Tobacco Barn with a tribute to Smallwoood was dishonest and disregarded the lived experiences of…read moredeceased Black people Smallwood forciably had working for free. Display noted Smallwood was a "gentleman" who by the way owned over 50 slaves. I left the barn feeling verbally assaulted and sickened by the language portraying this monster. It's an example of microaggressions towards me and other Black Americans. I did not pay my hard earned money to be disrespected and reminded of white supremacy in a park. For shame! Not giving Charles County my money or visiting again. Rewrite history according to facts not white fantasy, please. You need to do better!! On a side note, trails nicely marked and was clear enough. Walk over bridge and pier was nice. General store not open during listed hours. Front office closed early. Improvements needed before I'll return.

Nice boat ramp. However there is a charge to enter the park and costs more if you don't live in…read moreMaryland. Has plenty of public boat slips to park your boat. We had a MLF tournament of 142 boats and no problem finding a spot to exit the boat to weigh in fish. There is also a bathroom and store. Defiantly one of the better ones.

Very friendly helpful staff…read more Reasonable boat rental rates 2 mile hike around the lake Beautiful beaver dam at far end of the park's lake

I was in the need of water therapy and found this hidden gem! The location is not too far, but far…read moreenough so that it's not a crowded, heavily populated park. They have ample parking all over, depending on where you choose to be, which I loved. Limits walking, especially if you are coming with grills etc, children. The lake itself was absolutely beautiful and very relaxing. I noticed they have paddle boats, so I'll definitely do that the next time I come back. Overall, I had a very peaceful and relaxing experience, especially seeing the joy from the little boy near me as he caught fish after fish!

Amazing experience. 5/5 Stars. $10 parking…read more I had a great time at Leesylvania State Park. They have paved roads in plenty of parking spaces. I experienced some of the most majestic birds. I seen my first great blue heron. Osprey and Turkey Vultures are also here and can be seen throughout the park. The trails were well-maintained and easy to navigate, offering beautiful views of the Potomac River. The fishing pier was a peaceful spot to relax and take in the scenery. I highly recommend this park for birdwatchers, nature lovers, and anyone looking to escape into a serene, well-kept natural space. I will definitely be coming back!

I used to like it more. While happy it's more popular than it used to be, am on the flip side…read moremissing the relaxing solitude. Would hike the trails here and see, either no one or very few people. That's no longer the case, and kudos to other folks being active. This is still a nice place to go. I'm not sure about swimming in the Potomac River. Fishing is decent from the walk out pier. Again I won't eat the catfish out of here, as I still have some concerns about pollution. They are of good size. Get chicken livers and catch lots of them. The parking lot is huge. If you have a boat they have a ramp.

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.

I am obsessed with this park after running a 5K here with Bishop's Events. I park down at the first…read moreparking lot and run along the path adjacent the main road--I do four laps--up to this orange barrier thing by southernmost Workhouse guard tower. That totals 7 miles.

Beautiful park! Smells great. I was here for a camp for only a day but it seemed like a great placeread more

This park is in Clifton. It's at the end of a dead end road next to a winery…read more It is a beautiful park with many trails . It's very quiet , lots of birds .

The most iconic trail in Fort Belvoir. Lining the trail are signs bearing historical information of…read morethe Belvoir Mansion ruins. The trail leads to the grave of Deborah Clarke (died in 1746) , the wife of William Fairfax, the owner of the mansion. A monument is built over her grave (1921). The trail also leads to the Potomac View Trail. Excellent trail with sitting areas to view the Potomac River and the border area line of Maryland.

This national park has been on my list of places to see for two years. Active duty military & their…read morefamily get free access to this park as well as military veterans and gold star families. They charge $20 for a vehicle (car) to enter this park. Annual park fee is $35 and a better option if you come to the park often and pay for entrance. We were immediately impressed by the scenic drive, low traffic, and visitor center of the park. This is the least crowded national park we ever visited with so many trails to hike & explore. Bicyclists will love the immense bike routes and trails in this park. They engineered the roads with bicycle only paved roads beside the automobile road. Perfect for bicyclists. The visitor center was conveniently located by the Laurel Loop Trail and restroom areas. It was the first place we visited to get information for the park and a stamp for our national park passport book. The rangers were very helpful and showed us locations & trails we might be interested in seeing. We hiked two hours on the easiest trails in the Prince William National Park. We hiked the Laurel Loop Trail, the Birch Buff Trail, the Mary Byrd Branch Trail, the Quantico Falls Trail, and the North Valley Trail. The rugged terrain of some of these trails made it difficult to hike. I actually got holes in the heels of my old boots walking these trails. While we hiked we listened to birds on the trails and identified some birds we never heard before: Golden-crowned Kinglet, other unknown birds - etc. The Lauren Loop Trail had miniature Fairy Homes placed along the trail which was a delight to see. The Quantico Falls Trail was one of the smallest trails and winded down to the Quantico Creek & small waterfalls. We spent the most time in this area sitting on the large flat rocks on the creek watching the falls and the fish in the water. Proper hiking boots and socks are a definite must for these trails even the easiest trails. Prince William's Park has of the most difficult hikes we encountered despite going on the easiest trails we encountered yet it was one of the most memorable and enjoyable times we had hiking. Looking forward to coming back to this park.

A long time ago, Prince Wiliam Forest Park would bus in kids from the city to spend the week to…read moreenjoy nature at one of their camps. Now those camp sites are available for rent and include a working mess hall and kitchen, two art camps, medic lounge, as well as bunks. My group and I literally had an entire summer camp at our disposal! We came in late April so we dealt with a lot of weather malfunctions, but the area truly is a beautiful space to get away from it all. There is no air conditioning in cabins, but hearing and feeling the wind howling outside was oddly comforting. We had so much space to spread out and run around which was super idyllic until several run ins with wolf spiders. When they say this place is historic ... they truly mean it. The main mess hall area is updated with not one but two walk in fridges/freezers and two fire places. But the medic room looked straight out of a horror film (five stars out of five if we were filming a scary movie!). We scheduled an orienteering tour with a ranger and she was absolutely so fun to work with! She was so patient and did a great job keeping our group of girls on track. The wolf spiders might stop us from scheduling a trip back into their cabins but my sister camps often in a tent and says the entire experience is lovely!

Mason Neck is a peninsula which is mostly parkland but is divided confusingly among several…read moredifferent jurisdictions. The best views are the state park, which this is not. The federal wildlife refuge amounts to a couple of miles of trail through the forest, leading to an overlook. There wasn't a ton of wildlife when I dropped in, though I just caught site of a large bird of prey on my way back. The topography wasn't as varied, nor the trails as extensive, as compared to the state park which is just a bit farther down the road. However, that costs money and this does not, so this section is still nice for what it is.

There's a lot going on here in Lorton. Let me tell ya. You think you know your waterways and you…read morecome here going...uh..never heard of that before. I discovered Mason Neck Wildlige Refuge on my way to Mason Neck State Park. I took this hike as I was leaving. The pamphlet at the parking area describes how Captain John Smith took note of this location in 1608. He had documented the peninsula here. I didnt realize it until I read it. Then due to local resident Elizabeth Hartwell, this location became the first wildlife refuge for bald eagles in 1969. I enjoyed taking this hike and learning about the area. There's a nice shelter that overlooks the Great Marsh. Lots of sounds to be heard there! And a telescope posted for viewing birds as well. Don't pass it by.

Started 2026 off with a 1st Day Hike, decided to go to Mason Neck. Free entrance (1st Day),…read morefriendly Ranger at check-in and he provided info, 1st Day Sticker. Very nice Visitor Center, staffed with more friendly & helpful Rangers/Staff. Informative displays, gift shop and clean restrooms. Plenty of trails with a nice view of the water, a boardwalk, and the woods. They were hosting a Winter-Fest which was nice, and full of great information, events especially for kids.

This was a beautiful park with peaceful water views and easy walking trails. We went in August and…read moreeverything was so green. We saw spots to kayak, so hoping to bring our stand up paddle board next time.

This boating area is part of Smallwood State Park. See my separate review on the park…read more Lots of fishing to be had here. Boat launching ramps, short and longer term marina slip rentals, and boating fuel (gasoline only) are available. There is a concession building at the marina (open seasonally) that sells snacks, bait, fishing gear, and some cooked food such as burgers and hot dogs. No swimming is allowed in the park itself but I saw people with boats out in the distance in the water. The park itself is smaller than a lot of others in the system so you aren't overrun with people which is nice.