My husband & I stumbled upon this park when looking for things to do in Fredericksburg. We will be…read morerelocating in the coming months & wanted to get to know the area! The park is pretty big. There are a ton of trails, picnic tables, playgrounds for the kiddos, & a stream that runs all the way through the park. It's a great spot to take family photos and to enjoy one with nature! We love taking our dogs & letting them play in the stream. We have only gone to the park during the fall/winter time, so I can only assume how busy it is in the summer. The trails are dog friendly & we always stumble upon a new trail when visiting (who wants to do the same trail over & over again? Not me!). If you bring the doggies, make sure to also pack a towel & some water. There is no dedicated water station for them. I can't recall if there are poop stations along the trails, so bring those too! I also recommend calling the park ahead of time to see if they are open. There are times after a heavy rainfall that the stream is too high to cross with a vehicle. In this case, you'll have to park on the outside of the park. Another big thing is you have to drive pass an apartment complex (kinda weird I know) in order to enter the park. Don't be alarmed though! You will definitely see the park entrance if you keep going. I give this park a 5 star because it never disappoints. There is always something to do & my fur babies love it. I will definitely be back & can't wait to check it out in the summer! If you are in the Fredericksburg area, go to Alum Spring Park & enjoy the beautiful nature views!

Great park and playground for kids. Beautiful streams and walking trails. Definite must visit in…read moreFredericksburg.

This is a fun state park to visit! There is a beautiful area by the water that is great for walking.read more

I'm staying in the lovely guest house in the scenic Riverside Belle Idle and couldn't be more…read morepleased. The view from the bay window is phenomenal, the space large and comfortable. We've had trails to wander, seen wildlife, and could even go crabbing, pots provided (both kinds, to catch and cook!). The park is serene and so beautiful with the estuary, river, beachy, and woodsy biomes to observe.

What a gem! Chessie's Big Backyard is such a great spot for kids (and grown-ups who like a good…read morewalk). The walking trails were really nice--well maintained with peaceful forest views. Perfect for a stroller, and some nature scavenger hunts. The playground itself is huge and looked really well cared for. The toddler area was unfortunately closed during our visit, but the rest of the space more than made up for it. There are tons of benches and seating all around, and you can see most of the playground from just about anywhere, which is so helpful when you're keeping an eye on kiddos. There's a massive covered pavilion area that would be perfect for group meetups or a picnic in the shade. And while it was still closed for the season, the splash pad/water park area looked like fun! Definitely planning to come back in the summer to check it out! Such a great spot to have in the area!

Would definitely come here again didn't know that it was a park with a waterpark next to it just…read morefor small kids nothing major nothing big but it's still amazing. Granddaughter had a blast.

never enough parking in places like this, but that's my only complaint. this is a great natural…read morearea to hike & the access to the creek for canoeing or kayaking is excellent. it is a relatively long carry for the kayaks - the boardwalk is around 100 meters long, and the path from the parking area is around another 25. having a wheeled trolley to aid moving the boat helps. the area is wonderful - lots of wildlife and sights without compare. such a pleasant workout to paddle through the wilderness. it is a good idea to check times for the tides - the creek is tidally influenced and it can make a big difference in how leisurely your paddling is. excellent place - so glad that Stafford County & the Commonwealth established it.

It's not terribly far from the highway, but this is a very quiet stretch of waterside woods. Of the…read moretwo entrances, the one I took (a right turn on the road leading into the area, as opposed to staying straight) had a long dirt road before reaching the parking area. From there, a path led a few miles through tranquil forest before reaching a fairly anticlimactic ending. The view of the river was obscured by trees, and you couldn't really get down to the water on the muddy cliffs with signs telling you to stay clear. Still, if life is about the journey, it was a pleasant walk, and there were other trails. I suspect the area is interesting by canoe as well.

It's a nice place to hang out with the family and cool off. Great spot for the kiddos to, not to…read moredeep till you go further out.

A little gem. This is a small but nice little place to go that's not far if you live in the area…read more It's great for little kids with no waves. The water is never freezing. If you want to go to a 'sandy beach' area that's not far this is the place. It can quickly get crowded and parking does fill up quickly so go early. The bathroom are clean.

We arrived a day early and with the exception of the totally clueless young girl staffing the main…read moreentrance booth the staff at the visitors center were kind, knowledgeable and super efficient. They quickly assigned us pull through hook up site A06. Our site and fire pit were super clean as were the bathroom facilities which even had a nice laundry room. The view from the visitor center is breathtaking and the surrounding trails well manicured. Fossils Beach was a high point with an easy hiking level. Our camp host in A1 was very friendly and cleaned every site as it was vacated. I'd highly recommend this State Park gem while visiting VA.

A Sundaydrive in the country led us to this is a beautiful State Park that has walking trails,…read more hiking, opportunities for fishing and birdwatching. There are a plethora of camping sites and they even have cabins for renting. We saw a whole big picnic area with A LOT of tables and grills. There is so much to see and do and to learn, we look forward to going back for a more lengthy visit, but from what I cam tell this is a clean and well kept State Park.

great lake for paddling or fishing…read more lots of smaller largemouth bass, but a developing population of larger ones. no gas motors are allowed. concrete boat ramp with a small floating dock and attached canoe/kayak launch. even when the parking area is crowded, I've never seen it full. & the lake looks empty even when the parking is full. limited shore fishing. some picnic tables & such. there are restrooms on the hill above the boat ramp. only flaws are a population of wasps at the dock that repeated complaints to the County have not resolved, and a tendency for all-about-me folks to park along the ramp (which is NOT a parking area, except for the small handicap area) or leave their vehicles there for extended periods.

Lake Mooney is technically a reservoir but it definitely has that lake feel and is perfect for…read morefishing or kayaking. Gas motor boats are not allowed; only electric motors are permitted on the lake. There's a boat ramp that is easy to get to. A few benches also line the shore. This is a great place for a picnic. I personally enjoy visiting late in the afternoon, as you can watch the sun set.

Took my Granddaughter to this park today, she is in town visiting for Easter. As I was pulling up…read moreto the guard post it appeared as though the scout was waving me through whenI realized he was actually telling me to stop I did. He went above and beyond to make me feel stupid, laughed and said "of course there is a fee all day everyday and there are signs everywhere " the park was littered with trash so bad that my Granddaughter even commented how nasty the park was. Pretty bad when a 3 year old notices but not the staff. But even worse to project your anger on visitors.

This state park is the best!!! Has a huge space for parking…read moreand for eating lunch but there you can also rent boats. But something that's concerning is how dirty the water is. It's filled with dead fishes, seaweed, and LOTS of bugs. Overall, this trip is fun.

Very friendly helpful staff…read more Reasonable boat rental rates 2 mile hike around the lake Beautiful beaver dam at far end of the park's lake

I was in the need of water therapy and found this hidden gem! The location is not too far, but far…read moreenough so that it's not a crowded, heavily populated park. They have ample parking all over, depending on where you choose to be, which I loved. Limits walking, especially if you are coming with grills etc, children. The lake itself was absolutely beautiful and very relaxing. I noticed they have paddle boats, so I'll definitely do that the next time I come back. Overall, I had a very peaceful and relaxing experience, especially seeing the joy from the little boy near me as he caught fish after fish!

Old Mill Park is an expansive flat meadow North East of Fredericksburg, VA and gently slopes off…read moredown to the Rappahannock River. There's place for football, frisbee, grilling and even some goals for soccer. The river is swimmable although the currents are very strong and can be filled with debris after storms. There is a memorial garden, parking area and lots of benches to relax on. On both sides of the wide Rappahannock River are houses or dwellings of a bygone either Civil War or even Colonial Era. This park was lots of fun to explore: hanging around the hiking path along the banks, log skips and throwing a football. The park is maintained by a Fredericksburg municipal park crew that oversees the grass, the shrubs and trees. Review: great outing

Great, family oriented & friendly place. Hubs and I came today and will come back with the kiddos…read more Come visit!