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    Lake Accotink Park

    4.3 (93 reviews)

    Lake Accotink Park Photos

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    Laura W.

    Really nice updated playground at Lake Accotink. There is just the one big slide and it gets quite congested, believe it or not. They have a butterfly seesaw, one baby swing and one adult/baby swing, and some nice musical features. Also a spiders web to climb. The downside is that the playground is not big and can get quite crowded.

    Melissa F.

    TRAIL PARTIALLY CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. Check the Fairfax county site before going. The loop is obstructed and can't be completed. If you go far enough in the loop, the only way out is to turn back around. THERE IS NO DETOUR. There isn't great signage. Other than that, good hike with well paved trails. No elevation gain.

    Virath P.

    They finally upgraded the kids playground and it's very nice! The park isn't that bad for the casual trail rider or if you want to reserve a section for an event. Not a great lake for fishing, but the walkable loop is decent go.

    The Dam
    James M.

    During this Pandemic our family is trying to be outdoors as much as possible. We are utilizing all that the DMV has to offer, especially the Fairfax County Park System. We visited this beautiful park and we were impressed with the Trail System, especially the one around the Lake. The Trail was perfect for walking, hiking, biking and Trail running. The path is spacious, well marked and well maintained. We saw Wildlife in and around the lake. At times u felt u were truly in the Wild, and other times u crossed into Suburbs. The Restrooms were clean (no paper though) and OPEN which was nice. Fair Warning - There is plenty of Signage that states if Raining "Dam path could be Flooded" It was so take heed- LOL

    5/14/22 How about a walk in the woods?
    John F.

    5/14/22 I heard on DC 101 about saving Lake Accotink on Elliott In The Morning Show. After hearing Diane talk about it on Friday, I looked the place up and decided to check the place out. The photos I saw of a large bridge by a dam, peeked my interest. I like waterfalls so I knew I would be checking the place out on Saturday. The park is about 20 minutes away from my home and I had fun driving to the park. The day looked like it is going to rain, but I was lucky and it didn't until I finished my walk. The amount of dead tree branches needs removal by the dam. The amount of debris in the water above and below the dam looks nasty. Aside from this, I did not see much trash around the park. Nevertheless, there were signs indicating the park is going to have a volunteer day for cleaning tomorrow. I saw there was a race sponsored by the Bishop Events LLC. Never heard of them until today, but it's good to know they exist. The money raised help take care of the community. You can play miniature golf here, ride the merry-go-round or kiss a girl/boy and like it. Okay, I got that song stuck in my head. I saw a section up some stairs where you can have a hell of a picnic/feast. Seeing how the sky was, I figured I might get rained one, but my fatass was still going for a walk in the woods. I don't recall how many miles this park is, but I walked it. After going half way through the walk, I started speed walking and gave my ass and legs a workout. I liked how part of the trail came out into the suburban neighborhood, but went back into the woods after a while. I ended up coming 3 feet away from a female deer that did not see me coming. I did not Jose a serious threat and it walked back into the woods to add more distance from the other humans behind me. I found this place very peaceful. Apparently you can walk, ride a bike or do this trail on horse back. I did not step into any horse shit or dog shit, so it was a very good day. (No, I do not step in this stuff on a regular basis, so put this out of your minds.) I look forwards to coming back here with my wife and friends. I think they will like this park as much as I did.

    Melissa N.

    Lake Accotink is one of my favorite parks in Northern Virginia. It has a paved 4 mile walking/biking trail. Definitely one of my favorite trails for jogging. It is moderately busy and super safe. My favorite part is jogging the portion of the trail in front of the dam. The park includes many amenities such as canoe and pedal boat rentals, bike rental, playgrounds. miniature golf course, carousel, pavilions. Although, I think the activities depend on the season. Fishing is allowed. 5 stars.

    Covered picnic gazebos - water views to my back, trails
    Christian L.

    Tranquil nature paths that twist and turn around Lake Accotink. In the post-Covid time, the trails are too narrow for people to pass adequately. But the serene and blissful park is still peaceful and relaxing! Some canoes and boats are for rent, even some paddlers who bring their own kayaks and canoes. Lake Accotink gets very busy. There are picnic shelters and gazebos to sit under in the shade and, I believe there were a few metal grills.. folks wade out into the shallow water and cool off. Accotink is a very enjoyable Lake. The Lake is man-made, as there is a large waterfall at the entrance. The water is blocked behind the falls. High above is the Orange Rail line, which during the Civil War of 1861-1865 was used to transport goods and personnel, but which was heavily guarded by New York - Union Army - militia! Great relaxed, idyllic atmosphere. Rebel review: 5

    The water along the trail is soothing :)
    Cristina D.

    Lake Accotink Park exists alongside a reservoir in Fairfax County. It features many nature and biking trails, and is great for a quick workout or relaxing stroll. I would highly recommend! Pros: Dog friendly (on leashes): The trails in this park are dog friendly. Most folks have their dogs leashed at all times, because the trails are sometimes pretty busy, especially when it is nice out. You will see many dogs and their owners enjoying a walk on the trails. Paved and spacious trails: The main trails are largely paved with cement, which makes it easier to walk or run especially in wetter conditions. The trails are spacious enough to allow for passing other slower riders or runners, and large enough to accommodate two way pedestrian traffic and dogs, so you do not feel too cramped ever. Good for running: The trails have gentle slopes but no major hills that I have seen, which makes these great for a nice easy run. There is a good amount of shade coverage provided by the trees, as well. Field on trail: A mile or so into the trail (after turning in from the main entrance) you come upon a baseball field and tennis court, as well as some open grass. This is a nice place to have a picnic or take a quick rest, if you'f like! The fields and facilities appear to be well maintained. Chickens and horses: Alongside the trail is a chicken pen, as well as a pasture with a horse (sometimes more than one) in it. It is fun to run by and see the animals grazing, and this always seems to excite children on the trail, as well. Good cell service: There seems to be good service along the trail. I have Verizon coverage, and my friend who came along had TMobile coverage-- we both had no gaps in service at any point. No cons to speak of here! This is really a great spot to spend a day outside. I came in spring, so I cannot speak to winter conditions when there is snow on the ground. Other: Keep an eye on your pups and little kids-- some bikers do tend to go pretty quickly here and though it is relaxing, their speed is something to keep an eye on!

    Alice J.

    A surprise find. A rather big lake right in Virginia, not far from Springfield. It's an artificial lake, but there's a little beach. No one swims there but it's great for kids (some kind of wading area). It's an area where kayaks are launched. Next to it is a peddling boat rental dock. Behind that there is a carousal and a booth selling tickets. There is a small parking lot (often full), and right behind it is a hill. On top of the hill there are toilets and picnic tables. Overall nice facilities for a free park! There is a 4 mile trail around the lake, and it's quite a pleasant walk. Love the tall trees. Why 3 stars instead of 4 stars? Because of aggressive bikers! So many of them! None stop. And so entitled. There are signs stating clearly to the bikers to share the road and respect hikers.

    Tara G.

    After doing some searching online and coming across some good reviews for Lake Accotink Park, my husband and I decided that we wanted to visit for the day one afternoon. We were looking for a park that had trails to hike, a body of water and a concession stand and Lake Accotink offered all of the above. It's a beautiful park and I would have given it 5 stars had I not found the hiking trails signs to be so confusing. To start, we rented a paddle boat to go on the lake. We stayed out for quite sometime, but became alarmed when we absentmindedly came very close to going over the dam. There is nothing there that we could see to prevent you from going over, and I'm going to gander that it's happened at least a time or two. When we got closer, the water started pulling us even further towards it and we had to start paddling quickly to avoid being pushed over. If you have teens or small children who will be on the paddle boats, please keep that in mind. After spending some time out on the lake doing some paddle-boating, we stopped at the concession and got a snow cone. The snow cones were a little expensive for a snow cone, and not done up right. Basically we got one squirt of flavoring and the rest was ice. There were some families grilling out and the park smelled fantastic. While sitting there eating our snow cones, we saw children on the carousal and some playing mini golf. The upkeep of the park could be a little better, but overall I would say it isn't bad. We asked the attendant if the hiking trails were very long and she said they were only about a mile or two. It supposedly went around the lake and circled back to the parking lot. Since it was getting close to dusk, we didn't want to get caught on a hiking trail at dark. We weren't full prepared with flashlights or water bottles, but we knew we could get in a mile or two. Starting on the trails, we crossed a little bridge that went across the lake. We saw a lot of wildlife and the trail was easily accessible. After some time, we figured that the trail should be coming to an end by now, but it just kept going. We knew we were at least a couple of miles in and eventually did come across a trail map. There was no turn around, so we just continued. What we should have just done was turned back around, but instead we kept at it. Eventually it started getting darker in the woods. We could hear traffic and figured we were getting closer. We came out at a road that we had to cross in order to connect to the other side of the trail. We walked past some school and partially through a neighborhood to get to the other part of the trail. By now it was getting much darker, and the next entry for the trail looked to be all uphill terrain. I knew we were lost and no where near the end. Finally we called an Uber to get us back to the parking lot to retrieve our car. The lot closes at a certain hour and if we weren't there to get our car, it would be locked in for the night or towed. So in the middle of no where, Uber finds us and we actually had to drive over the interstate to get back to our car!!! I have no idea how far we walked or how we got across the interstate area, but we somehow did. It was a 15 minute drive back to the car and we got there just in time before the park closed. Aside from getting lost on the trails, it was a great day! But the trails definitely need to be updated and there needs to be more maps throughout.

    Water
    jeremiah s.

    Nice scenery, good places to sit down and eat or just chill. Large lake pretty alright for fishing depending on what part of the lake you're at.

    Mini-golf rules
    Dave B.

    I came here to run the trail around the lake. Good trail run. Mostly shaded, wide, clear of most brush. Wide enough to share with bikers and runners going both directions. I was focused on running and missed a few turns so pay attention. Looked like there were some recent mud spots that dried up, so if it's raining or recently rained this trail will obviously be muddy. Lots of other options for things to do here. A bunch of picnic tables, grills, mini-golf, pavilions, the lake itself, paddle board rentals. A few bathrooms, water fountains and vending machines all in good working order. Enough parking, all free. Dog friendly trail

    Matthew S.

    Richard C. already covered it, so there is not too much to add to it. This is a pretty park. It is man-made. Nestled inside of Springfield it really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia... that is until the aircraft from DCA start flying over your head regularly, and the 6-12 trains a day that go over the trestle pass you by - loudly I might add. If you've got family or just want to spend a day away, this is perfect. A Merry Go-Round, mini golf course, paddle boats, a beautiful lake, nice grilling places, several nice pavilions, what more can you ask for?

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    6 years ago

    I saw a guy at 9am catch 3 giant fish! Who knows what they are? Wear bug spray and sunblock great place for sun bathing

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Lake Accotink Park

    Can one go fishing?

    I went about 2 weeks ago. I saw people fishing on the dam side.

    Can you go swimming here in the summer? I thought I saw a small beach area. If so is this by the carousel?

    Where is the best place to park for the picnic areas?

    Agreed, the address of Heming Avenue parking lot (close to the pavilions and bathrooms near the picnic spots) is 5650 Heming Ave, Springfield, VA 22151

    View All 5 Questions

    Review Highlights - Lake Accotink Park

    The entrance leads you to a fork in the trail that leads you to either Lake Accotink Marina or Wakefield Park.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Hidden Pond Nature Center - Cardinal

    Hidden Pond Nature Center

    4.3(40 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    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!

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    Huntley Meadows Park - Great Blue Heron

    Huntley Meadows Park

    4.6(117 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    I wandered over here because I had time to kill before heading to my Airbnb for the night. Even in…read moreearly March, it was beautiful and the area was coming out of the winter. It was a Wednesday afternoon in March 2026 after arriving into DCA airport and braving the Yellow line metro crowds and the frigid cool March DC weather, I made it here to decompress and see what Alexandria had to offer. Huntley Meadows Park seemed to have a lot of space, based on Google Maps. And so, I got off the public transportation and walked a block or so to the entrance of the park. Hardly anybody was here at the time they sent me and a couple of people that were just walking their dog. It was quite nappy, but I guess the dog and the people were used to these conditions. I guess they live in the area or something, so they're are used to it. I spent about an hour or so wandering around and enjoying one hour of my vacation time before it was time to pick up dinner and head to my Airbnb nearby. I found the wetland and decided to walk the paths to just enjoy the beauty of the park in the middle of Alexandria, Virginia. The wide open spaces was a comfort for me and wondering why not more people are here. My guess is they're rushing home after a tough day at the office or something. There are many benches and watch areas to see the wildlife thrive in the winter time. While it is serene in March, there is always beauty in nature wherever you can find it. And here in Huntley Meadow Park, you can find it here anytime of the year. Come as you are and the wildlife will love you. The overall experience here at the Huntley Meadow Park was fantastic and educational. It gave me a chance to decompress after a long day of travel and just enjoy the beauty of Alexandria at this nature preserve that also doubles as a beautiful park. There's a lot of trees here and it's very much maintained by the staff at the Fairfax County Parks Authority. I felt like walking in the woods a bit and not in a park for parts of the path. It was serene to be here especially during the winter. There's always something about the dead of winter that gives pause to everything. Here in Alexandria, I found such a place that lives inside Huntley Meadows Park. It was very enjoyable and definitely worth a visit if you can and are in the area to do so. Definitely peaceful and serene to relax even in cold winter conditions. I ended up walking slowly around the path that circles the park and seeing the wetlands and the wildlife that greeted me. I'm sure that they all were hibernating in one way or another and awaiting warmer spring weather. Coming here makes me happy even in the cold. I saw a few birds in the water, but not much else activity. Cold tends to slow nature down a bit. Best bet would be to come when you can to enjoy the outdoors and nature at its most pristine form. Definitely recommended if you are in the area and an alternative to visiting Washington DC. Best thing to do is to come during daylight hours to capture the essences of Huntley Meadow Park and where the wildlife living in the park is more active. It was one of the highlights of my day after a day long travel from Honolulu via Los Angeles. Huntley Meadow Park is the hidden gem of Alexandria, Virginia and Fairfax County. It's a large city community park that caters to anyone and everyone who wishes to visit. The entrance is Is located at 3701 Lockheed Blvd in Alexandria, Virginia. It's Fairfax County's best kept secret. Best of all is that there is no admission fees for individuals and families. However, groups of 12-60 people are charged $30 for entry. Good thing I was there by myself so I got to experience Huntley Meadow Park for free. As far as parking, there's parking areas for those of yall who drive. Best thing to do is to get there early to secure the prime parking spot you want. If you are like me, I got here from the Ronald Regan Washington international airport and took the Yellow Line metro and then a bus. After arriving, I walked towards the entrance to the park, which wasn't too far from that. There's always Uber and Lyft, if you don't prefer to take public transportation and don't drive yourself. Huntley Meadows Park is more than a park but like a nature preserve that is home to many species of wildlife. It's a sanctuary that makes nature come alive everyday. Do yourself a favor and come visit if you get a chance to. It's better than a Zoo. 5.0 stars for the overall experience Support local! A+

    If you're into photography or wildlife watching, this is one of the best spots in the DC metro…read morearea. Only 30 minutes from the metro area. The boardwalk through the wetlands gives you incredible views of turtles sunbathing, birds in flight, and reflections that make for beautiful shots. It's peaceful, scenic, and a perfect place to slow down with a camera or binoculars or to meditate. You'll also find meadows, forest trails, and the historic house nearby -- but the real highlight is being up close with nature in such a beautiful, photo-ready setting.

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    Hidden Oaks Nature Center

    Hidden Oaks Nature Center

    4.4(33 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    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.

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    Hidden Oaks Nature Center
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    Lake Accotink Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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