[Coronavirus review] This park is actually quite heavily…read morebuilt up for a park, with a visitor center and an art museum, as well as huge paved parking lots, substantial boating facilities, a playground, lots of campgrounds, and a bunch of other stuff that's basically all closed due to the virus. In terms of natural outdoor space, there wasn't a ton at the waterside, and I wasn't wildly impressed with my trail options. Even with so many things closed, in theory you're supposed to self-pay by envelope at the park entrance (though I'm guessing a lot of people don't). I'm guessing that some of the museums and activities can be worth it, but just to see the land itself wasn't really worth paying the admission fee when there are other free sites nearby that are more geared towards my preferred footborne activities.

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.

We took our grandson here. Beautiful well kept park with a great playground and a 60 acre…read morefreshwater lake! There is also an extensive trail system as well as several pavilions and BBQ's. Definitely worth checking out.

What a great spot! Plenty to do. Wasn't busy at all. Great hiking trails and fishing piers. I took…read moremy 8 year old daughter fishing and we caught 13 fish. We just used nightcrawlers with bobbers, and we caught several little bluegill. Be careful though... several of the spots we fished from had branches in the water or overhead so we got snagged and snapped our lines 3-4 times.

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.

Hemlock loop is AMAZING. It's a relatively easy hike. I would actually rate it more of a 3…read moredifficulty instead of a 2 b/c of the rock scrambles in one small area. Use this: http://www.hikingupward.com/OVH/HemlockOverlook/ It'll get you there and around easily. When you get to the stepping stones that cross the creek, do NOT CROSS. Hook a right and you'll find the path. We made the mistake of crossing and went a while out of the way before we realized where we were. The trail pretty much starts and stops at Paradise Springs Winery. Celebrate your hike with a nice wine there. It's beautiful too. Both are dog friendly.

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.

I grew up in the area and had no idea this existed. I love the walking trail I was able to do there.read more

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.

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. Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the outdoors, 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.

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.

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.

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.