First off extremely nice county employees. They have some amphibians and reptiles on display. As a…read moresnake guy, they take wonderful care of the animals. Also they have exhibits children will like. Could the county modernize this a bit? Yes please! However the exhibits tell a story, about animal species and nature that's in the area. I like that the folks are so approachable. The building is also pretty neat. By all means go behind it, and see what remains of older buildings. Also the pond is active with frogs and turtles. Walk on the deck and the views are pleasant. Parking sometimes on the weekends can be challenging. As for hiking opportunities, the trails are beginner friendly, and provide a way for city folks to enjoy a different experience.

Beautiful, peaceful, and vast yet dynamic, intimate, and serene…read more I came here for the first time on a winter day in the morning around 9am. With lots of open space for parking, I sat in my car and just had my coffee and donut. The view(s) from the parking lot itself was lovely (see 1st pic). The trails, too - although I didn't walk that much - also seemed nice; birds were chirping and the few people were friendly and said hello. Unlike other trails and parks which can be overwhelming in terms of its space and completely deserted at times, this place seemed is planned and paved well; it's doable for non hikers and great for casual walkers. If you are single and or have a dog, a couple, or in a group, this place seems to be for everyone, and it is a great place to come and reflect.

This review is for the splash pad and playground. The incredibly awesome and very, very free splash…read morepad and playground. This new splash pad and playground serves as a reminder that damn Loudon County has some money. We got here at noon with our toddler and only planned to spend a couple of hours and ended up basically being here until they closed in the middle of summer at 8 PM. I think it's an amazing design to have three playground design for different ages right near the splash pad. Luckily it was like 5000° out so kids dried off the minute they left the waterpark to go to playgrounds. So being a wet mess really wasn't a concern. There are a few rules to the waterpark that includes no toys and no dogs and the standard diaper requirements for the incontinent , but otherwise it's pretty open and people were really really well behaved. The bathrooms are amazingly clean for a public bathrooms and offer wide enough stalls to change in. It's highly recommended because of temperatures and the fact that most of the place is concrete to wear water shoes. The only issue we had was that a baby kept putting wet banana peels like this was Mario kart in the splash pad and people kept tripping on them. Most of the water features are well functioning and a lot of fun. The playground themselves range from ages 5 to 12, and have a lot of hills with Astroturf, which is kind of fun to just roll down and they have slides built into them. There are a lot of climbing activities. The slides do get hot on a sunny day, but since the kids are already wet from the waterpark, they seem fine. And the park is very clean. We went on a weekday and it wasn't really that crowded, but I can see how weekends could be pretty full. They also have lots of tables for our families to sit down and enjoy some picnic items.

My kids love it. It's clean and lots of parking space and well maintained. It's worth visiting.read more

Great Park for toddlers! We met a nice family that invited my daughter to their daughter's…read morebirthday, that they were having that day at the park.

Love this park! It has an awesome kids playground good for toddlers and older kids! Tons of slides,…read more4 swings and a tire swing! They have a sand volleyball court, a soccer field, a baseball field and a softball field. They have restrooms that get about a 3 star rating, but get the job done. It's a popular park and there is a lot of parking.

I ran here various times during my stay in VA. Its a nice park to walk around, jog or run. The loop…read moreis mainly unpaved and its about 1.8 miles. Definitely beats running around the neighborhood as you see fellow runners and animals.

Good if you can find parking. Bad if you need to pee. There is one port-o-potty that is very…read morefrequently out of commission or sometimes removed entirely. Parking in the Pommeroy lot is problematic and tiny. Side street parking is almost non-existent due to code enforcement. The meter maid will get you for parking too close to stop signs, mailboxes, driveways and fire-hydrants. It's like they circle this park. The bigger parking lot is off of Gainsborough and is also were they host music in the park during the summer.

This place is absolutely beautiful. Huge with so many stunning areas from a greenhouse with glass…read morewalls and greenery to pagodas! I didn't know it's also a popular event venue! We saw a few weddings here last weekend. Plenty trails and photo ops! Looks like a lot of people come here for maternity shoots and engagement shoots- the photographers have a special entrance ticket and rules to abide by. Not free entry but very well maintained and a beautiful experience for families or couples.

Meadowlark is the best spot to view cherry blossoms in the DMV, hands down. Visit on a weekday…read moreduring peak bloom if you can, but even on a busy day you can get better views of the blossoms than at the Tidal Basin. Don't sleep on this hidden gem during cherry blossom season! The rest of the botanical garden is well worth a visit, with a greenhouse, polished garden favorites, and wild woodland scenery. There are also children's gardens and a small playground, as well as many benches with different views to enjoy. One of my favorite spots is the fairy garden right outside the entrance, with all kinds of small-scale flowers. Admittedly, I've only been to Meadowlark during two seasons and have yet to witness fall and winter. I'm eager to go for the holiday lights, which I've heard great things about.

Had a great time attending our Grandson's Saturday Soccer game…read more The park was wonderful and even had RV camping sites and a water park!! Great fun!!

5 stars for ambiance 1 star for fishing no bites just tons of seaweed try somewhere else ‍read more

What an amazing place to explore!! It was great to see farm animals and a peacock around this farm!…read moreIt is beautifully maintained and has artifacts of old farming equipment with the history posted. There are pigs, goats, cows, chickens, roosters, and a magnificent peacock!! Definitely a must see for kids and adults alike! Highly recommend this gem!!

Frying Pan Park is the cutest farm in northern Virginia! We thoroughly enjoyed watching the sheep,…read moregoats, pigs, chicken, turkeys, peacocks, cows and horses while they went about their morning. My child particularly enjoyed riding the four tractors (a great photo opp). There's plenty of free parking and bathrooms available. There isn't much shade, so bring a hat, sunscreen and water bottle.

Cute little area with tables and a fountain. I sat out here on a Sunday morning and drank my coffee…read morewhile browsing online. Really unexpected place in between 2 hotels. I like that its off the beaten path and quiet.

This pond has a walkway around it and some beautiful trees. It is nestled between the Staybridge…read morehotel and Town Place Suites and the Wingate Hotel. It is right off of 50 and has picnic tables overlooking the pond. Three nice picnic tables with a sun umbrella and a number of benches on which are new looking. Unfortunately someone is not emptying the trash. As you can see from the pictures I took the trash is overflowing. Plus the trash smells. Hopefully someone will get their act together to ensure the trash is removed.

To my surprise, this trail was found by accident as I had finished an errand in Herndon and needed…read morea place to kill time and explore. This trail/park allows you to see the beautiful nature Northern VA offers with the trees, streams, trails, and surroundings of buildings and landscapes. It's a long trail and it intersects with the WO&D trail. Plenty of space and mileage to explore and perfect for biking/walking/jogging. Get those steps in!

I love walking this easy trail with my dog and am so fortunate to have it located so close from…read morehome. There is plenty of shade and is great for bikers, runners, dog walkers and if you are looking for a simple trail to take your family to! There is also a really neat wall of painted rocks that the community has been contributing to which is awesome because we all get to add to one big piece of art! On a few of my walks here, I've seen deer, raccoons, and foxes so there is a pretty good chance you may spot some wildlife too.

This is a nice little historic site from Richard Bland Lee. There is a small gift shop/visitor's…read morecenter, a couple of outer buildings, then the main house. Our tour guide was great at explaining the history of the house and all the people who lived here. She explained the uses of each room and what was authentic. There was a small, old-fashioned classroom (since they educated local children) and an upper floor with a bunch of spinning equipment they show off more on field trips. Our tour group had about 6 people, so it was quiet and easy to ask questions if we had them. It was a nice little site and window into life in the 19th century.

If you are visiting the Air and Space Museum by Dulles Airport and find yourself with a little time…read moreto kill then this is a nice park to visit. It is a historical site that was the plantation home of Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first Representative to Congress, and his wife Elizabeth Collins Lee. It was built in 1794. It is a huge complex, covering 65 acres. It is an adequate parking lot and is well maintained. The site has a bookstore/visitor's center/gift shop. There are some picnic tables near this building where you can sit, eat, and or relax, some of which are shaded. You will also find some building structures at the site that that include the main house, a smokehouse, which you will see fake meat hanging from the overhead, and a replica slave quarter. If you are driving here, there are two parking lots for you to park. You will find a ton of green space, some trails, and additional picnic tables by the main house. I like that this site does not shy away from its slavery past. It faces it head on and pays tribute to those that were enslaved. I like this site. It provides a bit of a history lesson through informational placards placed along the grounds. Gives hikers an opportunity to explore and work out, and is also a place of peace and relaxation. The site has a decent event schedule that includes: Dairy Days-Ice Cream Making & Butter, Peaches and Cream, A Visit With Santa, Colorful Pumpkins, Making a Scarecrow, classic car shows, and various scout merit badge opportunities. In addition to all of that, they offer tours. There is always something going on here. It was pretty chill and laid back during my visit. There were not a lot of people there. This is a neat place to check out. You could spend about 2 hours here exploring.