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

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.

Part of Mainside Quantico trails is this gem, stadium trail. A perfect location to park either…read morenearby or downhill by the track to start your fitness journey on Stadium Trail. You can opt to turn around at the clearly marked finish sign or take alternate paths that are clearly marked during your walk, run, ruck, hike, or bike ride. There is a map of the area when you first enter the trail head. Be cautious of spiders, ticks, and whatever else have you depending on the season. Remember this is on base so you need to have access to the base otherwise this trail is off limits to you, sorry!

My wife and I have visited this trail several times in the past month and every time it has been…read morevery enjoyable. The trail is paved and kept clean. Every few miles there are porta potties and picnic tables if you need to use the toilet, rest or have a snack. There are some benches along the trail if you need to sit down or just take in the view of nature. We've started at several locations along the trail and from the trail heads. Often striking up conversations with others that are there to exercise or just enjoy the nature. Every one we have encountered has been friendly. The nature is really something else. The wildlife is really cool, we see something new every time such as Cow, deer, snakes, turtles, various birds species, fish, squirrels, beavers and other little things like dragon flies and butterflies. The trail is a nice break and I highly suggest it to anyone that wants a enjoyable place to ride,walk, run.

Great Bike Trail. It's also a walking and jogging trail. I love that it's secluded and there isn't…read moremuch access to the main roads from the trail. I've been coming here for quite a few years and have never had any problems. The paths are very clean and a lot of trees surrounding. Everyone is friendly and when crossing the main roads the cars will slow down and drivers are very vigilant on keeping an eye out. There are many landmarks and a lot of beautiful animals all over. Deer, Rabbits, many different sized dragon flies, turtles, snakes and we saw an Eagle before. The animals keep their distance and if you leave them alone your safe. Yesterday my watch said I rode for 25.30 miles one way and we didn't even reach the end. Love this area

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.

Drove down here on the weekend, in the heart of the wintertime…read more Visiting the area around Bristow with my mom + sister, so figured this would be a good spot to walk the dog. Plus, this was technically on the way back, so it worked out nicely for us. Entrance to the park is a bit tricky -- just go straight at the traffic light at the end of the road. The road is narrow, and it's easy to miss it by heading left instead -- a mistake we almost made. The parking lot is not spacious but there were lot of free spots at the time we went. Thankfully it was not too busy. Only I got down, as it was rather cold weather. I walked our dog for a good half-hour. Trees everywhere, the scenery was nice. A bit muddy at parts, but not overly so. I recommend bringing a pair of hiking shoes just in case. Trail ran through the woods, with some interesting views. Saw all kinds of trees -- long and narrow ones, fallen ones, dead and decaying ones where the wood gave way when you stepped on them. The walk felt kind of lonely though -- I honestly didn't see another soul on the walk. I figured it might be the weather or something. My dog enjoyed it a lot. I did too for the most part. The views were nice and relaxing, very calming overall. I am a fan of the cold, so that helped too. Overall, cool spot. Nice wooded trail area for casual walks, and for bringing the dog on. Last visited: 1/7/23

Very nice state forest for a hike! It's woodsy and provides plenty of shade to hide from the sun…read more Different trail options available. Picnic tables available for a food break as well. Toddler approved ;)

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!

The trails are amazing. Something for everyone. You can bike, run, or just enjoy a strollread more

A wonderful park with good variety of equipment. Pavilion for seating and easy parking make this…read morevery family friendly!

I went in late August, the weather was fairly comfortable. Unfortunately the trails are full of…read morebugs and gnats, completely diminishing the overall experience. I mean I get it's the outdoors and it's nature, but I find this place way more buggy and gnatty then any other place I've gone hiking. There is no scenic view because this is just in a fairly flat forest and no hills, cliffs, or mountains to get a view from. Parking is sufficient and there's adequate signage on where to go and how to get back.

Schaeffer Farms is ideal for novice to expert-level mountain bikers. There's an assortment of…read moreroutes available and the trails are well-maintained with the exception of a couple downed trees that have to be crawled under or climbed over. Like any outdoor trail there will be some bugs, but it's nothing bug repellent can't solve. I'll definitely be back again.

So this is the park I've been hearing about! When you hear Maryland State Park, I think most people…read morethink about Seneca Creek in Gaithersburg, which is massive and requires entry to get in. On weekdays, it's $3/vehicle, and on weekends is $3/per person inside the vehicle. It's interesting because there's no person accepting cash or payment... it's a self-pay kiosk, something I've never seen at a park, let alone a state park! The sign is visible along 301, but it's not the most noticeable one. I feel like Seneca Creek is way more known. It wasn't much of a surprise, but my gosh was it empty when we drove in! I was there on a Sunday afternoon and saw maybe 5 other people besides my family and myself. We packed some food and ate it at one of the two pavilions where we parked. It was just... so quaint and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! There was also a building with bathrooms and a cool playground. After eating, we decided to walk part of a trail and just take in nature. It was.... so delightful. This park is perfect for a local nature getaway where there won't be a lot of people. There are some days when entry is free, but I'm unsure of the schedule.

Please do better with portable toilets. I get that the park does not want to winterize the…read morebathrooms and keep them locked during the winter but they need to have the portable bathrooms serviced regularly. They filled up early in the winter and have remained unusable for months. Now the trail heads are littered with feces and toilet paper.

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.