MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA -- MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VIRGINIA - On May 26, Marine Corps Base Quantico is officially opening Lunga Park, an area of what was formerly known as Lunga Recreation Area. Lunga Recreation Area was closed in 2012 after munitions were discovered there due to explosive hazard risk.
“Lunga Park has undergone extensive clean up actions for munitions removal and the areas open at this time, have been cleared for usage,” stated Dylan Lane, the Installations Restoration Program and Munitions Response Program Coordinator for the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
The original recreation area, located on the West side of Marine Corps Base Quantico, spread across more than 680 acres and included the reservoir which had been a favorite spot for local residents.
“My husband and I would go crappy fishing at Lunga and I loved the springtime when the dogwoods would bloom,” explained Nancy Moorman, the Deputy Directory for Marine Corps Community Services. “It’s really exciting for me, because I was here in 2012 when it closed down. I saw
it deteriorate over time. In the last three years, seen it built back up, so I can’t wait to get it opened back up.”
While the park is accessible starting May 26, Marine Corps Community Services is celebrating the opening of Lunga Park with their “Adventure Day” on June 3rd. It’s a family-friendly celebration that includes rock climbing, free fishing, free watercraft rentals, a BBQ cookoff, and food and beverage trucks. On June 4th attendees can also enjoy free fishing and rentals all day long.
Lunga Park has a General Store and Boat House, volleyball court, grills, boat dock, pavilions, areas for camping, fishing, boat rentals and more. The MCCS outdoor recreation website has more details on the Adventure Day and information on the continued development and growth of Lunga Park.
For the past eleven years Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington and Marine Corps Base Quantico, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality addressed clean-up efforts under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Clean-up efforts are still on-going in other areas of Lunga Reservoir. Those areas which have not been cleared are still closed.
Even though only a portion of Lunga is now open, Moorman is excited about the future, saying “This is exciting for us, we want to see it used, we want people to get out there and enjoy it.”
For more information on Lunga Park go to Lunga Park (usmc-mccs.org)