This place is such a gem!! We absolutely love it. The staff is soooo friendly, helpful and…read moreknowledgeable. We are so lucky to have this near our house. My kids love visiting all the animals, the turtles, snakes and bearded dragon are the favorites! W elige that they have a pretty big variety of toys available to play with and the dress up options are always a hit! It's a great place to visit during the winter and rainy days! But also so fun when the weather is great and you can walk around the trails. The only downside is the limited parking, but if weather is good the parking by the playground makes it a fun all morning adventure!

This such an incredible gem for families and nature lovers a like!…read more 1) Trails are easy to navigate and you will almost always see some type of wildlife whether it is butterflies, bugs, or deer. 2) The recently renovated playground is large and accessible for both small and big kids. There is a covered shelter nearby which makes it the perfect spot for a birthday party. 3) The nature center is a great place to explore on cold or rainy days. You can see turtles, a bearded dragon, play with toys in a little nature nook that looks like it came straight out of the Berenstein Bears, or climb up and down their little play structure. The people who work here are extremely friendly and the price for all of this is Free 99. 4) They host field trips and birthday parties that are fun and informative for kids and adults alike. My three year old STILL talks about the frog who peed on the floor last year at her class presentation. We are so lucky to have a gem like this in our area.

This is one of my favorite park in Annandale that I use to frequent more often when living nearby…read more However, we had a chance to walk around after dinner and even spotted a few deers that night! There's something for everyone from the historical house to the children/demonstration garden with a well kept trail that has beautiful flowers with a gazebo and trails leading to a small pond. Come at different times of the year and see something different with events hosted by FROGS (Friends of Green Spring Gardens) and the Master Gardener Program.

A cute free park garden area to visit! It's peaceful and there's flowers, trail, and pond area to…read moresee with a few gazebos. Parking sucks so I parked in a shopping area nearby and walked over. There's also an information building that's nice to visit for its greenhouse, small library, and small exhibits they have. So peaceful!

I LOVE a park with history. Take the time to read the signs about the park's connection to the…read moreCivil War. They are near the parking lot. Trails go through forest along a small lake.

April 2023 Park updates:…read more Pedestrian bridge is now open! I recently took the opportunity to both ride my bike and to walk the 4 mile loop around Lake Accotink. So happy now that the pedestrian bridge is open so I can start at the marina and complete the loop without having to turn around at the mid-point. The children's playground is closed for repairs until further notice. A message on the park's website indicates there is no timetable for when repairs will be completed: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-accotink Bummer since I came here this past weekend with my niece and nephew and they weren't able to enjoy the facilities. Oh well, at least we were still able to enjoy the nature trail.

Mason District Park is ok. It's in the middle of Suburbia, so expect decent foot traffic on its…read moretrails. With that being said I'm grateful they are trails. These are okay for short walks, but won't be confused with spectacular ones. There are restrooms here. They are looking dated, as are the tennis courts. I hope the county can give it some TLC. Dog lovers rejoice. They have a rather nice dog park here. Seems to be nice dogs and okay people here. I wish the basketball courts were more in the shade. On hot days not the best. There is plenty of parking. Also they have quite regular farmer's markets.

One of the best neighborhood type of parks in the area with lots of hiking trails that can actually…read morebe kind of confusing so be sure and pay attention so you don't get lost. There are also tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, an amphitheater and some other stuff. Plenty of parking but can be crowded when there's lot of events going on. I come here for the trails and would recommend checking it out if you're in the area.

This is such an amazing big, lush, tranquil park connecting multiple neighbourhoods and at least…read moretwo smaller parks, such as Valley Crest Park. The trails are shaded and part paved, part unpaved, and mostly flat. The round stepping stones (pictured) across certain sections of the creek, believe it or not, were one of the biggest initial draws for me, and they were actually even more fun to hop through in person, not to mention that the surrounding views and sounds were gorgeous! I appreciate this green space being maintained and available to the community.

This suburban greenway connects some neighborhoods and athletic facilities. It gets to the point…read morewhere you can hear birdsong and not cars while being a pretty small stretch of land. The creek has a couple of easy crossings. It's not a destination and I just stopped in on the way to something else, but green spaces like this (even when they are brown for the winter) are important.

Across from shopping center, near high-school. Needed to kill some time waiting on Yechon to open…read more(down the street) so decided to finally check out. Overall seems like a decent area, but did see a group of men drinking at one of bleachers towards the woods (mid-morn). There is a trail that runs through a wooded area in a circular pattern that runs by soccer fields, ball diamonds, and basketball courts. Plenty of parking and looks to be a decent playground with rock formations. From a nature and birding perspective, saw a few birds from Cardinals to a small raptor I was unable to identify - cloudy day, will come back in spring.

Cute Neighborhood park that you could easily miss, this was a surprise and a pleasure to visit!…read moreLocated directly across Heritage Center Plaza, this park is not huge but is home to a children's playground, a basketball court, a soccer field with artificial turf, and fully paved walking trails that essentially wind as loop in and around the ground. There are dozens of parking spaces where the trail is only a few steps away, and no matter which of the two or more entry point you choose, you will eventually end up where you started. The impressively tall and straight trees were strikingly lush on a recent misty Saturday morning, and it really felt like an oasis away from the busy roads and shopping strips nearby.

Nothing extravagant. Yet this waterway in between businesses, is at least a reprieve. Occasionally…read moreI'll hike or jog here. Despite the suburban area, the canopy of trees is therapeutic. It feels good to escape even for a few moments. There's a lot of greenery. The paved path is pleasant. Also it's well maintained. There is some wildlife to see, although not too high on the excitement o' meter. I have seen small fish in the artificial pond. Am not certain what species they are. Considering the area, and its proximity to the beltway, glad to be on foot sometimes.

This is a private lake and fishing is not allowed. This applies to the both the residential and…read morecommercial side as well as the water west of Fairview Park Drive.

I never knew this was about a 15 minute drive from my house but I'm glad I finally checked it out…read more I did the section from Eakin Park on Prosperity Avenue down to Lake Accotink and back. Most of it is paved which is convenient and it wasn't too crowded on a weekday. Luckily there was only one street crossing, but it's near a curve so pay attention and move fast. It's mostly woods between rows of suburban houses, and a short portion near a highway interspersed with more wooded sections through parks and leading to a gravel section at Lake Accotink. One part was almost like walking through a tall grass prairie with only a small clearing for the trail itself, I hadn't seen that anywhere else around here. I saw some deer near Lake Accotink and they watched me for a minute then decided to run off after they were kind enough to stop for a picture. Also, unlike some trails it's VERY difficult to get lost here so that's a major plus. I'll definitely check this out again and will check out some other segments as well.

The part from Fairfax (behind the circle bowling alley) to Accotink park: 5 stars. I love how it…read moregoes under roads (like Old Lee Highway and Pickett) for uninterrupted runs and rides. It is well maintained and very safe in these areas. Lots of cool old bridges. This is one of my favorite running routes. Part of it us even paved, from Pickett road by the baseball field to where to where it splits off near Nutley (under a mile). The rest is well maintained gravel. The part in Oakton: 3 stars. Super confusing and rough. Too rugged for a casual biker or even trail runner. Might be nice for a hike or dog walking. I agree with the reviews before that said there are places that lack signage and you have to know what you're doing to know how to follow it.

Quaint little neighborhood community garden plots situated at the end of a cul-de-sac and off a…read morelittle path with a beautiful park right next to it. The plots also connect to nearby paths that, in turn, connect with other community parks with lots of trails that you can go walking, running, hiking, or biking. There is a little stream that runs throuhg it as well. They have several plots where gardeners are filling it with everything from flowers to fruits to veggies, and a lot of native, indigenous plants as well. There's a hose so you can water your babies and nurture them and they also have piles of mulch that you can use to put in and around your garden. Pets are allowed but must be leashed. There are also several benches nearby where you can just sit and relax and you will definitely see a lot of wildlife here as well. Very beautiful, peaceful, and serene! Happy Trails!

This is one large facility. Right off of Woodburn, this is close to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. There…read moreare a number of fields. This is primarily for soccer, but a few are general purpose. They are very well maintained. Also the community garden is a nice touch. A lot of youth and adult groups host events here. Parking is definitely available. Most from the area are familiar with it, and where it is, but to non locals it can be confusing to find. One problem though, is people come here at night to drink beers. I don't particularly find that appropriate at a park, especially one with kids and others going here. Yet that does happen, and I hope our public safety folks will charge all found here.

This park's synthetic soccer fields were solid replacement fields after all the rain we were…read morehaving. The dirt parking lot could use repair or paving over.