I love this park and all the arts and crafts opportunities (and social dances!) they offer here! My…read morekids took pottery lessons here for years and had a lot of fun...the classes are in the very unique and interesting yurts close to the Arcade building (where the main offices are). I'd also highly recommend the super fun swing dances in the Spanish Ballroom ....the live music is great and the dances are usually well attended, meaning lots of dance partners! I've gone to the contra, swing, and waltz dances (there are free lessons before each), these have all been worthwhile and entertaining. Less well known but equally highly recommended are the folk dance lessons...these are usually given in the space behind the ballroom or in the bumper car pavilion...I really enjoyed these dances and they are quite different from the swing and contra dances. You feel as if you are dancing as a group, even more so than with the contra dances.... I feel it's a great way to bring everyone together, almost like singing in a choir but with dancing... My kids and I have also gone to puppet shows at the park and ridden on the antique carousel (which has limited hours or is often under repair)...there is a little cafe located in a building where I think they also used to have Irish step dance lessons. I believe the cafe is run by the great local bakery, Pralines (which has great sandwiches). The Washington Conservatory is also located at the park and offers music lessons. There is a lot packed into this little park, and the surrounding area also has a lot to offer (it is near one of the small parking lots that has access to C&O canal)

interesting place hidden and nestled in what felt like a secret pathway and maybe even a secret…read moregarden in the forest when I went here with my ex-husband Leo Mejia in 2013! Ill never forget how charming it was but how it hauntingly left something to be desired

Amazing hiking trails! Trails are pretty accessible for all levels…read more The trail maps need updating as there are some new trails.

It's closed for months to repair a sewage siphon in spring, which is ridiculous. There's a sewage…read morepipe that empties into the waterfall area, but people don't seem to care and they swim, even though you can smell the sewage. The whole place and even the forest is littered with hard lemonade and beer bottles, babies diapers, dog poop and all kinds of food wrappers.

Moderate hiking place level with a gorgeous river to walk along. This is a great place for pups to…read morerun around and explore. Many of the owners with dogs here walk their dogs off a leash, and the dogs love somewhat of a challenging terrain for them. There are plenty of hills, stairs, water bridges you have to cross over, and a few fallen trees. I had taken the blue trailblaze path.

This is a decent park. Close to the C&O Canal. Personally I like that trail more. Still there's a…read moregood walking area here. It's also fun to hear traffic on the beltway , in what could be described as a parallel universe. You don't feel in a busy area when at this park. Nice families are always here. Little ones will like the playground. There are several ways to get here. Due to the Beltway and other intersections close by, do be wary of traffic patterns. Have had a picnic lunch here a few times. It's alright for what it's worth.

If you want a city escape without driving too far, head to Turkey Run Park in McLean, Virginia…read more Unlike nearby Scott's Run Nature Preserve, it's less crowded and offers trails along the Potomac River with beautiful views. If you go, here's what you should know: 1) Getting there: Google Maps doesn't take you to the right place. If you plug it, the app will direct you to U.S. Park Police HQ. Rather than turn there, continue up the GW Memorial Parkway until you see a brown sign for Turkey Run Park. Follow the signs to a road that is very much in need of renovation. Park in the first parking lot you see. There's always space. 2) Once there: Once parked, there's a map in the northwest corner of the lot near the main trail. Once you start down the trail, you'll see a sign directing you east toward Theodore Roosevelt Island more than eight miles away or the American Legion Bridge a mile or so west. I went west to the bridge and it was a fun hike. The rocky trail was hard for running, but perfect for hiking. You hug the Potomac River going over creeks, passing a waterfall and through grassy areas with white and purple flowers. If you love graffiti art, the American Legion Bridge has some beautiful ones. If you have time afterwards, go to Fort Marcy. It's an off-the-beaten-path park with picnic tables, trails and old Civil War cannons.

I visited Turkey Run Park in early November 2025 during the federal government shutdown and caught…read moresome fall foliage. I was able to find a spot in the C-1 parking lot with easy access to the scenic trail. It's open to visitors during daylight hours and is dog-friendly. At this time of year, the views of the Potomac River are lovely. The water levels were quite low (not much rainfall in the past 3 weeks), which made it easier to cross the stream (part of the loop trail). One caveat is that the trail is not well-marked in a few places - especially for the return ascent after crossing the creek on the loop trail.

Tucked away in a lively residential neighborhood -- but once discovered, this facility offers…read morewell-maintained ballfields and playgrounds, behind a building that offers youth and preschool programs.

Cute neighborhood park with a baseball field, basketball court, picnic area and playground. Great…read moreplace to play catch with the kids, fetch with the dogs, or just catch a nice picnic lunch under the shade.

This climbing spot is more than that. The Billy Goat Trail goes through it passing stunning rock…read moreformations that bleed into the Potomac River. There's a large parking lot with restrooms, drinking fountains, and clear signage. It's also close to many other things to do in the area like Lockhouse 10, Glen Echo, and more.

I love the Canal Tow Path. I have run along it a couple dozen times. I usually enter in Georgetown…read moreor at Fletcher's Cove. But I also start at Carderock for a change or if that is how the race is set up. I don't do much in the park itself. But I see it is a lovely, underused facility (which I don't want to ruin). There is, as people have mentioned, a military facility nearby. I wonder as I drive around, if they are conducting surveillance or if you'd get in trouble for doing something such as taking photographs. I've never had an issue though, if you were wondering. I have gotten lost, however, because it's not quite clear (and GPS is not precise) how you get to where you want to go once you take the exit. I recommend Carderock highly for a hike. I believe it also is a nice place to hang out, even if you don't get to the trail (but why would you go here and not at least take a gander at the water).

The McLean Central Park playground was recently renovated and we visited one of the first opening…read moreweekends. The slide/swings look very new and there are different levels of playground for various age groups. The playground is small compared to the nearby Clemyjontri park but the "brand new" facility is attractive to kids. There are trails nearby as well which we may come back for another time. Plenty of parking nearby.

This is my son's favorite park! The equipment is new and in good condition. There is a variety of…read moreequipment for different ages and interests. There are gazebos if you want some shade. It's never too crowded and we've always had a good experience with the other families and kids that play here. There is easy parking in a parking lot with a short walk to the park. It is connected to the McLean Central Library, which is convenient.

A very nice secluded park with a great softball field.read more

Coming here reminds me of when I was a young kind being picked up in a yellow school bus. I think…read moreabout the talks I had with my so called friends and all the stupid stuff we came up with. The ways of entertaining ourselves could get quite imaginative. Looking around see a kids playground and think of the old school jungle gyms and the extremely large climbing sets some parks use to have. They have now gotten smaller and safer, but I see some of the old designs this playground. I think about the how I got picked up in a yellow school bus and how at times I mouthed off to two different drivers. If I could go back in time I would have smacked myself. This would be very dangerous, because the same matter can't occupy the same space...but I digress. I am now working for a company that transports kids to and from school kids and now I am the driver. I have cool kids right now, but as my career goes on, I am certain that I will run into the rude kid at some point. It's all about how I handle it. Yelling and screaming back at the kid may or may not fo much...but it's not the road I wish to follow. I look at the fields in the park area and see football games, American Football games, many other events that schools and after school programs can come up with. I saw a picture of kids and teachers holding a rainbow colored cloth with a hole in the center and remember the games our teachers came up with this cloth. This park brings back memories from what I did as a kid. I wonder what these kids will remember when they become 41. The cell phones are their thing now, when it was books and magazines and dare I say it...Nintendo Power Magazine. Ahhhhhh the olden days...but olden days for whom?

A fantastic family park. Nice and quiet in the mornings and can be energetic and playful on the…read moreweekends. I love walking my dog here. I love how they keep this park clean and safe. I hear that there are pick up soccer games here too?