from 3 to 10 pm. Nothing too fancy, but it’s a convenient location to watch the fireworks. There are bathrooms and drinking fountains. There are food trucks in the parking lot that day, along with some low-key music entertainment.

Last year was the first time they did this. (The park opened during the previous winter.) The park became somewhat crowded by the time the fireworks started, so you may want to show up a little early to get a good viewing spot.

The County website for the event: http://www.arlingtonva.us/portals/topics/thingstodo/page85181.aspx

And the County’s video of last year’s event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPIX50h2-5U&feature=youtu.be

There are bike racks at a couple different locations in the park, but I suspect that they will fill up quickly that day. (I rarely see the racks used on normal days. People either drive or walk, or they leave their bikes next to the soccer fields and keep them within sight.)

[bikesnick]

@MCL1981 53179 wrote:

Hey ya’ll. Has anyone tried watching the 4th of July fireworks from the MVT on Columbia Island. I’m thinking between the inlet and Memorial Bridge. I would imagine the view is great from there. Do a lot of people set up “camp” along the shore there? ….

Yes, it usually is *very* crowded all along the river, and it gets more crowded as the time for fireworks nears.

[JustinW]

An issue is the trip home after the fireworks. The MVT is usually dark and crowded with pedestrians with varying degrees of awareness and sobriety. A biker needs lots of lights, patience and time, because it can be really slow going.

Other than that, biking to a spot on the river is a great way to get premium viewing with minimal effort.

[baiskeli]

It’s a great spot, which is why it’s very crowded. Getting in and out by bike is a great idea, though at first it will be very crowded (walk your bike crowded) and you’ll need a light. After that, though, it’s a breeze.

I haven’t tried this, but I’ve always thought the shaded area at LBJ park on the other side of the Parkway would be an even better spot. Shady, near bathrooms, and a back exit across the footbridge.

[Bilsko]

I did it 2 years ago from here (not sure the link will work properly. The new Google maps doesn’t appear to have a dedicated way to share location links, but the URL is different for every view, so that link may or may not work)

anyways it was pretty crowded (although not intolerable), LOTS of bugs in the air and on the ground, and really crowded on the trail back to Key Bridge

[MCL1981]

I’m thinking of driving down to Gravely Point in the evening with my “friend”. We’re both plane nuts so we’ll probably be drooling over airplanes for a while there. Then walk up the MVT to find a nice spot around 7:30 or so. I was hoping it wouldn’t be crowded and we’d have a grove to ourselves, but oh well.

[KLizotte]

@MCL1981 53201 wrote:

I’m thinking of driving down to Gravely Point in the evening with my “friend”. We’re both plane nuts so we’ll probably be drooling over airplanes for a while there. Then walk up the MVT to find a nice spot around 7:30 or so. I was hoping it wouldn’t be crowded and we’d have a grove to ourselves, but oh well.

Unless you get there really early you may wish to park in Crystal City and walk or ride to Gravelly Pt via the MVT. Parking is at a minimum at GP though I’ve seen people park on the grass (not sure if NPS will allow that on July 4).

[MCL1981]

How would parking at LBJ compare to GP?

[Amalitza]

I’d expect parking to be difficult no matter where you go along the river. Not too recently, but a couple times in the past, I’ve taken metro to National Airport and then walked far enough north to get a view. That worked well enough. IIRC, though, people were parked all along GW parkway– as in, cars lined up all along both sides of the road in the grass. I don’t know how early or late they got there to do that, but I would guess that if parking was available in parking lots, they would not be all lined up along the side of the road. Then when the fireworks are over, everyone gets in their cars all at once and tries to go somewhere.

I’ve also noticed that the parking lots at Belle Haven are closed off fairly early in the afternoon on the 4th. (police vehicles at entrance blocking it off). Noticed this for the first time a couple years ago when I forgot what day it was and tried to drive there with my bike in the afternoon to go for a ride. I do not know if this is done because the lots are full, or because for whatever reason they just close them for that day. But again, I’d not take it as a good sign of readily available parking anywhere along MVT/GWP.

[MCL1981]

I was wondering if people parked their cars along side the parkway. I would absolutely be ticketed and towed if I did that. The other 1000 people would get away with it. But not me.

[dasgeh]

@MCL1981 53201 wrote:

I’m thinking of driving down to Gravely Point in the evening with my “friend”. We’re both plane nuts so we’ll probably be drooling over airplanes for a while there. Then walk up the MVT to find a nice spot around 7:30 or so. I was hoping it wouldn’t be crowded and we’d have a grove to ourselves, but oh well.

I’d be very surprised if you can get a parking spot after 2pm or so, legal or no. Arlington even blocks off that mini-neighborhood South of 50 across from Courhouse/West of the Iwo Jima. No idea what they do in Crystal City, though there are lots of parking garages there. I imagine you’d have to park up the hill, either in Lyon Village/Lyon Park or…

@JustinW 53191 wrote:

An issue is the trip home after the fireworks. The MVT is usually dark and crowded with pedestrians with varying degrees of awareness and sobriety. A biker needs lots of lights, patience and time, because it can be really slow going.

Other than that, biking to a spot on the river is a great way to get premium viewing with minimal effort.

This weekend, we rode the Custis–> MVT to Columbia Island Marina, can came home via the footbridge –> Washington Blvd “trail” –> Columbia Pike. It was great. You could probably park in Penrose, which would be just at the top of the Columbia Pike hill (not as steep, though longer, than the Rosslyn/Courthouse hills). I may skip the Washington Blvd “trail” and cut through the Pentagon parking lot.

Of course, you’d need great lights, and patience, because there will be some peds, and they’ll likely be stupid.

[Rootchopper]

If you are a real fireworks addict you can watch them one week later in Old Town Alexandria. I’ve watched them from the Wilson Bridge trail a couple of times. It’s too far away for the DC event on the 4th but at least you get to see DC’s and National Harbor’s fireworks plus another set on the horizon to the north.

[dbb]

A number of years ago (when alcohol and coolers were tolerated on the Capitol grounds), we would drive a car down to near the mall and use it as a storage location for the stuff we brought later. I’d expect one could do that at the parking lot opposite the Columbia Island Marina early on the 4th. Later in the day you could ride down and link up with the coolers and stuff, watch the fireworks and then rack the bikes for the drive home.

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