Caledon Natural Area

Caledon is where the early colonial seat of the Alexander family once was. John and Philip Alexander founded the city of Alexandria and established Caledon Plantation in 1659. William A. Smoot inherited the property from the Alexander family in the mid 1800s. In 1974, Caledon was donated to the Commonwealth by Mrs. Ann Hopewell Smoot in memory of her late husband, Lewis E. Smoot, who passed away in 1962. After the importance of Caledon to the summering eagle population was noted in 1981, Gov. Charles S. Robb appointed the Caledon Task Force to develop the area's management plan. The task force was successful in creating a no-boating zone off the shores of the Potomac River at Caledon. Continued eagle research, development of nature trails and limiting public access in eagle-sensitive areas and buffer zones were among the other recommendations of the plan. In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list, symbolizing the species' remarkable recovery. In 2012, Caledon was reclassified from a natural area to a state park.