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    Huntley Meadows Park

    4.6 (117 reviews)
    Open 4:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    View from the outlook
    Hwal L.

    We discovered recently that there are two ways to enjoy this park. If you enter via a big open parking lot off of S Kings Hwy, the trail is fully paved, flat, and offers you more or less a straightforward path to the outlook. Off of Lockheed Blvd, you get onto an unpaved trail (which I prefer) that takes you to a nature centre, and eventually a boardwalk that takes you through wonderfully diverse wildlife habitats and back out. This is one of our favourite parks ever, and I'm glad it's still maintained and available to the community.

    Egret
    Robert B.

    Looking for a nice leisurely stroll through a preserved wildlife area in the DC area? Then this is your place. We love to photograph this area. Offers frogs, snakes, birds of all species, deer, raccoons and others. The children tours can get annoying at times when you're looking to the peace of outdoors, but it's not all the time. Staff at this location are knowledgeable and helpful. They are very polite.

    Ophelia B.

    Huntley Meadows Park is one of the best nature walks I have ever encountered. They have wood bridges and walkways through the meadows and over the water. The elevated area with stairs allowed me to get a panoramic view of the lake and wildlife - very breathtaking. I appreciated all the benches to sit and rest on the nature trail. I, also, experienced many sightings of serpents - the most in my lifetime. It was very crowded on a Sunday afternoon yet it was still a pleasant time at the park. We saw cranes and turtles but mostly serpents. You can get a stamp for your passport park book at the visitor center. They do have a separate paved bike trail for bicycles. The paved hiking trail through the meadows does not allow bicycles. I was surprised at how friendly the serpents were and how they did not mind being photographed. This is a GO SEE park and worth visiting again many times. Admission is free. The visitor center has a lot of information about the park to explore as well.

    Great Blue Heron
    Andrew L.

    Huntley Meadows is a wetlands nature park operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority. A boardwalk extends across the wetlands connecting to trails through woods. A birdwatching tower is located at the far end of the boardwalk. Early in the morning, birdwatchers and photographers use the "golden hour" light to observe a variety of birds, beavers, turtles and other wildlife. During the day, they are joined by trail walkers (no jogging on the boardwalk), families, and others enjoying the flora and fauna of he marsh. It can be crowded at times! There is a nature center (closed at the time of writing) and park nature programs. A very enjoyable place to spend a morning or afternoon!

    Margo C.

    This was once one of my favorite places to walk--decades ago--and I haven't been back in awhile. It is still a special place with plenty of natural beauty but things have changed. It was very crowded when we were there during a weekend, parking was difficult, and our stop at the Visitor's Center was particularly unpleasant and unwelcoming--a decided change from our last visit years ago. Staff chatted with us back then but this time we were greeted with cold stares and even worse behaviors from a group that was there for a program. We still had a nice stroll on the board walk and enjoyed the pleasant weather and peaceful scenery. Worth a visit (weekdays are less crowded) but good luck.

    Austin G.

    The largest of the Fairfax County parks, Huntley Meadows Park is a dream for families, photographers, dog walkers and nature lovers. My toddler and I went on a Monday morning around 9:30am during the summer. As we rolled into the free parking lot, we noticed a number of photographers trekking back from capturing the sunrise off the wetlands in the middle of the park. Once parked, we followed the sign to the wooded trail. We hiked for about ten minutes passing the nature center (it's closed during the pandemic) and markers leading the way to the wetlands. The majority of the ten miles of trails are in woods and shaded (very important during hot D.C. area summers). Dogs on leashes are welcome on these trails and we saw a number of dog walkers. We then hit the boardwalk over the wetlands. This is where the trails become more stroller friendly, but also very hot. The wetlands go back a half-mile, but it's not shaded. Plan accordingly. The wetlands are beautiful with the boardwalk emerging from the greenery. Slowly walk along the boardwalk and look into the water to see frogs, turtles and maybe a beaver or two. Further in the distance, you can see butterflies and heron. If you go, stop by Historic Huntley afterward to learn about the history of Huntley Meadows and see a historic house.

    Laura W.

    What a gorgeous park that you wouldn't know existed in the midst of the suburban sprawl that is Fairfax County unless you heard about it elsewhere. I had read about it on the mommy blogs and took advantage of the unseasonably warm Veteran's Day holiday to visit with my son. Downside of visiting on a national holiday was that the visitor center was closed but just another reason to return sooner than later. The parking lot is rather small, so I can imagine it being filled on the weekends. I did see port-a-potties in the parking lot, but no "formal" bathrooms unless they are in the visitor center. The 2 or 3 different trails are very well-maintained and carved out. Lots of wetland wildlife near the boardwalk. All trails plus the boardwalk are very stroller-friendly. I noticed a lot of bird watchers and photographers, which makes sense given the ample beauty of the area. There is also a "lookout" tower that has some great views of the marsh. I do not believe the trails are bike friendly, but you can have dogs (just not on the boardwalk). I'd love to return in the summer to experience a different season at Huntley Meadows!

    John B.

    When I arrived I found few spots at the parking lot. Given how crowded the trails were, however, I can't say I wish the parking lot was any bigger. The boardwalk was impressive, being well constructed and covering a range of habitats. I get the concerns that one might have about invasive species, but those are hardly limited to this one park. I'm not a biologist, but there was certainly interesting wildlife here. Most visitors either had small children or large cameras. It was a good space to get outdoors; not as good as Kenilworth or Dyke Marsh, but if you're in the area worth a look.

    Lucia B.

    Great place for a quick or long stroll! Make sure you plan your trip/trail route beforehand- I didn't and I ended up not where I wanted to go! It was beautiful non the less. A lot of people walking around, lots of families and dogs! Dogs for the most part were kept on leashes as they should be, although we saw a couple of them that weren't. It was great to come in autumn when the trees were changing leaves, beautiful colors throughout!

    Early Morn in the Meadows
    James M.

    This Park is one of, if not my favorite spot in the World. I have come to love this park for its beauty and abundance of Wildlife. I have been to most of the major National Parks (love them), but if comparing bang for your buck, time & effort there is not a better place to visit then Huntley Meadows. You have two sides, both are great, but I prefer the side with the Boardwalk & Visitor Center. Hopefully one day there will be a trail to connect both sides, it will take the park to the next level. Currently, there is no trail that connects so somewhat limited on distance if looking for a huge loop, still good, but somewhat limited. The access to Boardwalk which goes over the marsh is relatively short so those with difficulty walking great distance can still enjoy the views & wildlife. I cannot express what a Treasure Huntley Meadows is, you will be amazed at the Wildlife that you can see on a daily basis from American Bald Eagles, different Hawks, Owls, numerous types of ducks (Mallards, Pintail, Mergansers, Teals) and of course Geese, lots of Geese. The Park has Beavers, Otters, and Muskrats, Deer and Foxes. Seeing these in the Wild right here in DMV is amazing, I have never seen so much so often and with such little effort. Parking is ample (weekends get crazy) and right now Visitor Center is closed, and restrooms are closed. There are Porta Potties, which do in a pinch. If there is one park you visit and you want Wildlife then this is your Park.

    Marlene M.

    What a gem of a place! Huntley Meadows is nestled in a corner of Alexandria that I had never discovered in my 20+ years living in the DMV. The star of the park is the half-mile boardwalk that dissects the wetland. On the Saturday afternoon we visited, a textbook-perfect fall day, the boardwalk was busy with mostly masked couples and families - but it wasn't so busy as to ruin the beauty and serenity of the place. The changing leaves hadn't quite reached peak colors yet, but it was still a very pretty sight. We didn't see many of the cool critters that are advertised at the entrance of the boardwalk. No blue herons, no snakes. We did get to spot a couple of turtles sunbathing on a log. And our 2-year-old was fascinated with a few crickets that didn't mind her (gently) nudging them. A circuit of trails lined with mostly dead, mangled trees and twisted vines lead up to the wetland from a few directions. The trails are easy to walk, especially for the little ones (and they won't ruin your stroller either!). We loved our visit here! Can't wait to come back again and again, and hopefully spot more of the wildlife that call it home.

    Marshlands
    Tracie G.

    Such an amazing place to visit. The thriving ecosystem makes for an adventures family outing. Bird spotting, plant life identifying, reptile watching, aquatic life all around. My children had such a fun time documenting and researching all the wildlife and plant life they came across. Not to mention just being able to get out, let the sun shine on your face and take in the peace and calm of the marshlands...we frequently take this tour together as a way to slow our lives down and just be mindful and together.

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    1 month ago

    Huntley is an amazing place with spectacular wildlife. It's a beautiful place for a walk.

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    3 years ago

    A very pleasant place for a short hike. Plenty of wildlife to see. Sufficient parking spaces.

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    Ask the Community - Huntley Meadows Park

    Review Highlights - Huntley Meadows Park

    It has nice shade during the summer in the beginning of the trail but once you go to the boardwalk, there's no shade.

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