One of the nicest,condensed playgrounds I've seen and definitely the most technologically advanced…read more We had fun playing "buzz" along with the British-accented voice. Also cool was the music box feature,which played several songs including "row,row your boat", "here we go around the mulberry bush", and "if you're happy and you know it". The highlight for older kids is the stand-up merry-go-round. There is one of the swings where the adult and baby can swing together too. There is a long tunnel slide as well as a tiny slide for tots. The setting in the woods is nice too. Parking is available in the lot at the front of the path to the playground. The playground equipment is brand new; definitely worth a visit if you're nearby.

Nice place for families. It won't win awards for its size. Yet despite the small land area, there…read moreare plenty of playgrounds for kids to choose from. This has a lot of them, and good climbing equipment. The park is best for the 5 to 12 year old age. There are some unique playground parts to play on. I like the trees. Am relieved this park is here. All around here development is alarming. Parking is no stress. This park is close to so many attractions. My hope is the county will modernize this one again soon. If you have little ones who can wear you out, this should make them exhausted. That alone means please visit!

Ratliffe Park is a great little park tucked away in the heart of Fairfax City…read more There is a playground for both toddlers and elementary school age kids, giant saucer swing, animal totem pole, and artfully arranged tree trunks that kids can practice their jumping skills on. My children are especially fond of all of the fresh mulch to play with (eye roll). There is a covered picnic area which would make this spot perfect for birthday parties as well as lots of green grass to run around. I find it a little bit more quiet and more well-maintained than nearby Van Dyck Park which can get kind of crazy if you have tiny littles like me.

Quiet, clean and well maintained. We popped by after visiting a local business. This park in a…read morehidden gem.

My kids and I call the is Royal Lake park and it's a nice neighborhood/local park. A nice lake you…read morecould kayak in (not too many ppl), with geese, turtles and ducks. Very busy Saturday mornings during some seasons due to soccer (so parking lot will be full). There's a pretty good toddler and bigger kid playground structure and basketball court. It's about a mile walk across the lake with some paved parts but other parts are gravel and dirt and stairs. You'll have to carry a stroller at some points if taking stroller. Beautiful to look at the tree line during Fall.

It's nothing extraordinary. Right off of Pommeroy St, this is a small place with a playground. The…read moreset is decent enough for little ones. The field is of substantial size to throw a football around, or maybe fly a kite, but the goose poop isn't so attractive. That alone is a reason why the Canadian Honkers have less bag limits, during hunting season so please hit 'em up. As for the view, I do appreciate Lake Royal. Only two lakes in Virginia are natural, but this one has herons and an occasional eagle. Fishing from this side is ok, but it's far more action on opposite. Parking is for the most part adequate. Can't beat the price of admission, as it's free, and the adjacent trail is a pleasant one.

Love this public park! The playgrounds and sports facilities are spaced out nicely. It can get…read morecrowded in the weekend, with limited parking onsite. Took my two year old here and had a blast, will recommend!

I so miss the rocket, and the merry go round. As one can imagine, we live in a litigious society,…read moreand best guess is that's why the latter is gone. This isn't to say it's a bad place, as quite the opposite, it's a truly safe park. Located right next to the Fairfax City police department, I have a lot of happy memories from here. Taking my kids to this park was fun, and so was sledding on the hills in winter. Some parts of the trail need to be repaired, but otherwise it's in great condition. Kids of all ages will like the skate park, and the basketball hoops. Also the fields are fun for kite or drone flying. This is a rather large park. You can get exercise on the tennis courts, or cook on the grills here. The covered patios with tables, make for a decent birthday celebration spot. Also there's a volleyball area too. If in the area stop on in, and hours are dusk til dawn.

A great playground/park that is open to the public! It has a very nice play structure with swings…read moreand monkey bars, slides, etc. There are some tables to sit at as well. It is on the school grounds so its well maintained. My kids love it and they can spend lots of time there. The only downside is that it has tan bark/mulch for the ground cover. My toddler fell and all that stuff got all over him and it was hard to get it off his clothes.

We enrolled our current 4th grader in this school five years ago as a Kindergartener, and have been…read morevery pleased with the professional and high quality staff and thoughtful talented leadership of this great school community. Go Oak View Eagles! The facility is also nice, clean, and welcoming.

Used to go there as a kid with basketball courts. Nice place If you like a woodsy venue. It's been…read moresemi renewed and some of it is still in the 80s

This park is a gem! Tucked back behind an apartment complex and water treatment plant, this nice…read morelittle park boasts of two shaded playgrounds with multiple swings, a seesaw and rocking toys. It sits adjacent a large field that is great for field sports and an enclosed tennis court. There's a large pavilion with grilling and seating amenities, good for an outdoor party or BBQ!

I ran here various times during my stay in VA. Its a nice park to walk around, jog or run. The loop…read moreis mainly unpaved and its about 1.8 miles. Definitely beats running around the neighborhood as you see fellow runners and animals.

Good if you can find parking. Bad if you need to pee. There is one port-o-potty that is very…read morefrequently out of commission or sometimes removed entirely. Parking in the Pommeroy lot is problematic and tiny. Side street parking is almost non-existent due to code enforcement. The meter maid will get you for parking too close to stop signs, mailboxes, driveways and fire-hydrants. It's like they circle this park. The bigger parking lot is off of Gainsborough and is also were they host music in the park during the summer.

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.

April 15, 2026 - A hidden gem and fascinating park we discovered recently since we moved here in…read more2023. It has been an incredibly fun adventure for us - finding parks and places to enjoy, hike, and immerse ourselves in the nature, beauty of the outdoors, and wildlife in Virginia & Maryland. We walked all the trails in the Hidden Pond Park and liked spending time in the Hidden Pond Nature Center in the park. There are many activities for children and adults in the parks. The staff there were friendly and helpful. The park is well maintained and there are so many picturesque areas and hiking trails to experience there. We spent about three hours in the park. The park was peaceful and quiet. We experienced no traffic and saw very few people during our hike on the trails. Austin, one of the staff in the Nature Center, said it had to do with the geography & location of the park. Along the trails are many sitting areas to take a break. We saw many kinds of birds, deer, flowers, and foxes during our time in the park. Strongly recommend wearing bug repellent & sunscreen and checking out a map of the trails in the nature center. Beautiful park to visit during each season and very ideal for wildlife photographers and for peaceful & quiet walks in the park.

What did we see on our first day walking the trails? -Red fox, 3 deer, red shouldered hawk,…read morecardinal, woodpecker, sleeping squirrel, sparrows, chickadee, carnivorous plant, and a turtle back at the pond. Pretty eventful day, April 15, 2026. Staff were helpful and nice! Nature Center provides wildlife education and animals, a place to refill water or use the utilities. I wouldn't expect to see all that we seen, as think we were pretty lucky to come across all of that in one day. For instance as soon as we sat down on the bench near the river, the hawk flew over and landed nearby, first to get a drink of water then perched nearby. The fox happened to be coming to the river before we locked eyes and ran off while I fumbled with my dang lens cap, as always. Good luck!

It was a nice park! Pet friendly and the kids can play. Great activity on a nice day.read more

It's a dog park, plus a spot for little ones. My son is now a teenager, so the playground equipment…read morefor him is a non starter. Yet for kids 10 and under a neat concept. This is set up like an obstacle course. If you want your little one tired, this will be quite challenging. There's a lot of cool designs and thoughtful construction took place. Parking is plentiful. It's right off of New Guinea Road. The car traffic will be heard unfortunately. Yet for the dog park, good idea to have two sections. Ones for puppies and little dogs, the other is for the big K9's. A very smart decision. There's plenty of room in each fenced area for them to run in. Friendly dogs and most part decent people.