Cyndy's Bottom Line: A great park for a walk…read more *Parking available *No restrooms *Map of the trails posted A great park with beautiful views of the pristine landscape. Walk near the Potomac river or up the hills of trees and rock formations. There are (3) trails which are marked and easy to follow. Quite and tranquil

Beautiful , shaded park that is a bit of a hidden gem since it's not very often talk of around the…read morearea. They have hiking trails that are for beginner and also for ones that are a bit more advanced.

Located in the Countryside area of Cascades, it's right off of Algonkian Parkway next to the pool…read morearea. Saw this from the corner of my eye as I was driving alongside the road, checked it out, and was amazed and pleased at what I had discovered: another park/trail in Loudoun! There's multiple trails here and several soccer fields. Plus you get a nice glimpse of the pond as well. Perfect for walking your dog or doing a quick hike when you've got time to kill.

A couple weeks ago I was able to attend one of their monthly bird walks. They are hosted on the…read more2nd Saturday of the month. Even though I'm not really a morning person it was worth getting there by 8 am especially during the summer when the temperature outside gets uncomfortably warmer later in the day. It was also nice that parking was easy with a pretty spacious parking lot. A lovely couple hosted and when they saw I didn't bring my own binoculars they let me borrow one of their spares. There was a light sprinkle but no one besides me bothered to use an umbrella so it seems like it might take place rain or shine. The pace is pretty slow and they don't go deep into any of the walking trails so don't worry if someone in your party has some mobility issues. If you pause and observe your surroundings there are typically more birds than you'd initially expect. I enjoyed how beginner friendly the leaders were in helping us identify different bird species and even recognize some of their calls.

Simple, casual, and very accessible. For those in Herndon…read moreand Reston area, this place is a great local trail that has a nice creek on the pathway. Parking is ample and easy, and The trail itself is flat and straight forward. I have come here a handful of times and I have appreciated how empty it has been. This place is great to come in the morning and or in the early evening to reflect; it is rare to see more than two people here. If you are local to the area, definitely come; however if you are living far away, it may not be that special to make a drive more than 20 minutes.

Was here over the weekend for a fairy festival put on by the Reston Association. Parking was a…read morelittle awkward along the street but that was because they used the nature center parking lot for fun stations for the kids. My daughter enjoyed the bubbles and ribbons. I saw older kids appreciated the pine cone fairy crafting and wand making. After checking in we made our way along the walking trail through the woods to the pavilion where the fairy queen read a cute story while the kiddos enjoyed lemonade and snacks. The fairies and fairy houses along the way were adorable! Would love to come back and check out the visitors center when it isn't as crowded. I saw there was a lot of educational material about animals and plants.

One of the nicest places to enjoy and learn about the local natural resources, flora and fauna,…read morewhich Reston has to offer. Extraordinary place to walk or hike the trails with your family or pets, plus it's a birding hotspot so that means great wildlife observing conditions. The location and their facilities are excellent for so many reasons. Thanks WNC!

My boyfriend and I decided to make a fall date out of visiting Temple Hall Farm after seeing the…read morebeautiful pumpkin and sunflower photos online. It is a little under an hour from DC, and tickets cost 15 dollars per person. That price includes a pumpkin and as many flowers as you want to take home, which sounded like a great setup for a festive afternoon. When you arrive, they take you on a wagon ride out to the fields. Once you get off, they give you a little cart along with a mini saw and a pruner so you can cut your pumpkin right off the vine. They also point you toward areas marked with orange flags, where pumpkins are supposedly still growing. That part was fun in theory and we were hopeful at first. Unfortunately, once we started searching, the experience went downhill. The pumpkins in the flagged areas were either completely rotting, cracked open, or shriveled. We checked everywhere they recommended and still struggled to find anything worth taking home. It took more than 15 minutes just to find a single pumpkin that was not in a sad state. Honestly, if you do choose to come here, do not even bother walking into the actual fields. There are pumpkins sitting near the entrance that are in far better condition. Grab one of those and save yourself the disappointment. The sunflower situation was even more surprising. Every sunflower was dried out and brown. After seeing so many bright, Instagram-worthy photos online, it was a huge letdown. We were really looking forward to cutting some fresh flowers to bring home, but there were none to be found. Because it is marketed as a family friendly fall destination, we expected more activities too. There was only a slide and a bouncy pad for kids, and not much else. The whole area felt neglected and honestly a bit forgotten. I can only imagine how many parents end up taking home pumpkins that will not last through the week, just so their kids can feel like they found one. There were a few vendors selling snacks. We tried the apple cider, which had good flavor, but it had a fizzy hint that made it seem like it was already starting to ferment. We left feeling disappointed and wishing we had gone somewhere else. The farm has so much potential based on the photos online, but the reality did not match at all. If you are searching for a fun pumpkin picking date or a festive fall atmosphere, I would not recommend Temple Hall Farm. There are definitely better options out there for the same drive and price.

We LOVE this farm and the best thing is that it's free (except during their fall festival from ~Sep…read moreto Oct). So many things to do, the trampolines are a huge hit with my kids, the sand it amazing, so soft! Love the big slide and playground and the animals are always hanging near the fences (unlike other farms) so you always get a good sighting of them. We've even been lucky enough to come during feeding hours and they let the kids help with the feeding. Ample parking and clean bathrooms, what else can you ask for?

Hard to find but when you get to the water you are rewarded with a serene and beautiful part of the…read morePotomac. The water is shallow and our dogs love splashing and swimming. Its great on a nice day. However, there are some drawbacks. Notably, if there are other people there, you basically have nowhere to go as the beach is maybe 10 feet across. There are often people fishing, which is ok, but what is not ok is the complete lack of trash cans. This has the unfortunate result of the beach being littered with soda and beer cans and sometimes food containers. I wish people would not so freely litter in such a nice area, but the lack of trash bins means people are unlikely to get the hint or change their ways.

This looked so gorgeous in the snow. I've never been here and thought I would check out the area…read morewhile I knew there would be no one else there so I can explore. There's a small ramp to help lower a canoe or kayak down and some awkward steps. They remind me of baby steps but maybe it is like that so no one falls. There is a nice walkway/ramp built to walk down to the water, but remember that the water line is Maryland so if you have anything that might be questionable in the state, don't bring it with you. I'll have to come back when it is warmer and explore some more. It was absolutely gorgeous covered in snow

Great Falls Nike Park is a small public park in Great Falls with several baseball fields near an…read moreelementary school and a small trail. Outhouses are often set up during practice and baseball games. One fascinating thing about this park is that it's on land once used as one of thirteen Cold War defensive missile sites around the D.C. area. Although the missile site shut down in 1962, a radar dome remains near one of the baseball diamonds. It was used to detect low-flying planes and now sits empty. Walk inside to hear an echo.

This is a beautiful, family-friendly park that has a variety of things for enjoyment. Walleye Pond,…read moreright off the parking lot and near the entrance to trails, seemed to be an attraction all on its own, with the lily pads, viewing decks, and paved trails all around it. Trails are unpaved, which I prefer, and while not wheelchair accessible, the slopes are gentle enough for many adults and children to navigate. The creek that ran along most of the trails was enchanting, and the historical structures such as the smokehouse were fascinating to see and read about. I know there are more this park offers that we didn't get to explore this time, so we'd be glad to visit again in the future. I appreciate this green space being maintained and available to the community.

This fantastic park offers hiking trails, natural beauty, historical structures/sites right off of…read moreWalney Rd in Chantilly. This is my second time coming here and I cannot wait to come back. The best part is that it is dog friendly. The trails are unpaved, and you go through little bridges and pathways... not much incline making it ideal for dogs and small children. I really enjoyed the lily pond and made sure to snap plently of pictures with my pup. The historical house was also blooming with flowers this time of year-- it was so enchanting and beautiful. This place is such a gem!