Begrudgingly, I am rating Lake Fairfax with 4 stars. Let me preface by saying I am not an…read more"outdoor-sy" type of gal. Spas and sparkling rosé...more my speed, but I am always up for different experiences. Having said that...I've experienced it, and umm...with mosquito bites still itching, this was cool...not sure if I would say, "yes" again. While he set up the tents, I went to grab a margarita. Upon my return, I was impressed with the setup. Who knew camping could be "chic"? lol. After sending my daughter pics, she said it was, "glamping," not "camping." Lol Honestly, I enjoyed. Just hated the bugs. I love to read. If you do too, bring a good book. The camping ground is spacious. You're assigned a lot where you set up your tent(s). Seems like he had the entire gamut -- blow up couch, blow up bed, portable grill, speakers for music, bug repellent, food, and libations ;-) You will hear everything that is nature at night. I swear I heard a fox howling/barking. All-in-all, it was a cool experience...five days later, still itching from those bites. Oh! There's a water park too...arrive early to get in because they do have a capacity limit.

Wayyyyy back in the day, my dad bought a RV, and the one place that I can explicitly remember us…read moregoing, was Lake Fairfax Park. I also remember having a great time on the lake paddle boating and swimming in the big "L" shaped pool. Fast forward decades later, I have taken a liking to camping. I still consider myself a novice, and over the last 3yrs, I have accumulated some cool stuff. I have an annual camping trip with a large group next month, but I wanted to do a small intimate trip to one of my favorite childhood places. I must say, Lake Fairfax has one big change from when I was a child. It now has a HUGE waterpark that has giganic water slides as soon as you enter. I was a little disappointed to hear from the check-in Park attendant, who had the personality of a disinterested teenager, that the L shaped pool I referenced was no longer there. My picture of laying poolside or chillin in the pool were shattered, because with waterparks, comes tons and tons of young kids.. and honestly, I would just rather not..LOL! Once we made it to our assigned camping lot, I was super pleased at how close we were to the extremely clean rest rooms that were equipped with showers. The camping site was noticeably quiet, almost library quiet, so that suprised me a little. I didn't want to disrupt the flow, so I kept my speaker at a low level. :) All in all, I had a memorable experience at Lake Fairfax Park and I can definitely see myself coming back sometime next Spring/Summer!!

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.

This is a small neighborhood lake. At 12 acres, and 50 acres of land, it's not going to blow your…read moremind in any way. Was pleasantly surprised today, as someone added wood planks to walk over the muddy trails. A few folks had a canoe out. This is a backup spot for me to try my fishing equipment, or to catch an occasional bluegill or bass. By no means is it a hub of activity. The wildlife I've seen are the fish, ducks, deer, foxes, and an occasional serpent friend. As a fan of snakes, please be mindful all help humanity, and are defensive and not aggressive. The weeds by the lake would have you believe bass central, but it's a mirage in many ways. On a plus note it's a quiet place to relax. It was good to go back here today, and I hope to return soon.

This is one of my favorite zen places. Or when I feel artsy, I bring my sketch pad and just…read moreunwind... very scenic views especially at sunrise or sundown. I prefer sundown... There's a steep incline when you get here but its worth it... Its a good work out... Its also good for avid bird watchers!!

Located in the Derwood/Rockville area of Moco!…read more My alumni association recently did a hike here but I missed it so I decided to explore this trail on my own. I visited on an early Sunday morning. I parked off Avery Road and there were a few cars already there. The change of scenery was nice. I enjoyed the scenic and peaceful views!

Found this interesting article…read more https://streetcarsuburbs.news/lake-artemesia-has-layered-history/

My thankful Thursday goes to Lake Artemisia. This place is beautiful. When they say some of the…read morebest things in life are free! I agree. The loop is roughly 2.4 miles, it's paved and clean; I've never seen litter or trash lying around. The lake was also home to a historical African American community called Lakeland established in 1890. Walking the park you'll see a few plaques and markers with brief history. Many years ago the citizens of this segregated society, developed their own institutions and cultural traditions, including the area's only high school for African Americans, built in 1928. There is a Lakeland Community Heritage Project that was created to preserve its history and the stories of its people through photographic archives and now the Lakeland College Park Community Center. Thankful that this is a peaceful place to run, walk, ride my bike, or simply sit and reflect. Greenery unique to the area is the mimosa trees that bloom in the summer and the giant reed grass surrounding the lake. Parks & Planning along with other organizations also hosts activities like birdwatching and community walks . In addition to this, there is a small playground and ergonomic gym. Lovely in every season and rich in American history, Lake Artemisia is the beating heart to lots of people in the Greenbelt community. Let's love, honor, and cherish Her for generations to come! #ThankfulThursdays

When I lived in Maryland, we came to this park often just to walk. We no longer live in Maryland…read morebut when I come back to visit, I still come to this park to walk and just enjoy the scenic walk and be outdoors. There is a house on the backside of the path that decorates for Halloween so it makes it a lot of fun for the kids on the path.

My daughter (10) and I came to this park for the first time. There was a good amount of parking. It…read morewas a beautifully summer day in the 90s and the great thing about this park is that there is lots of shade. There was a large picnic space as you enter the park area along with an area with play structures to the right for the little ones. The lake is the centerpiece of the park and the trail goes around it. There were a good number of benches and sitting areas where you could sit and enjoy the view. There were a number of people biking on the trail. The trail was a loop and it was enough distance to get some exercise but not too long that you will get worn out. Everything was green and there were lots of beautiful views. I definitely can see myself coming back here with the entire family.

great lake for paddling or fishing…read more lots of smaller largemouth bass, but a developing population of larger ones. no gas motors are allowed. concrete boat ramp with a small floating dock and attached canoe/kayak launch. even when the parking area is crowded, I've never seen it full. & the lake looks empty even when the parking is full. limited shore fishing. some picnic tables & such. there are restrooms on the hill above the boat ramp. only flaws are a population of wasps at the dock that repeated complaints to the County have not resolved, and a tendency for all-about-me folks to park along the ramp (which is NOT a parking area, except for the small handicap area) or leave their vehicles there for extended periods.

Lake Mooney is technically a reservoir but it definitely has that lake feel and is perfect for…read morefishing or kayaking. Gas motor boats are not allowed; only electric motors are permitted on the lake. There's a boat ramp that is easy to get to. A few benches also line the shore. This is a great place for a picnic. I personally enjoy visiting late in the afternoon, as you can watch the sun set.

This is a pretty body of water. As a park it's quite pleasant. The sad part is development is…read moreencroaching the area big time. What used to be a quiet place, isn't what it was. Yet this is a common theme in northern Virginia. Park employees are excellent though. I do like my times over here. Some of my best fishing trips used to be here. Whether it's overfishing or VGIF isn't stocking as much, I'm not sure what's going on. There are some walleye. Last few years I've caught some crappie, catfish, and bluegill. The bass caught have been small. Used to find the area by the water containment to be top notch. Now I use the walk our dock that's got a roof on it. This is a great structure to relax by the water, yet the fishing quality has dropped substantially.

Be careful if you go out to the wooded area. Lots of ticks this year. Make sure you are really…read morechecking we found 8 in one day

We're excited about the park update. The outdoor gym was thoughtfully planned and beautifully…read moredesigned.

Clean and quiet pond perfect for a post-dinner walk. Dog and kid friendly. -1 star because there is…read morea considerable amount of bird (maybe goose?) poop on the path and no shortage of gnats in the air along the loop.