Crowds Force Colonial Beach To Close Popular Park

COLONIAL BEACH, Va. (WUSA) -- It looks like the beach; it sounds like the beach, but it's only an hour from Washington.

"It's very peaceful. I'm enjoying it," says Lee Horn from Abingdon, Virginia.

The small town of Colonial Beach on the Potomac River has become an increasingly popular destination, thanks to the economy.

"I feel the economy, people have less money to spend, and yet they want some kind of recreation. So they come to this beach," says Horn.

Florence Smith brought her grandchildren to Colonial Beach, "Half my family is laid off. We can't afford to go to King's Dominion. We can afford to come here."

But, Colonial Beach wasn't quite ready for an influx of tourists.

The town has now become a victim of its own success. The crowds have been leaving behind piles and piles of trash. So much trash that it took two people five hours to clean it up, says Val Foulds, the Town manager.

"I get lots of emails from angry residents. We're trying to get the situation under control," Foulds said.

And, because they don't have enough bathrooms, people were using the ground and leaving other unpleasant surprises, such as dirty diapers, says Foulds.

The town council decided to temporarily close the popular Castlewood Park and Playground so it can be cleaned and fixed up. The fence has been extensively damaged. Not all residents like the idea of closing the park. Some, like Vickie Sessoms, think it sends a negative message to tourists.

The boaters are pleased. The council took some of the parking for the park and reserved it for boaters, although the town is now charging boaters $10 to park. Other visitors must pay $5 to park.

The town is also looking into enacting more restrictions such as banning tents and cooking equipment, and creating a a dusk to dawn curfew; rules and fees that some of those trendy ocean resorts have.