Beautiful park. Perfect for a weekend backpacking trip. Hike in and out is about 3.5 miles on an…read moreeasy-moderate gravel trail. There is no potable water, but there are trash cans and a portable potty. The rangers drove out to check on us a few times a day and they were very pleasant and made sure we had everything we needed. You can hike, bike, or paddle in to the campground. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Rangers will deliver corded fire wood if you choose to pay for it, but there is plenty of wood to forage as well.

Nice little state park in King George VA. Has some good walking trails that are nice to visit…read more In November they host an annual art and wine fest that is always a good time. Lots of local vendors. They do more events - like kayaking trips but never did one of those.

Took my Granddaughter to this park today, she is in town visiting for Easter. As I was pulling up…read moreto the guard post it appeared as though the scout was waving me through whenI realized he was actually telling me to stop I did. He went above and beyond to make me feel stupid, laughed and said "of course there is a fee all day everyday and there are signs everywhere " the park was littered with trash so bad that my Granddaughter even commented how nasty the park was. Pretty bad when a 3 year old notices but not the staff. But even worse to project your anger on visitors.

This state park is the best!!! Has a huge space for parking…read moreand for eating lunch but there you can also rent boats. But something that's concerning is how dirty the water is. It's filled with dead fishes, seaweed, and LOTS of bugs. Overall, this trip is fun.

If you're into history, hiking the trail around Government Island is an interesting one. It's the…read moresite of a colonial-era quarry that the federal government later bought to use the stone to help build the U.S. Capitol and The White House. After driving 45 minutes from Southeast D.C. on a January Saturday, here's my experience. 1) Parking: There's a medium-sized gravel parking lot with empty spots often. On the edge of the lot is a porta potty. Near the trail head are signs talking about the area's history and directions on which path to follow. 2) Trail: The path leads to a boardwalk where people sometimes fish. Follow the boardwalk across the water to the island. Here, the trail wraps around the small island with a constant view of the water and its wildlife, including herons. 3) Markers: The trail is well marked with signs that talk about the quarry's history, how the stone was transported to D.C., etc. You can see the foundation of the old quarry and a historic marker.

Such a lovely trail to get some fresh air! Came here with my family + 2 pups. There are two parking…read morelots, one side for Aquila Harbour residents and the other side...not quite sure how people access actually. Small parking lot for a somewhat secluded trail. Dirt trail with a bridge to connect to the only side. My favorite thing is all the history you can stop and read throughout. Did you know George Washington was raised in Stafford county?! Great view of the inlet and there's even a few benches if you ever want to sit and rest. Trashcan & doggie poop bags at the entrance. Unsure how long it actually is (we've tried twice & got too tired to make it all the way to the "end"). Nice tree shade and bugs weren't a bother. AED located at halfway mark of the bridge.

We recently went to Burke Lake Park with family and had a great time! We rode the train, went to…read morethe playground and played mini golf - we hardly had to wait for both the train and mini golf! The mini golf course was kept up nicely and was good for a wide range of ages! We will definitely be coming back.

I hadn't been in awhile and this place is as Yelp worthy as ever on a warm fall day. It's a must…read moredo if you like anything outdoors. They have a giant lake for fishing, you can fish from the dock areas or bring or rent a non-gas powered boat. You can also rent a canoe or paddle boat but all the rental stuff is only open during spring/summer They have a 5 mile trail along the lake that's a nice walk but can be crowded when the weather is good and pay attention since the trail entrance isn't marked as clearly as it could be. They also have mini golf, a train, playgrounds and some other stuff. It's free for Fairfax County residents (glad we're getting something for our taxes) and $10 for everyone else but of course the rentals, mini golf, train, etc. cost extra. There's a decent amount of parking but go early on a nice day or you might have a hard time grabbing a spot. I'll come back here for sure to walk the trail and maybe do a little fishing or rent a boat

This spot has great picnic areas, shade, good parking and a lot of trail options. A lot of birthday…read moreparties and photoshoots get done here but other than that lots of space!

This is a nice park that has many nice running trails, covered pavilions, and a disc golf course…read more It is part of the larger Laurel Hill Park. The trails are well maintained and are pretty long. There is an unpaved nature trail and a paved loop trail with nature views. There is also a huge green area between the pavilions where you can throw a frisbee around, fly a kite, toss a football and/or play a game of catch. It is well maintained, but is not totally level. This park seems very popular with people with 4-legged friends, joggers and hikers. The disc golf course has 18 holes, is in the woods and is in decent shape. Beware of critters such as ticks and mosquitoes if you plan on using the course. The park has adequate free parking available. The covered pavilions are nice and relatively new. They have lots of picnic tables under them and two grills per pavilion. They can accommodate for 120 to 168 people. The pavilions need to be reserved and are available for rent. I like this park, it is a peaceful, soothing no frills park with wonderful opportunities to immerse in nature. It is perfect to host events as it has lots of parking and can hold many people.

Just behind the D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory development is a large public park that provides so…read moremuch peace. Here's why you should visit if you're in the area: 1) Trails: There are a number of trails of all lengths perfect for a little hike with small kids. The trails are even enough that you could job on them, but they aren't paved so strollers are not recommended. 2) History: There are several plaques that tell the land's history being the property of a Revolutionary War hero. 3) Frisbee Golf: There's a long course with markers and all. 4) Workout Equipment: There are several stations to get a good arm and leg workout in. 5) Pond: There's a little pond that one of the trails leads to. Some even fish in it off of the dock. 6) Open Space: There are a few wide grassy areas on hills perfect for do walkers.

We've been here a handful of times to do the ~2 mile trail walk (Giles Run Meadow Trail) with our…read morekids. It's a nice course down around the pond, along the disc golf course, through the woods with changes of elevation, over the river on rocks, and back). The trail is well-worn and you may encounter runners, walkers with dogs, and bikers (though honestly for us it's been very few). The only somewhat bad thing is that it is very often muddy (but it's the woods so what can you do?!). There's a ton of parking, a tiny play area (I wanted to say playground but it's really not), and a floating dock at the pond where you can fish. This park is part of a bigger walkway/trail system which we have not as of yet explored. It would be nice if they had restrooms, so thankfully we live fairly close.

The Boss trail is the coolest mountain bike obstacle trail I've accidentally found ever! It's…read morechallenging but it's short so you can run it 10 times, lots of wooden features and jumps, a few drops. The climbs are challenging. There are also a bunch of other easier trails here and you won't get quite as lost as you could at fountainhead.

Meadowood in Lorton is a U.S. BLM maintained property with a number of equestrian, mountain bike,…read moreand hiker trails. FYI for horse people: The Harley Road trailhead parking lot is designed for horse trailers, with a nice turnaround. No need to back up! The map that comes up on yelp shows the BLM office, check the trail map online for trailhead parking lots. There are maps at the parking lots to take, with mileage for trail segments. I'm reviewing the recently opened 4.6 mile South Branch hiking and mountain bike trail. The trail is accessible from a few parking lots (see the trail map). I parked at the lot on Old Colchester Rd, which only has space for about 6 cars, but I've never had trouble parking. There are no restrooms, water fountains, or garbage cans, so plan to bring water, and pack your trash out. I think they participate in managed hunts (announced) but I would not be surprised to find poachers, so think twice about dressing in deer colored clothes! I've hiked and jogged the trail. There are a few segments where the trail splits and then merges, one more difficult segment for mountain bikes, another for hikers. The trails are clearly marked, and you can easily make a longer hike by combining trails. South Branch is shady, the whole way. The hills are challenging enough to be fun without being miserably painful. If you think of Burke Lake's trail as a 1 on a 1 to 10 degree of difficulty, I'd rate South Branch as a 3 or 4 but I'm not the strongest hiker. There isn't room for 2 to walk side by side in most spots, and keep your ears open. We yielded the trail to bikes, but the bike riders slowed and didn't mow us down. If everyone plays well together it will help - a bike could topple down steep ravines in a couple of spots, they need some room. But bikes need to watch out too. Dogs are allowed, leash laws apply. I don't think a jogging stroller would make it. Very bumpy. The marshy area has a raised walkway and the small creeks have bridges, so you will not get soaked. Mud pits have honeycomb cinderblock retainers which is really nice. I think this trail is a blast. I don't like crowds and I like a challenge. This is a hard run for me, but a good one. I am so happy to find a place like this with no crowds. Love it!! This is the link to the trail map as of June 2012 http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/fo/lpfo_html/recreation.html

This is a decent place. Fairfax County Park Authority, please fix maps along the trail. Also more…read moreparking spots on Pohick Road would help. Weekends can be busy here. My suggestion is weekdays. The lake and adjacent trail, are surrounded by a number of neighborhoods. Expect to see a good amount of folks with their dogs walking. As for fishing, there are some bluegill, sunfish, and bass. Yet I know of far better spots for this wonderful activity. Wildlife viewing is quite good, as have seen deer, foxes, raccoons, and my beloved serpents. The best view is from the flood plain. Here you're looking down at the lake. Most of the trail is well maintained, but one section pointlessly ends into the lake, while the other is part of this system.

This lake has limited public access. If you can get into the park it is nice. The local H.O.A…read more "Nazis" have made it difficult to access. The only place to park is a small gravel lot off Hooes Rd. It is not a very secure spot. Traffic coming both ways on Hooes Rd. can be treacherous.