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    Leesylvania State Park

    4.2 (112 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 7:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    View of Freestone Point from Fishing Pier.
    Gilbert G.

    This is a lovely park with scenic views of the Occoquan Bay and nice hiking trails with a lot of history. My two sons (15, 13 years old) and I came here on Thanksgiving Day to explore the fishing pier. You can find parking in the lot near Shelters 1, 2, and 3 - it's a short walk to the fishing pier. The shoreline near the fishing pier has a small sandy beach (great for young kids). I would also recommend a short hike along the Lee's Woods Trail, which includes an old civil war fort with lovely views of the Potomac River. You'll also walk by the fireplace ruins of a hunting lodge and Fairfax House (from the 1800s). In late November, a few trees still had colorful foliage. The full hike is about 2 miles, but you have the option of doing a partial hike as the trailhead passage breaks up the full loop.

    Kimi S.

    If you're looking for some lapping gentle waves and a sandy spot to lay your head down without fighting through traffic, Leesylvania State Park is the perfect place for you! Without traffic (thanks COVID), it is a quick shot down 95. There is a $6 per car parking fee and it can get quite busy on weekends but if you go on a Monday you'll find minimal families and space for you to stretch your toes out. I didn't go in the water but there were plenty of toddlers swimming. My brother-in-law said it can sometimes be rocky so wear water shoes but today the sand was quite soft. We were able to set up underneath a shady tree and our toddlers had fun finding seashells and building sand castles for a few hours. If you have hotspot you can even mobile work while you're there -- I've seen desperate parents do it! Is it an Aruba getaway? Not in the very least but it sure beats hanging out in front of a sad kiddie pool all summer.

    More trash around the shore... so sad
    Paulie T.

    This is a beautiful park to enjoy the outdoors, plus people who works there are very nice and kind, but PLEASE if you have a picnic or hiking, TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU, It's no cool to see how much trash is around the shore and in the trails, while the trash cans are empty, there are also many charcoal containers where you can dispose all the charcoal left from the grills. Mother Nature should be appreciated, and people should be more conscious about how to preserve what they enjoy. Este es un hermoso parque para pasar el día al aire libre, la gente que trabaja aquí es amigable y amable, POR FAVOR si está va realizar picnic or hiking LLEVE SU BASURA CON USTED, no es agradable ver mucho basura por todos partes y por las orillas de la playa cuando los basureros son vacios, también tiene contenedores para poner los restos de carbón si usa parrilla. La madre naturaleza debe ser apreciado y respetado, las personas debemos ser conscientes y saber cuidar lo que se disfruta.

    Beach
    Breanna M.

    I love coming to this park. There's benches and grills. It is almost empty on week days. However people always leave their trash and there's so much debris everywhere. Especially baby diapers. Pick up after yourselves, it's disgusting.

    Interesting History along with great views
    James M.

    Great Park to visit with the Family !!! $7 entrance Fee is worth supporting places like this. Plenty of history and outdoor space to enjoy the whole day or more. Trails, Camping, water access for all types of watercraft. Different types of trails throughout the park for everybody. Plenty of wildlife and views for the photo buffs to enjoy. Lot of space so no need to feel crowded with prime waterfront views.

    Boating with friends leaving Leesylvania!
    Rhonda J.

    Nice if you are doing anything but cycling. Went boating with some friends over the weekend. Very beautiful -not a large park but if you want something close to home this is the spot. You can rent boats, kayaks, etc.. They sell live bait.... no I don't fish. There is a $7.00 fee to get in. Plenty of parking. It's nice to live in a area that has options.

    Ignorant stupid people leave their trash and their feral kids' trash.
    Pam P.

    Btw you have to pay a fee now. Just a car/truck $7. But if you got a bus or a boat or etc etc it is more. The park is still very nice and enjoy coming here

    Nora A.

    This is one of my favorite scenic spots in Northern Virginia. It is absolutely beautiful, tranquil, and huge. Plenty of grills, picnic tables, and benches, all with a wonderful view of the water no matter where you are. It never feels overly crowded and there is plenty of space to spread out. There is playground for kids, as well as clean bathrooms (not porta potties!). My only gripe is the IMPOSSIBLE self pay option. If no one is at the gatehouse to take payments, there is a dropbox for cash, or a QR code for online payment. The online payment is hugely problematic, despite my best efforts today (and having to drive around 3 times bc cars kept piling up behind me), I was not able to get past the super basic captcha. Despite entering the few characters correctly and several times, I got an 'invalid captcha' error. I scrounge together enough cash to put in the drop box but it was a huge pain.

    Katie S.

    $5 will get you access to one of the prettiest parks in the state. It's a state park, so my annual national park pass wasn't valid. No biggie. The drive in to the park was very long and beautiful, but extremely stressful for my poor dog that just wanted to get out of the car and claim the land as his own. lol. There was soooooo much whining from the backseat! With that in mind, we parked at the first parking area we spotted and ended up walking around and through the boat launch area, the picnic area, the beaches and down to the very end of the park to hop on a trail. The picnic area is massive and really well kept. I also noted a lot of hammocks in the trees in little clusters, so there are lots of great places to unwind. There were people swimming, tanning, and riding jet skis in the water-you know, normal beach stuff. We opted to do a short loop, up the a beautiful scenic overlook, around to the bunker on the hill and back down to the amphitheater. I was able to snap lots of pictures and my dog passed out on the way home... so a good time was had by all! The only thing I would have done different, is I guess I should have looked at a map; as I would have liked to hike a little more, but had no idea where each trail lead and didn't see any signs indicating difficulty.

    Jodie C.

    Another great Va State Park. Sitting alongside the Historic Potomac River, it's easy to pull out the binoculars and find interesting things your eyes can't reach on their own. Three great things to bring here. Water, snack and binoculars! I enjoyed sitting to listen to the water hit the shore like tiny little waves. It was relaxing. I walked a couple trails (including part of the Potomac Heritage trail) and hit the Visitors Center. Shirts on sale there. I got one. I'm sure I'll come back again. I have to renew my fishing license and I never did make it to the "beach" side with the pier. My fav part? Watching the train on that beautiful bridge. That really got me. So fun.Neat. *****I do need to sadly add that this Vastatepark had the most trash on the ground than Any I have ever been too. I understand there's trash in the run off from flooding and from private home's trash cans but thats not all. Im talking about visitors to the park who Pollute our parks and waterways!!!!! Makes me furious to see all the trash here. Next time I'll bring my own bag and clean up. Its ridiculous.

    Gay W.

    We are frequent visitor of Leesylvannia State Park. Beautiful place while my kids are playing on the sand and water or in the playground. We will keep coming back.

    Stairs
    Marissa J.

    I enjoy this park, plenty of wooded area to walk, park has trail, in the summer you can enjoy, barbeque and bathing in the river the water is a little discolor. park does have a entrance fee of $10.00

    Fishing area that turned out not to be a fishing area. We were right beside the boat ramp.
    Brandee W.

    We went on 5/17/20. $10 admission . We were approached by one park ranger who said this beach was closed except for fishing and exercise. We were fishing. Then about 2 hours later we were approached by another park ranger who said fishing was not allowed on the beach. He apologized for the "misinformation". On our way out there was a sign posted that said beach closed except for fishing and exercise. Very confusing. Also on your way in you pay $10 and there was no mention of the beach being closed. Just FYI. Lovely area though. Will def be back after the orders are lifted.

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    13 days ago

    Costs to get into this one, but worth it for the picnic area options, playground, and somewhat of a "beach" area in a way.

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    3 years ago

    Great place to launch a boat from Tae. If you get there a little after 12 o'clock you may not be able to get in.

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    Ask the Community - Leesylvania State Park

    Review Highlights - Leesylvania State Park

    You can find parking in the lot near Shelters 1, 2, and 3 - it's a short walk to the fishing pier.

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    River Mill Park

    River Mill Park

    3.9
    (9 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    I recently visited this park and it was honestly a pretty disappointing experience. The grass was…read moreovergrown and looked like it hadn't been maintained in a while. Several trash cans were overflowing, and there was litter scattered around the walking paths. The playground equipment also seemed worn down and not very clean. On top of that, the bathrooms were in poor condition and didn't seem to be cleaned regularly. It made the whole park feel neglected. Parks are supposed to be relaxing places to spend time outside, but this one just felt poorly taken care of. I hope the city puts more effort into maintaining it because it could be a really nice spot if it were cleaner and better managed.

    I really do like the town of Occoquan. There have been some changes. It's been yuppiefied…read moresignificantly, and fishing isn't allowed on either side of the river in town. That's not a huge loss, but for those who love angling, it's disappointing. Such is life as River Mill Park has some nice river views. My guess is when it warms up, maybe they'll have some outdoor concerts or family events here. Park in the public lots. This isn't a long walk. There's the cheesy "Love" sign you can get a picture with your significant other if you have one. I do like that there was a menorah and Christmas tree. Today this plus the holidays wreaths on the bridge were done with class. The new rocking bench is solid. Do I wish it was wooden? Yep but it's probably for safety reasons. The walkways had some ice on them. Definitely watch your step. I think this is a good place to chill from the busy land of northern Virginia. If you're in the area it's worth stopping by here.

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    Restrooms
    Restrooms
    Waterfront // River Mill Park * Occoquan, VA
    Waterfront // River Mill Park * Occoquan, VA
    River Mill Park

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    Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area

    Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area

    4.6
    (5 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    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

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    Fishing at Hidden Pond
    Fishing at Hidden Pond
    South Branch Loop Trail boardwalk
    South Branch Loop Trail boardwalk
    Boss Trail

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    Boss Trail

    Leesylvania State Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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