Large park with lots of hiking trails of varying levels, none of which were crowded when we were…read morethere on a weekday afternoon. The Fire Trail was a nice hike over the mountain without being too strenuous and had views of the valley at different points along the way. I could see it being muddy though if it rained recently so be careful. They weren't charging admission when we were there on a weekday afternoon and there was plenty of parking. It looks like they have fishing as well and maybe swimming when the weather is warmer. This place isn't far at all from Crozet so we went for a hike then had dinner in town.

Swung by for some fishing. The park is clean and well maintained on the paths, but the grassy…read moreareas, especially near the pond, are not. It was covered in dog feces and lacked many available places to dispose of it. I'll be back, but would like to see more signage reminding folks to clean up after their pets and more places to dispose of trash.

Lots of fun for littles! My toddler enjoyed running and climbing all the park had to offer. There…read moreare bathrooms and two picnic shelter areas.

This is one of the best playgrounds! I highly recommend. It has a place for littles to ride their…read morebikes as well.

Overall, this is a nice park with a good number of picnic tables, a splash pad that's great for…read moresummer, decent restrooms, and a small playground. The walking trails were the highlight well-maintained, shaded, and surrounded by dense trees.it's clean, peaceful, and a pleasant place to spend a few hours outdoors.

I know why the blue left, and the red told me why it was leaving, but why did the Greenleaf?…read more This lovely park in the north of Charlottesville also contains one of my favorite YMCA locations in the country - so it's a great park for more than one reason. Definitely one of the best recreational areas of a lovely town.

Very cool playground, especially after reading the backstory. Built in 4 days by local volunteers,…read moreit is a massive playstructure. My kids both loved it and found plenty to keep them busy for an hour outdoors, not always the easiest thing to do. I wish we had something like this in my neighborhood, we'd go on a weekly basis.

Built in 5 days with the help of 1,000 local people and college students, owned and maintained by…read morethe City of Lexington. Still in great shape after more than 30 years of service. Plenty of seating for adults and a covered picnic table. Designed by local school kids with the help of Leathers and Co. Lots of imagination and running space for people of all ages to play.

TOTAL DOG HEAVEN. My pup Otis and I frequent the dog parks in town around Charlottesville a few…read moretimes a week, and decided to take a little winter adventure up to Chris Greene Lake this past weekend. Despite being VERY muddy (everywhere is muddy right now because of all of the rain and snow!), it was absolutely awesome. As soon as we arrived at the dog park area at Chris Greene, which is a short and pretty walk through the woods from the parking area, Otis went NUTS! There's a ton of space to romp, and I think the dogs really love the added fun of dodging in and out of the many trees. I've never seen Otis run so much at a dog park, and despite the cold and ice on the lake he jumped right in. This place will be perfect when the weather is warmer and the dogs really want to swim! It also offers what no other dog parks have: total shade, which will come in handy in July and August! I did get a little turned around leaving the park - there are two paths and I couldn't remember which one we came in on. I took the wrong one, but it just took me on a pleasant little loop before arriving back at the parking area. For the direct exit, take the path on the right. I also think it's important to note that this park is big and your pooch can get pretty far away from you at any given time. I try to stay pretty close to my guy just in case he encounters a grumpy-pants-pup, and that feels pretty hard to do here. Still, like most dog parks around town, the owners were all pretty keyed into their dogs behaviors and we didn't have any problems.

Nice park with many activities. However the dog park is not…read morefenced properly. Our dog got through the fence and ended up miles away and hurt herself doing so. Fortunately she had a name tag with phone number and we got her back that night. If they don't fix the fence you need to stay right with your dog, which defeats the purpose of the park.

Directions are past the third goat ridge on the right (open maps) and it's a 40 min walk but you…read morecan get there quicker if you speed walk/run.

Beautiful outdoor natural waterfall and swimming hole. My only regret is that I didn't bring my…read moreswimming suit! I can't wait to go back. The hike is easy compared to others in the area. It's about a mile to the swimming hole. Be sure to bring, all the outdoors stuff: bug stray, sun block, etc. Also, you are in nature so, be on the look out for snacks - we came into contact with a black snack, it was harmless but definitely pay attention. Wear shoes unless rocks don't bother you. It's honestly a beautiful place! Here's an article that provides more info: https://gohikevirginia.com/sugar-hollow-reservoir/. I almost forgot. There's no cell phone service. No bars baby.

Great recreation area. Nice campgrounds, lots of shade, clean restrooms, small lake and a store,…read more We'll be back.

Our family came for a day visit so I can't vouch for the campsites. The lake itself, though, is…read moreincredibly gorgeous. I love the beach area where our kids happily played and dug streams and tunnels for hours. A little island that you can walk to or paddle out to on a float. Lots of space to spread out with a picnic or a bbq. Small park entrance fee (per vehicle) that is totally worth it.

This is the best spot I have found for beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley. However, a word…read moreof caution- it is an extremely steep, narrow, gravel road with sharp curves and scary edges. And calling it a road is generous: it is actually rocky, bumpy, and has many holes. My SUV would have been fine but I happened to be driving a rental car with low ground clearance. There is a cautionary sign as you enter that says "Narrow 2 Lane Road." TWO LANE? I have seen goat paths that were wider. Twice I came upon cars going the opposite direction. and one of us had to pull way over to the mountain side, and the other had to hug the scary drop off edge (hint: it wasn't Indiana girl who pulled over toward the edge, I was perfectly happy getting as close as possible to the mountain side while the other driver inched around my car) The next time I come here I will definitely park at the bottom and walk up. Besides the difficult navigating, there were some places I would have liked to take pictures but there weren't any safe places to park. The views are simply spectacular, and my photos don't come close to capturing the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. It is very definitely worth the inconvenience of driving or hiking up the mountain. The only amenities I saw were two trash cans, one at the bottom and one at the top, near the observation deck. I wanted to watch the sunset, so it was nearly dark when I drove back down. I'm planning to return soon, and I will get here earlier in the day so I will have more time to explore.

There are few places in the world that can elicit a feeling of pure joy, nervousness and excitement…read moreas much as the Appalachian Trail. A few years back I read "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Bryson (Fantastic BTW) and that's when A.T. fever hit me. I've done some hiking before... nothing like I experienced here though. Nothing at all. There are so many different feelings that coursed through me during my 2 week hike... days when I had the energy and drive to do 15+ miles, days when I'd leisurely hike about 8 miles and stopping at every vista, meadow or creek I could find to relax, nap or take some pictures. And then there were days where just putting on the hiking pack was a challenge, days that I just wanted to stay in my tent or in the shelter (3 days of straight rain will do that to ya). On to the good stuff though, you're looking at this to plan your own adventure not hear mine. Here's some good need to know stuff for you. Gear - I'll mention it, but you won't listen to the advice (I didn't either). Pack LIGHT! There was nothing worse than the extra weight of stuff I could've lived without. Examples: Cans of soup - good treat, but super heavy. Extra Clothes - you only need one extra T-Shirt and pair of pants. Underwear is more important, especially socks... bring extra socks. Warm dry feet are happy feet. Large Roll of Duct Tape - it's a lifesaver for sure, but it's heavy. I only used about 10-12 feet of it (tent, poncho and hiking pack repair), bring a small roll instead. Extra Rain Jacket - WHY? one poncho was all I needed. Oh, and if you were in the military like me.. DON'T use your issued Rucksack as a hiking pack... Yes, it's got nice compartments and comfy padding, but they're WAY too heavy and you can use that extra weight for more food/water. A lot of folks I bumped into were using Osprey Packs, just a suggestion. Drop-off / Parking - If you're only planning on doing a day hike or an over nighter, there is a small parking lot near the trailhead. Park, cross the bridge and walk about a quarter mile, the trailhead will be on your right side and marked by the standard White Blaze of the A.T. Blazes - The main color to follow is White, Blue blazes that spur off the A.T. go to Springs and/or Shelters. Blue blazes can be a fun side trip, check your map for the following: Jones Run & Doyle's Run - beautiful Waterfalls Ivy Creek - nice place to camp Water - When you see a spring or stream replenish your water supply. I know that it's heavy especially a few days into the hike, but take it from me... you don't want to run out. Another pointer - you should either boil or filter your water. I didn't do either on a few occasions and was just fine though... up to you. Waysides - First one you'll run across is Loft Mountain. Get a hot meal, some pop (soda) and recharge any electrical devices there. There is a Camp Store to resupply as well but it's not in the same building. Camp Store opens in Mid-May usually. The next one is Big Meadows - They have EVERYTHING there. Fire/Backwoods Camping - No open fires except at the shelters. Backwoods Camping (between shelters) is awesome, just make sure to pitch your tent so that it disturbs as little vegetation as possible and follow the "Leave No Trace" ethics please. Terrain - The terrain throughout the Shenandoah National Park section varies quite a bit, everything from easy paths through the woods to mountain paths that will seriously test your mettle. According to most thru-hikers, the S.N.P. section is the "easiest" as for as terrain... I'd hate to see the hardest. If your feet/ankles need a break from the trail; one good thing is that the A.T. crosses Skyline Drive several times, if you want a break from the trail you can walk on the blacktop for a while. Wild Animals - Keep a lookout for the Shenandoah Salamander - http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/shenandoah_salamander.htm and Red Eft's they're pretty neat. I saw a couple Black Bears on the trail, they pretty much left me alone, just make sure to hang your food at night so they don't get to it. (10 ft up, 20+ yds from camp). There is A LOT of Deer in the park, you'll see plenty if you keep an eye out. Coyotes are what to watch out for, especially if hiking at night. My dog made me WELL aware if they were ever near. Most got skittish and ran after Rella barked, not all. We had one incident with a small male coyote that came at us, Rella ummm 'took care of it' I'll leave it at that. Guess those are all the big pointers I can pass along. I had a really great time on this section of A.T. and would highly recommend any avid hiker or outdoorsy folk to check it out. Even if it's only for a day-hike or weekend camping trip, it's well worth it.

Sorry for the 1-star (you may change my "review" to 5-star when this is fixed). Often referred to…read moreas "Afton Mountain," Rockfish Gap is not in Bedford, VA. This is the intersection of the Appalachian Trail (abt mp 863.5), Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, I-64 exit 99 (I think), and US Rt 250. To the west is Waynesboro, Stuarts Draft, and Staunton. To the east is Afton, Crozet, and Charlottesville. How do I know? The gap is about 2 miles out my back window. Not much commerce at rhe gap itself, except the wonderful old-time "King's Gourmet Popcorn" stand which has much more than popcorn. There is a motel and a couple of B&Bs a mile or so West on Rt. 250 near the Western edit of the famous Blue Ridge Tunnel (check it out on YouTube), which then pops you out in the village of Afton on the east side of the Blue Ridge. A longer walk back to the Gap, but adequate parking is at either terminus. Afton is in an area rich with wineries, distilleries, and breweries. Blee BleesRockfishRetreat.com

One of our favorite parks to visit and walk at. There's some trails, hard to walk on the paved…read moreareas due to cars, but it isn't impossible. There's a great swimming beach and playground with a good amount of shade. It can get busier with folks fishing, but the small lake is pretty and is generally pretty quiet!

This park is a seasonal swimming hole. The beach was already closed when I visited, despite the…read moreweather still being warm. There is also a frisbee golf course and some trails. At least in the off season, there wasn't a charge to enter.