Just spent a full weekend at Belle Isle - everything from the facilities to the park rangers and…read morestaff to the activities are fantastic. Friendly camp hosts, huge private camp sites, and very clean restrooms (with free showers!). This was our first time at this park and it will not be our last. The rentals are inexpensive, the canoeing and biking is great, and the park is absolutely beautiful. The quiet hours are definitely enforced (which I'm comfortable with... I wouldn't want a nearby site keeping me awake at night). As long as you're respectful of the rules you won't have any problems.

This is a fun state park to visit! There is a beautiful area by the water that is great for walking.read more

This is definitely a park for a more experienced hiker. The park is well maintained in some areas…read moreand not in others. Was quite difficult to consistently make out the trail markings and follow along with maps. It also feels quite isolated so would reccomend going with someone. The entry ride into the park is quite long, narrow and only accommodates one car at a time. It is also gravel so its important to drive at a moderate speed. Most of the trails are gravel/dirt and there is a lot of greenery to admire. They also have multiple docks available for fishing or to admire the water. I went in the month of May '25 and there were a lot of ticks around, so be mindful and be sure to check yourself after your walk/hike.

A beautiful place to see wildlife, and to recharge in nature. Open every day of the year, and free!read more

A beautiful park, the walks to the two beaches (fossil beach and the Potomac waterfront) are not…read morefor the faint of heart! Totally worth the hikes, but the beach trail down to the waterfront with all the breakwaters is about 250 stairs. And STEEP! It looks like they are building a road down to there right from the campground that will take you right there. You can drive down on an actual road but where's the fun in that? The camper sights are nice and mostly level. In campground A, most face into the forest so you don't see your neighbors. And it's the closest to the beach trails. Not all sights in campground A have water and electric so check b4 booking. We had site a26 and it was good. But the a sites (1-7) are the best. We did both hikes in one day, so there isn't much of anything else to do. Unless you love to just hike. In which case there are plenty of other trails. The staff is very friendly. There are no public restrooms close.

Westmoreland state park is a true hidden gem located in Westmoreland past King George VA. It is…read moreclose to the George Washington Birthplace. Parking cost about $10 at the entrance. When I was driving in I noticed campgrounds but unsure if there are cabins. They have a nice playground and bathrooms close by. Near the visitor center there is also a Discovery Center however we did not stop by. The ranger let us know that they have more things to look at. We came to check out the Fossil Beach and found a small shark tooth. The rangers were very helpful and kept my kids very engaged while sharing all about the cool things this park has to offer. Inside the visitor center you can find snacks, water fountains, restrooms, air conditioning, a neat gift shop, turtles, and snakes. Ask about their Jr. Ranger program/booklet. It is very kid friendly even for older toddlers. Definitely make a day trip out of this park. In addition to shark teeth hunting you can also swim in the river. Many people were here with umbrellas and towels. It is about a 0.5 mile hike to get to Fossil beach.

Hickory Hollow Natural Area Preserve offers various trees, ravines, swampland, and wetland…read more Additionally, you have an abundance of birds, wildlife, fauna & flora. The preserve has well marked trails and a small parking area. Arrowed signs and color code on trees help visitors verify/match desired trail with coordinating trail names. Throughout the trails and at the parking area, are informational signs and wildlife listings. Once at the swamp, there is a seating area so you can sit and enjoy the surroundings. Enjoy a day of exploring.

Nice close by place for walk in the woods. Great that folks set it aside. Well cared for. Close in…read moreand peaceful.

This is a great trail in Richmond! It's not that easy ! Be…read moreprepared to scoot out of the way for mountain bikers! It's amazing what they're doing up and down twisting around jumping over rocks!! It's primarily shady but also open areas and includes a bridge to cross over into downtown Richmond. Parking is a challenge on busy days and the porta potties need attn!

Nice trail with lots of interesting sights. Popular place! So far my fav Richmond trail!read more

There's a lot to explore in Freedom Park making it worth the time investment. Within one giant park…read moreis one of the earliest free Black communities with replica houses set up like a little museum. There's also an archeological area with a historic cemetery. The Williamsburg Botanical Gardens is inside as well as a visitor's center with exhibits and clean restrooms.

This 600-acre park impresses me. It's a pristine public recreation area found in James City, VA…read morewith many interesting components. My hub rode the 20 miles of mountain bike trails while I spent time walking the paths that wind through historical sites and open fields. While here, I stumbled upon the Williamsburg Botanical Garden. It features 800 species of native vegetation and entrance is free. Saw a wedding being set up; what a great site to have such a ceremony. The best surprise of all is the presence of one of the first Free Black Settlements in the US. There are 3 cabins, all furnished with items of the period (1803-1850), situated in a graceful clearing. The structures are easy to see inside and out, a trip back in time, for sure. A fellow Yelper writes that Freedom Park is one of the best places to visit if on a tight budget in the Williamsburg region. I heartily agree. There are no fees for anything, unlike other parks in the tri-city area (meaning Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown). I found myself returning here for several days during the week that I was a tourist recently because this place is so enjoyable and tranquil.

Beautiful shady walking trail in Williamsburg. Saw several neat insects, lots of ducks, tadpoles,…read moresome turtles and a heron. We also spied at deer! I do wish the trail was marked more clearly when you're on the boardwalk bridge but overall a good experience.

This was overall a great hike. It was a nice nature break during our vacation. It had beautiful…read morefall foliage and the paths were clearly marked. Lots of picture opportunities - in fact, I remember the city park's website promoting some photo contest for their trails. We only expected to be among the woods until we found the asphalt trail that borders a vast field. We took that path and took more pictures. We saw hawks circling the field but none took a land dive. I was happy to see it all and then return to the woods for more cold air. It was really enjoyable and I would recommend the trek. We were out there at least 2 hours. Restrooms were port-a-potties.

Always enjoy visiting parks on travels & as a lighthouse buff I made it a point of visiting this…read moreone. Park appears well-maintained (including the restrooms near the lighthouse). Enjoyed walking around the lighthouse & paths. Great views of the River & Bay. Looking forward to the completion of exhibits and opening of the lighthouse to visitors!

This place is a joke. Went there yesterday just to drive through the park so I could show it to my…read moregirlfriend and was told by the park ranger that I had to download the app and create an account before we were allowed to get in. They couldn't simply take the $10.00 entry fee let us in and create the account later. Instead they had to inconvenience us and tell me that I had to create an account first, Bottom line is that I will never come back to this dump again. Maryland sucks all around as they have some of the most outdated facilities at virtually all of their state parks. Typical democratic run state

I had heard rumors about Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge while planning my Fourth of July…read moregetaway to Maryland. More importantly, I heard there was a scenic Wildlife Drive where I could experience the refuge without spending hours hiking in a 107-degree heat wave. As someone who enjoys both nature and air conditioning, this sounded like an outstanding life decision! Before leaving, I did a little homework. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is normally just $3 per vehicle (or $1 for pedestrians), making it one of the best bargains around. Even better, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service occasionally offers free admission weekends, and I happened to visit during one celebrating America's 250th birthday. Admission was waived July 3 through July 5, making an already inexpensive adventure even sweeter. Free is one of my favorite prices, especially when it's attached to some place this beautiful! PRO TIP #1: If you're the type of person who enjoys quirky travel sidequests, ask about the Blue Goose Passport while you're there. I had recently learned online that National Wildlife Refuges have their own passport program, similar to the National Park Passport books, and naturally that became my newest obsession. The Visitor Center sold the passport for just $9, and I happily bought one and collected my very first refuge stamp. I arrived around 1:15 p.m. and immediately noticed...there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Thankfully, the Visitor Center was open, despite looking completely deserted from the outside. While I was browsing the small gift shop afterward, I picked up a Christmas ornament, a sticker for my memory ball and, of course, my brand-new Blue Goose Passport. Prices in the gift shop were surprisingly low! Now, I have to be honest. The employee working that afternoon wasn't exactly the welcoming face of America's National Wildlife Refuge System. She seemed...less than thrilled that visitors existed that day. When I walked in, beaming and excited, and exclaimed, "You ARE open today!" She looked me dead in the eyes and said, dryly, "Unfortunately." Well, FORTUNATELY, she was a very small part of an otherwise wonderful afternoon! I began the Wildlife Drive and immediately noticed signage confirming admission was free for the holiday weekend. The drive took me about an hour because I drove nice and slowly, stopping whenever something caught my eye and scanning the marshes for wildlife. I saw plenty of birds...and not much else. But honestly, I don't blame the animals. If it was 107 degrees outside, I'd be hiding somewhere cool too. Even without a parade of wildlife, the drive itself was beautiful! Blackwater protects more than 30,000 acres of tidal marshes, forests and wetlands along Maryland's Eastern Shore and is famous for its bald eagles, osprey and incredible birdwatching opportunities. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile! PRO TIP #2: Bring binoculars. Seriously. Phone cameras can only zoom so much before every bird starts looking like a tiny feathered blob. I spent half the drive wondering, "What is that?!" Binoculars would have made the experience so much better. One thing I really appreciated was learning that visitors are welcome to walk or bike the Wildlife Drive in addition to driving it. The loop is roughly four miles, completely paved and almost perfectly flat. I could already tell while driving that I'd enjoy it even more on foot during cooler weather. If hiking is more your style, the refuge also offers several trails, including the 2.5-mile Key Wallace Trail, the one-mile Woods Trail, the 1.5-mile Tubman Road Trail and the shorter Marsh Edge Trail. Based on what I saw, spring and fall would be incredible times to come back. If you're hoping to maximize wildlife sightings, November through February is prime time for wintering waterfowl. September also sounds fantastic with migrating ospreys, blooming tickseed sunflowers, abundant toads and peak songbird migration. Despite my less-than-cheerful interaction inside the Visitor Center, I genuinely loved my visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's peaceful, affordable, family-friendly and can be whatever you want it to be. Spend an hour driving the Wildlife Drive, spend half a day hiking or simply enjoy slowing down and taking in one of Maryland's most beautiful natural spaces. And if you're anything like me...don't leave without the Blue Goose Passport! Trust me. One passport stamp somehow turns into your next adventure!

Totally not what we expected! There wasn't much wildlife, the drive is not very long. We had more…read morefun at the Marina Bay in town. I would however give 5 stars to the helpful staff, very knowledgeable.

I recently visited Forest hill park and was impressed with how beautiful it is. This park has a few…read moredifferent trails to try, but for this visit, I was on the Buttermilk Trail. The Buttermilk Trail is 6 miles long, though I didn't complete the full distance this time. The trail is clean, well-maintained, and popular enough that I consistently passed other hikers and felt safe. The scenery is beautiful, featuring great views of creeks and lakes. There is so much to discover there that I will definitely return to finish this trail and explore some of the others.

This park has amazing trails, gardens, and an amazing playground for kids. It is ADA accessible…read more just know that the playground is next to the Pickleball court.