Little Hunting Creek

Little Hunting Creek
Little Hunting Creek, viewed from its east bank looking south
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Fairfax County
Basin features
River mouth	Potomac River 0 feet (0 m)
Physical characteristics
Length	3.6 miles (5.8 km)

Coordinates: 38°42′47″N 77°04′27″W / 38.71294°N 77.07412°W / 38.71294; -77.07412

Little Hunting Creek is a 3.6-mile-long (5.8 km) primarily tidal tributary of the Potomac River located in Fairfax County, Virginia, not to be confused with Hunting Creek farther north. A stone-arch bridge, completed in 1931, carries traffic from the George Washington Memorial Parkway across the narrow mouth of the creek, located 83.9 nautical miles (155.4 km) upriver from the mouth of the Potomac. The creek marks the location along the Potomac River where the Washington family built their Mount Vernon plantation during colonial times. The creek is bordered by residential communities in addition to the Mount Vernon property. It is a popular location for recreational fishing, and much of the wildlife characteristic of the tidal Potomac wetlands can be spotted there.

During the time of John Smith's explorations of Virginia in the early 17th century, Little Hunting Creek was the site of a settlement of Indians from the Doeg (Dogue) tribe. By the latter part of that century, the land by Little Hunting Creek had come into the hands of John Washington, great-grandfather of George Washington. What was originally known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation eventually became known as George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. The creek separated the Mansion House Farm to the west from the River Farm to the east.