Wayyyyy back in the day, my dad bought a RV, and the one place that I can explicitly remember us going, 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!! read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Peaceful lake views@ Lake Fairfax Park! - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

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

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

Great lake area and trails. Staff are fine. This review is for the RV area, which is nice and has a good bathroom setup. The skate parkbeing right next to the RV area really ruins the RV experience with the noise and cars racing through to the bathroom. If you were here for other things the stars may be higher. read more

This local park is great for many reasons. Our kids love to come here since they have so many trails to hike and are mountain bike friendly. My son loves the bike park that they have built near the campground/skatepark. My wife and I have done the paddle boats on the main lake. And, the water park is a blast. I highly recommend anyone wanting a park which has a ton of amenities check this park out. The park is free but the paddle boats, water park and a few other things have admission. read more

Beautiful park where there is plenty to do. It has a Waterpark, a lake, and different places to picnic. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Plenty of picnic space - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

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It is hard to believe that you are in a major metropolitan area when you are camping here! They offer LARGE RV sites with electric only, 50 amps! There is a waste dump and fresh water available but not at the sites. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. The campgrounds is next to a good size skate park and several athletic fields. Down the hill, is a large, well-used water park, paddle boat rentals and more picnic areas. While there is no WiFi is not available, cell service is pretty good so I just used my hot spot. Over-the-air TV offers a decent selection. Some of the sites are so well-shaded that I doubt an A/C would be needed. It is very quiet and the grass areas are well-maintained. I didn't use the bathrooms or showers so I can't comment on them . read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Picnic area right off the campgrounds - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

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Came here to do a little fishing off the dock and enjoyed it. It wasn't too crowded on a Sunday morning and everyone fishing here was able to stay way more than 6 feet apart (more like at least 50 feet) which helps with COVID and no tangled lines. I fished a couple hours and only saw one guy catch a fish, but unfortunately it wasn't me. There seemed to be plenty of parking and I'll come back here to fish again and do some hiking. read more

Oh, I love this park. Now that I don't live in VA, I realized how much I miss its parks. I first visited this park for Jack's Pumpkin Glow. I highly recommend this Halloween event, especially if you have kids. The little ones will enjoy this enchanting pumpkin wonderland. I went for 2 years in a row. The park is big, around 476 acres. The park has a water park, playground, skate parks, several trails, campgrounds, etc. 4 stars. It is a scenic and beautiful park. read more

Lake Fairfax is a good family park, but it has nothing on Burke Lake. Okay I'll take some of that back, as the water park here is a lot of fun. It costs extra, but my big gripe here is the camping. When I visit the woods, I want to be in the woods, not a huge field surrounded by trees. That bothers me, as does sometimes the bathrooms being locked. Also I'm not thrilled with the trail, being in clear vision of million dollar houses. Fishing is only ok. It's a really small man made lake. To its credit the water is pretty, and the park staff are great folks. There are nice picnic areas as well. It's an alright park, but I won't be camping here anymore. Instead gatherings and the like. It's convenient to Route 7, and close to civilization for car campers. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

No sand but plenty of small gravel and dirt paths to the water to sit in. Public amenities and would love to come back when water park next door is open as well read more

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The bathrooms at this campground have an interesting configuration. It's basically six large gender-neutral restrooms, with a toilet, sink, and shower, but it's open-air, with tall walls, so you can hear what's going on around. Restroom #1 has a lock that doesn't work right, as I discovered when I walked in on a dude taking a dump and someone walked in on me in the shower. I avoid Restroom #1. Also, people just don't bother locking the door for some reason, as I've walked in on a lady blow-drying her hair and a dude taking a shower. But you can hear things as well, so I can confirm that ladies do poop and fart and it's gross, and the lady who re-enacted the Battleshits scene from Harold and Kumar, complete with moans of pain and cursing, needs more fiber in her diet. All that was topped this morning when a pair of fellow campers decide to engage in a spirited and lengthy round of quiet but not-quiet-enough lovemaking during my morning deuce. Turns out that does not loosen the bowels. My colon concluded that something was deeply wrong and clamped up. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Restrooms. - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

I've visited Lake Fairfax over the years to enjoy walks around the grounds or to have picnics with friends and family and always found the facility to be clean and well managed. Last night, I attended their annual "The Glow - A Jack O'Lantern Experience (https://theglowjackolantern.com/washington-dc/) and it was great time! The Glow is a showcase which combines the creativity and imagination of expert pumpkin carvers and set designers with multimedia technicians. Pumpkins were transformed into dinosaurs, motorcycles, dragons, etc. Perhaps my favorite themed display was a spaceship and aliens with jack o'lantern heads complete with smoke machine and a laser light show. Don't forget to visit the pavilion at the end of the approximate 1/3 of mile trail to enjoy the singing pumpkins. Trust me when I say that you'll be saying to yourself over and over during the roughly 30 minutes it'll take you to walk the course, "wow, that's so cool!" It is definitely an all-ages appropriate event as evidenced by the numerous families in attendance as youngsters excitedly ran from exhibit to exhibit with their parents in tow. As this is late October, I would recommend layering up with hoodies, gloves, and coats since it will get chilly in the evenings. And keep in mind the tickets are timed, with the most popular times being between 7pm-9pm. I checked in around 9:30pm, since the tix are cheaper then; so if you can wait to attend later in the evening, it might be worth saving $10. Overall, The Glow is a fantastic way to kick off the Fall season and a unique way to celebrate Halloween, other than the traditional haunted houses and cornfields. read more

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This place charges $25 for reservation modification. The place is not worth the price. The staff are rude. Travel Camp has full hookup, concrete padded sites. read more

Great way to spend an afternoon. There is a waterpark for the kids, great trails to explore and a camp site (who KNEW!?). In addition, plenty of picnic tables, ball fields and even a cricket field. I did a few of the trails that circumnavigate the lake. Folks were fishing, lots of wild life (ducks and even an osprey (I think). There are plenty of paddleboats and canoes to rent. There are ample clean restrooms, trash cans, and water fountains. I usually bring water and a grocery bag to pick up trash along my hike. I have to say I'm very disappointed with the folks who were before me, as I was picking up a lot of water bottles and wrappers - Come ON people, keep it clean! Lots to do here and will be back. read more

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* CAMPING REVIEW * I'm going to give this place a little more love. Conveniently located in NoVA it's one of the closest camping sites closest to DC. My previous camping experience -- although awesome -- was too far away (Shenandoah). For the city slicker that wants to shoehorn that summer camping trip into his busy schedule, this is a perfect place. For avid campers, you may be disappointed, but if you've been deprived of camping, this should hold you over. $30 fee for camping (per site per night) and $7 bag of firewood, plus the convenience of being so close to civilization in case you forgot something, is great. Our family and friends took spots A29 and A31 which are next to each other, and partially shaded, but I think we'll try A28 and A29 next time. The bathroom / shower facility is very nice and modern...and if it weren't for all the bugs, it's pretty clean. Make sure you bring sandals for the showers. 10am check-out time is a little bit early in my opinion, but then again check-in time is at noon....so get there early, set up your tent and campfire and set that pot roast on the grill for some slow and low cooking, and your tastebuds will be rewarded come dinner time. If you get bored, there's the skate park that's adjacent to the campground, lots of fields for playing sports, fishing in the pond or paddleboating, or if it's particularly hot, then the Water Mine water park is a good place to go. Definitely want to come back here again before the summer ends. read more

Have never visited this park during the day so I can't really speak to the actual park itself but I attended a Halloween/fall event there called The Glow. It will be there every weekend in October and it's definitely worth seeing. They have pumpkins carved into everything you can imagine and they are lit up with different colors with background scenes to go with the theme! They even have some pumpkins that move and sing to music! They also had a person there to carve pumpkins for everyone to watch how it's done. It's all outdoors and even though the tickets have an entry time you go through at your own pace. There was one set of restrooms which was located upfront. They had a few food trucks there for those that want to grab a bite to eat and a small shop for cute light up things for children. Also, they do take photos you can buy and have pumpkins in various sizes that you can buy to try out your carving skills at home later on. read more

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Such a nice park to walk around and take in nature. The park offers so much space for children to run around or just take in the views of the lake. My daughters and I had a great day here. read more

With COVID-19 sucking the life out of socializing, we decided to meet up with a few of our friends for a picnic in the park. Huge park with a very exciting water park, that I'm interested to go to once it's back in business (if ever). The park has a variety of different picnic spots, crazy lush and wide spread, but the most fascinating thing was the cricket fields. Vast footage of green playing fields. We decided to use the empty field to hang out on, play some, and be seated far from the public. So worth it! read more

So much to do, and do little time...especially if the wind is freezing cold. I enjoyed this park and I look forwards to coming back to this place when it is warmer. I know my wife will like this area. I will have to check this place out for Winter and Halloween too. The fact that you can spend the night here at the camping grounds is very attractive idea. I will give this some thought...Hey, spend the night here on Halloween night....there's an idea. read more

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A large and fun park great for walking the dog. Docking one star for widespread goose poop

Camped here for two nights. There are a lot of people that come here to picnic. The short hike is nice and beautiful I just wish the playground was a lot bigger. The skate park however sealed the deal for me to camp at the park. Showers and restrooms were maintained clean. read more

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Very nice sprawling fairfax county park with a lazy River and water park within it . The water park closes around 5pm in summer from what I know. Great walking trails around the small lake , and close (2 miles or so) to restaurants and stores . read more

I came up to the DC area to celebrate our nation's Independence Day and had some issues so I needed to stay in the area. Lucky for me I found this place. It's a beautiful park with boats you can rent to paddle around the man made lake, picnic spaces, lots of trails, a water park, a skate park, athletic fields and a camp site. It's nice and quiet and located close to lots of places to see and shop at and it's only a couple of miles away from the silver line. In particular, I'd like to thank Terri Haskins at the mail office who could see I was having a really bad day when I arrived. She sat me down, got me a bottle of cold water and reassured me things were going to get better. And you know what? She was correct! It's so hard to find people who are genuine. It's so hard to find people who understand that sometimes in life the job is simply treating another person like a human being and not as a number. Terri Haskins gets this and if you want to meet a really great person, stop by the office and say hello to her! She saved my entire trip. read more

I've come here twice for my company picnic. It's scenic and a great place to walk around. There's a few covered shelters you can rent as well as picnic areas. There's a huge water park when you first enter which seems cool. It was a little too hot today, but usually the kids are running around playing games for hours. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - View of the lake from Shelter K - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

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I had a nice visit here. There are several trails worth checking out throughout the park in addition to the many picnic areas and water park. My friend and I came here and parked in campground area which is deeper in the park away from the main crowd who was out here enjoying the pretty weather. We found several trails behind the campground itself that led to a mainfoot path that is paved about a mile from the campground. The trials we hit were not paved, but were well used. The park has a free skate park as well that was being actively used. During the warmer months the lake is used as a swimming hole. I'm not sure if there is a cost to use it or not as it wasn't open when I went. I'd say this is a pretty solid place and worth bringing out the family or yourself to enjoy some great outdoors. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

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Here's something to keep in mind for the summer. The Water Mine is a huge outdoor set of swimming pools. For fun in the spring and fall months, there's a carousel, boats that you can rent, tons of tables to picnic on, and a cricket pitch. If you like to camp and don't want to drive all the way out to West Virginia, this park has camping grounds. There is also a new marina complex for boaters. I really like to do the stroller thing here because the park is truly pretty and there are acres and acres to walk on. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

Has a seasonal water park, and various spots for picnics. There is a camp ground tucked away up a road...checked it out and it seems cramped. Up another road is a very large field. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

Great family picnic area. We go for the skate park which is great for young skateboarders. There is lots of parking outside the skate park and plenty of ramps, stairs, rails, and a big skate pit. read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Skate park is located in the back of the park next to the camping area. - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

This is a great short camping location for local families. When our kids are old enough to camp, we do our first trip here, as it is close enough that if everything falls to pieces in the middle of the night, we can just go home and get the tent in the morning (we've never needed to, but it makes us braver about doing that first trip!). The bathrooms are clean, and I like that you have the option to do reservations in advance, or show up day-of and use whatever group sites were not reserved. Both areas have great spots - there are some really large plots in the reserve-in-advance area, which is great for our large family, and I like how wooded everything is in the group site. My husband has also used the group site for large scout campouts and liked it. I also used the lake a lot this last summer for kayaking with my 7yo and 9yo. We have a youth kayak that we bring (if you rent their boats, kids have to be in a tandem with an adult, but if you bring your own, they can paddle solo), and I like that it is big enough that the kids feel like they are accomplishing something, but small enough I can let them be independent and paddle wherever they want without needing to stay very close to them. My kids learned to paddle here, and I love having somewhere so close where we can get on the water. The marina staff was really great this summer. I'd skip the tour boat - it isn't a very big lake, and there isn't much a tour guide would be able to say that would make it worth your money. I've never gone to the Water Mine, but from what I hear, it is really fun, and also really crowded (I've seen the lines shut down on a lot of Saturdays because it has reached capacity). I think we'd get bored if we stayed multiple nights, and I'd probably be disappointed if I had traveled very far to get here, but I LOVE this as a spontaneous one-night campout that doesn't need much planning, and a way to introduce children to camping & kayaking in a manageable format. We've made a lot of happy memories here, and we'll definitely be back this summer. read more

Lake Fairfax Park is a nice, full-amenity regional park. There's a waterpark, carousel, boating and some walking trails. So there's plenty to do here for sure and it's a nice community amenity. All that said, it's NOT much of a place to get into nature. While there is one pretty nice trail, most of the park--even the nature trails around the eponymous lake--has an artificial look to it that evokes the early 1970s when the County Parks Authority took the place over. (It was a private pleasure and picnic ground before that but became public following a civil rights suit against it.) More of a place to visit than a place to get into nature. read more

One of my favorite parks in the DMV! The park is one of the cleanest I have been to in VA. Its also one of the most beautiful. This is a great spot for a nice picnic or to take a nice walk. The lake view is something so memorable especially if you go when the sun is setting. Also the fact that it's nearby water mine and the zoo is a huge plus! Don't delay bring your family for a big picnic here today!! :D *parking can be a bit of a pain when it's a crowded Saturday or Sunday but no fear as there are plenty of parking spots around the entire park! * I had a friend or two who had a nice birthday party picnic here and it's a cute little spot especially when you want to have a BBQ ! * please just clean up your trash and keep the park safe and beautiful! * there is something for everyone to do here: go on a hike, play soccer, go bike riding, etc! read more

Nice park tucked away in reston. The park is centered around a tranquil lake thats created from the runoff of nearby developments. (dont worry, it doesnt look dirty or smell). Like most parks it has has a good mix of areas you can go and be alone with nature while also having activities to do. I love parks but this one has a special place in my heart (i designed 3 of the buildings here :-). The best thing here id say is the water mine. Its one of fairfax county water amusement parks and it gets pretty packed in the summer. I was surpised at how much Adults came hhere to cool off from the heat in addition to all the kids. Other cool things here are the carousel and the boat rentals that are offered. The floating dock is pretty neat as well. There is a pretty expansive picnic area and a decent trail around the lake (trail isnt that long and tends to get a little muddy though). The park even has camping grounds. Stop by and smell the fresh air :-) read more

The "hiking paths" were confusing. If you want a nice loop to walk with, you don't get that. You mostly get a bunch of bikers on 1 foot wide paths zooming by you. I got out the way. Not too annoying. The customer service at the front desk sucked. Added to the fact the trail maps they had were printed with fading ink, made it so that trying to figure out a loop and path impossible. As for the front desk personnell, too grisly older men with gray hair, if you don't like being nice and answering questions, GET ANOTHER JOB. There are other people A LOT more respectful and nice to new customers. The people in Reston are very offputting. I spoke to maybe 6 people, including the front desk people, and EVERYONE was weird, standoffish or rude...I am very used to Springfield, Arlington, Alexandria, so seeing such rude people was a bit of a shock. I mean, people in the inner-city of DC are nicer. I dont think its because I was black, it may have been other things, Im just used to the classier/friendlier/more helpful people of the "inner" DC suburbs. Come on Reston, be nice to strangers, you shouldnt be that p*ssed off, you're paying way less than we do in Arlington. Unfriendly. I mean, there are towns in the Deep South with a history of racism where there are friendlier people. That was the weirdest part. Not going back, but if anyone else can explain the standoffish mannerisms, give me some insights. read more

Lake Fairfax Park is nice. Very busy on weekends, with many parties grilling and picnicing. Every day during the summer is bustling. Rental paddle boats dot the lake and there is a fun merry go round. Many years ago there was a cool train. That pre-dated the Watermine, though, so I guess that is progress. It is amazing to see the cricket field active on Saturdays. You can see the cricket field (and the players) while driving along Hunter Mill Road. The cricket field is also our traditional spot for watching July 4th fireworks. Loads of fun to arrive early with a picnic dinner, let the kids run around catching fireflies or playing games. Then you can see the Lake Fairfax fireworks up close and a couple of other shows in the distance. I have played softball on the upper fields. They are some of the nicer fields in the area. The soccer fields are frequently used. My son attended two weeks of a soccer camp this summer and loved it. During the school year, the upper area (fields) is empty; a peaceful place for lunch, a hike, or run. The campground is nice; closer to awesome than terrible. We have camped in individual spots and the group site. The restrooms are very nice, heated with great water pressure. Oh yeah, there is a nice biking/hiking path through the park. You can join it from the campground, soccer field, cricket field, or picnic group areas. I like to park at SkateQuest and go through the park, across Hunter Mill. Nice trail. I have been up to hwy 7 but not across it. I understand it goes all the way to Great Falls National Park. read more

It had been a long time since I'd visited Lake Fairfax and the day that I went here for a friend's company picnic was the perfect day. They have nice pavilions here that you can rent to have parties, picnics or whatever else you might want some covered space for. There is a carousel on premisis that runs once and the end of each hour during the day for the kiddos. The park itself is very clean and well maintained. Sometime park bathrooms can be a bit scary to walk into but not here. The pavilions are right next to the lake which makes for a nice view. There are walking trails and other areas that you can picnic at that are uncovered. In the summer months there is a water park right next to Lake Fairfax that is also fun. read more

Base Camp near Washington DC Most recent stay was June 27th thru July 1st 2017 ~ We camp in a Little Rig "Tear Drop" style RV only 15' long w/o toilet or shower ~ plus we like to eat outdoors using the picnic table and set up our dining canopy for sun and weather protection and thus rely on condition of campgrounds facilities and being nearby our site ~ so our critique is focused in that area. Our site 61 was close to restroom/shower building, a modern newer facility [typical government] with painted cement block walls and cement floor. Restrooms had separate entrance from showers which were large private individual rooms with a shower stall, toilet, and sink. This campground is operated and maintained by Fairfax County with a camp host on site. The office is hard to find; its right next to the water park and you would expect it to be near the campground which is towards the back of the park and up on top of the hill well past the office. Cleaning of restroom/shower done every morning but appeared it was only a partial cleaning at best with hosing down the floors and maybe that's all - see my photos - was like that all 5 days of our stay. The walls were high but open ceiling with exposed rafters - I suppose for improving ventilation, but it didn't help much because there was no air movement; stuffy after the shower. Also drainage problem in all showers, leaving standing water on the floor after shower but there were no rubber mats to stand when toweling off and paper towels that could have been used to help clean up after using the sinks which remained messy. Our site W&E only was in hot sun - no shade trees - other sites had some shade but campground was fully reserved because of holiday (4th of July) and we couldn't move. Was a good base camp for taking day trips exploring Washington DC. We learned how to navigate public transportation taking Metrorail at Wiehle Station in Reston [close by 10 min drive] to Union Station Washington DC city center. It's highly recommend instead of driving to DC in extremely heavy traffic and then good luck trying to find a parking lot read more

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We chose Lake Fairfax Park campgrounds because they were close to home and accepted reservations during off-peak season. We wanted a place to try out camping with a toddler that was still within bail-out distance of the house. This place certainly fit the bill. Check-in at the front office was seemless and easy. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The sites are easy to find and well-marked. It wasn't immediately evident where we were supposed to set up our tent because it was unclear where one site ends and the next begins. Our main trouble happened later on in the evening. Though the park is a no alcohol facility, everyone around us was drinking. This was not a problem in and of itself. It is a problem when they stay up way past the 10 pm quiet hours curfew. By "way after" I mean 3:30 am. At midnight, I asked our closest neighbors to be quieter and they very politely complied. However, the people on the other side of them were up and drinking at their fire well into the early hours of the morning. It wasn't the most courteous camping behavior for sure. There was also quite a bit of late night vehicle traffic of people arriving late after dark or coming and going between 9 and 11 pm. This also isn't a problem by itself, but the camp sites are set up right off of the gravel road so that a car's lights illuminate your entire tent and campsite when they drive by. Unfortunately, with the way the sites are set up, this is unavoidable. I can't say that we would return back to this camping ground. You can't beat the price if you are looking for a cheap tent site in the area, but the park lacked trails and sites that you find just a few hours farther east or north. read more

We recently moved into the area and my teenage son frequents this park weekly. The skate park is brand new and very well constructed. Beautiful vistas of the parks extensive campgrounds and athletic fields add to the scenery - you really feel like you're skating over a mountain! We'll be back soon! read more

Lake Fairfax Park - Lakes Near Me - Reston, Virginia

We stayed here in our rental RV. What a beautiful location. A hidden gem in DC to RV. We stayed on 08/23/2011. read more