What a great experience it was to fish with captain Jason Kintner!!! Thanks for an unforgettable…read morecatfishing experience!

I've been on quite a few fishing trips. You usually have to choose what it is that you want to do…read more For people who like sport fishing, you're usually lucky to get something worth taking a picture with. Only to have to release it back into the wild. The picture being your only evidence of your victory. For others, the joy is in actually catching killing and eating what you find in the wild. Maybe they're practicing to be a survivalist or looking for fresh food. For those individuals, the joy is in catching. For me I love to fish, the joy of fishing comes from peace. In the hustle and bustle and stress of everyday living, it feels real good to be on the water in the middle of nowhere relaxing. Maybe you'll have a gaff with a few friends. With capital catfishing you get the best of all three worlds. It is awesome to catch these River Monsters hold them up for the world to see and take a picture. It is also great, at the end of the day, you actually have some food to put in your cooler. In the in between moments you get to relax, enjoy the water & be with your friends. Thanks to Captain Jason and his dog Toad. I had a great time.

If it's your first time to Occoquan, an 18th century mill town, start at River Mill Park. It's a…read morespacious park along the Occoquan River with views of the bridge and historic town. Here's what you should know: 1) Parking: At the end of Mill Street is a small parking lot at the park's entrance. If it's full, try to park along Mill Street. 2) Space: It's a long park with plenty of green to picnic and enjoy the views. Walk across the bridge to see a better view of Historic Occoquan. 3) Amenities: There are public restrooms and the historic mill-turned museum is right off the park. There are benches and trails. The park often hosts community events. When I went in October 2021, there was a giant "LOVE" public art display for photoshoots. River Mill Park is also a great spot to eat your food from one of the many restaurants nearby.

I recently visited this park and it was honestly a pretty disappointing experience. The grass was…read moreovergrown and looked like it hadn't been maintained in a while. Several trash cans were overflowing, and there was litter scattered around the walking paths. The playground equipment also seemed worn down and not very clean. On top of that, the bathrooms were in poor condition and didn't seem to be cleaned regularly. It made the whole park feel neglected. Parks are supposed to be relaxing places to spend time outside, but this one just felt poorly taken care of. I hope the city puts more effort into maintaining it because it could be a really nice spot if it were cleaner and better managed.

Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the…read moreoutdoors, nature, picnics, and water outdoor activities. We went to a 2024 Eagle Festival and had a very wonderful & educational time. The entrance to the park was free on the day of the festival and free transportation from the parking area to the festival location was free. We saw beautiful birds: falcon and owls and snakes. The staff and the organizations at the events were very informative, professional, and fun. They gave a lot of free gifts, educational opportunities, information about wildlife & the environment, and photography moments with the birds. I can not fully express how impressed I was about the Eagle festival in Mason Neck in this review. I strongly suggest you visit next year festival event in Mason Neck or just visit it.

It's still hard to believe this gem of a state park is in Fairfax County! Six years later the…read moreVisitor Center is open. The map of the park and trails on the floor is a nice touch. There's a brief video on the conservation history of the park as well as some stuffed animals that are commonly seen. On this gorgeous fall day, I hiked the Bay View Trail, the Osprey View, Kane's Creek, and Wilson Spring. Saw several herons and ducks, no ospreys. Parking fee is $10. Restrooms are near the Visitor Center. Playground and picnic area also need the Visitor Center.

I went to park on July 25th and let me tell you, this was a great experience. This park is very…read moreclean and also the bathrooms were clean as well. First of all when you get to the park you are greeted and you have to pay $10 to get in. They are stocked with Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Crappies, Walleye fish. They also have grills and picnic tables along with grills. Make sure you bring your own garbage bags so you can keep the park clean. Everyone speaks to that walks by. Enjoy the park and have lots of fun!

Costs to get into this one, but worth it for the picnic area options, playground, and somewhat of a…read more"beach" area in a way.

Launching our kayaks here for years having grown up here always an easy experience minus the…read moreoccasional fast boat. Of note though finding someone if you need to rent one however, is an experience i havent had to deal with.

I wish I had more time at this park. It was absolutely beautiful. They had a great area where you…read morecould learn about women in history. Then they had a little dining area where you could grab a great salad or a sandwich and eat alfresco outside. I'll follow it up with a nice stroll through their park.

Bring your bike if you can, as the trails go all the way down to Mason Neck and Lorton. In summer…read morethe campsites are nicely shaded, and it was fun to watch the birds (including some eagle chips) with our morning coffee, the eagles on our hike down to the bay, see fireflies at dusk, then bats each night over the playground. The dogwoods are everywhere is spring, and I only imagine the foliage being lovely each autumn. This campground quiet yet convenient, having two boathouse/laundry house stations This park and the nearby Bull Run park have a ranger badge for kids much like National Parks Junior Ranger program, up to two badges per visit. In peak camping season Pirate's Cove has a discount for Pohick Bay campers. Souvenirs, a few sundries, and cold treats were at the camp store. Food Lion and more aren't far away, a bring your own frisbee if you want to skip the store markup.

The campground was awesome, but the STAFF was the exact opposite. I've been camping at Pohick Bay…read moreRegional Park for more than 25 years and have spent dozens of nights at this great campground. I never imagined I would be writing a negative review like this. We reserved two campsites for Columbus Day weekend. On our second night, severe storm conditions moved into the area. Because we had children with us and live nearby in Virginia, we decided it would be safer to take the kids home for the night and return the following day, Monday, to collect our camping gear. Before leaving, I spoke directly with a campground staff member. He checked and told me there were no reservations for our two sites after ours. He advised that an extended checkout would cost a $26 fee. I specifically told him to charge my card and asked him to make sure the morning staff knew about the arrangement. He said to call back tomorrow as there was nothing he could do the fay before checkout. Based on that conversation, I left believing our equipment would remain safely on the sites until we returned. I tried to reach someone in the office and somehow I kept getting sent on a loop while calling. At 12:30 pm I managed to speak with someone and I was told that all our stuff was packed up and in a truck. When I came back to pick up the stuff, I was stunned. Our two large tents, brand-new canopy, and gazebo had all been taken down and thrown into the back of a truck, almost maliciously. Everything was tangled together. The tents had holes, pieces were broken, and the equipment appeared to have been handled extremely roughly. All four shelters are now unusable. What makes this so upsetting is that I had specifically asked for permission to leave the equipment there. If the staff member had told me no, I would have found another solution that night. But he told me yes, advised the extension arrangement, and assured me the morning staff would be informed. I relied on that assurance. After more than 25 years of coming to Pohick Bay, seeing our camping equipment treated this way was heartbreaking. I was not looking for any special treatment. I simply expected to return and find our belongings in the condition in which we left them. What disappointed me even more was that, after what happened, no one offered to replace or meaningfully address the shelters that were damaged. I have many good memories of Pohick Bay, which makes writing this review even more difficult. But after this experience, I cannot recommend camping here. I still find it hard to believe that after decades of visiting this park, this is how our family's trip ended.

If I were rating the parking situation I might take a star off, as there is a lot on one and…read moreprobably both ends of the trail, but it was packed, even on a cloudy night. There is another park with a historic house up the hill where no one was parked, perhaps because signs stated it closed after dark and this is a destination in the waning hours. However, the gate did automatically open for me to exit when I returned to my car, thankfully. The boardwalk is an impressive sight. People often say that DC is a swamp, which is not entirely true, but the wetlands in some areas offer a remarkable diversion from city life. There is a platform to get down close to the water, and the boardwalk is well maintained and wide, albeit still not wide enough for the array of colorful characters out for a stroll. My encounters included someone who seemed to be asking me how I was doing in English for the first time, someone balancing a water bottle on their head, and someone carrying a Tibetan singing bowl. It is free, and a worthwhile place to visit for those wanting to hear the sounds of the wetland without going too far from the city.

I love a good greenway! As a Carolina dweller, I tend to thrive in open spaces and this was no…read moredifferent. The trail has 3 different types of paths and leads to hikes too. The gravel and planks were so different and rustic. I was able to see the marsh and walk in the trees. Definitely a great walk. Kid friendly spaced with open airy walks. Multiple directions and connected to other trails too!

Highly recommend Penguin Paddling. We spoke to Dan and got a one hour 1:1 session…read more.. This was perfect for an adult and an 8yr old- both new to kayaking. Mr. Carlos took us out and he was so nice and engaging. My daughter said he was the best!! We'll be back!!

The whole process was very easy and enjoyable. I filled out the waiver online. Parking was easy,…read morelittle difficult to find penguin paddles from the road, but just walk towards the water behind the restaurant on the main strip. Easy rental, chill experience. Everyone, even the Boston Terrier, had a blast!

I bought the livingsocial voucher to take the cruise to Tim's Rivershore…read more I was able to schedule a mutually beneficial day, which I can understand you need a certain amount of people to make the boat trip break even. We were scheduled to leave on Sunday at 10:15 am. We were at Madigan's by 10:10 am. Not super early, but not late. No boat in sight. My wife and I wait in the cold for ten minutes assuming it is them who are running behind. I call Captain Mark. He had the nerve to tell me they left at 10:15 am as scheduled. Not only did he not leave at the scheduled time, he left so early that we didn't even see him down the river when we got there; it's not exactly a speed boat. It's ok though, he said he was real sorry after he lied through his teeth, but that he couldn't come back, because he was already 20 minutes out. Hmmm...how are you 20 min away if you left at 10:15? I admit that we were not there as early as other people, but there were so many better ways to handle the situation. He had my contact information, he could have called or emailed me and asked for my ETA. I would even be fine if he had called or emailed ahead of time and said, "It's cold and windy, and all the other people are here 20 minutes early, so I'm going to leave now, I'm sorry". Instead he was willing to lie about it, gambling on us getting there later than 10:15. I usually enjoy supporting small businesses, but I have zero desire to support someone like this. Luckily, Livingsocial processed our refund and I don't have to interact with him again. Show up early, or you might be left standing on the dock!

The Captain and his wife are locals and know a lot of the same people my family knows. Marc went…read moreto Garfield but we don't hold that against him. I've taken many rides on the Miss Rivershore out of Occoquan and always enjoyed the history of that area. It was very relaxing and interesting learning what went on between RE Lee & the British further down the Potomac. Lunch at Tim's Rivershore was delicious. When we were ready to return to Leesylvania State Park all it took was a phone call and the boat was there in 15 min.