It's closed for months to repair a sewage siphon in spring, which is ridiculous. There's a sewage…read morepipe that empties into the waterfall area, but people don't seem to care and they swim, even though you can smell the sewage. The whole place and even the forest is littered with hard lemonade and beer bottles, babies diapers, dog poop and all kinds of food wrappers.

Amazing hiking trails! Trails are pretty accessible for all levels…read more The trail maps need updating as there are some new trails.

A very nice walking trail that is very close to DC/Rosslyn. A bit of a walk to get there from the…read moreRosslyn Metro station, but definitely worth it. Wish that there were more walking routes with a better view of the water, but it was pleasant and easy to walk--not at all strenuous.

Thedore Roosevelt Island is filled with trails and it's a little dilapidated now. The fountains…read morearen't running and it's not in such good shape, which is a real shame. The trails are overgrown & there wasn't much to see or do here. The view of DC from the island was disappointing.

New little adventure for Desmond and I. I was on Yelp looking for a new dog park or trail for my…read moredog and I to explore not too far from home. Dora Kelley nature park was such a great find! There are several entrances. We entered off the Sanger Ave entrance next to the Nature Center. There's lots of informational signs along the trail, explaining all of the different things to be on the lookout for, including plants, flowers, birds, and other species you may encounter. There's a paved and unpaved trail that runs along a creek. I usually keep an AirPod in and listen to music or audiobook, but there were so many earthly sounds that made me want to walk in silence and take in everything nature was offering.

This is a lush, peaceful neighbourhood park. We parked on N Chambliss and headed south, and…read moreimmediately past the playground, a tree-lined paved trail opened up. The trails are mostly wide enough for 3 adults, and mostly flat with gentle slopes. The trail ran along a wide gorge creek, and we came across several families enjoying the outdoors. It's easy enough to navigate, and connects multiple nearby neighbourhoods. I appreciate this green space being maintained and freely available to the community.

Grading on the curve of "it's in Maryland", this is a fantastic trail!…read more If this were west of the rockies though, it would be A-OK. There is one tiny section where you actually have to scramble. The rest of it is pretty much a moderate hike with some lite route-finding. We saw multiple snakes on the way in, which were the highlight. Definitely worth doing if you're in the area, but probably not worth a dedicated trip if you're in DC proper.

Not a reflection of the trail as a whole, but when I stopped back on this occasion I was dismayed…read more It was one thing during the peak of the COVID era when there were signs up saying this trail was to be undertaken in one direction only. People were throwing around all sorts of silly rules out of desperation in those days. I doubt any lives were saved by this; maybe the theory was to reduce human contact but realistically, we're talking about hiking in open air. Public health aside, I return to find even now there are still signs saying to take the trail one way. And having done it both ways many times, it's the wrong way! Absurd. Supposedly there's some justification, but I think that grown adults can figure out how to hike in two directions without running into each other. As an overall natural resource, it remains a gem (though it must be noted that the Billy Goat B trail downstream is currently closed due to damage). But whoever is making these stupid rules shouldn't be in the business of making rules at all. Thankfully some rebels were taking the trail in the northernly direction, as well they should.

Awesome hike. I wouldn't say it's "hard" but "moderate" is fair, mostly for the distance I guess…read more The trail is not flat or even, so don't expect that. There are easier shorter trails in the area if you need them. VERY close to Bear Chase which makes a great post hike drink and meal!

Great hike, go on a weekday morning. Otherwise there is way too many hikers on the trail.read more

Came here with a group for kayaking. Only they ran out of kayaks before noon. So some of us had to…read morerent standup paddle boards instead. There is a slightly more expensive pricing for folks not residing in Fairfax, Loudon, Alexandria, or Arlington counties. But they don't really verify...so as long as you put down an address within those counties on your waiver, then you are good to go. See my pics for the pricing as of Aug 2023. The Sat I came, they seemed very short staffed with only two people managing the rental payments and forms and then another 2 manning all the boats/boards. So we pretty much ended up having to launch and bring back our vessels ourselves. They have very limited 2 person kayaks and they require kids under 12 to be in a boat with another adult so be prepared. In addition to kayaks they have jon boats and stand up paddle boards. You can bring your own vessel but there are launch prices. The lake is quite large so 1 hour is still not enough to explore its entirety even if you were powering through. The boat rental process is this: 1) Each person needs to fill out a waiver (just one page), you need to keep the yellow paper on you and return it when you come back. 2) Payments can be done per person or by group and they accept Apple Pay 3) Go down to the dock, hand them your form 4) They will tell you which vessel you can pick and hand you life vests and paddle(s) 5) Go have fun 6) Return the vessel 7) Bring back the yellow form to the rental house Not sure why we need to keep a piece of paper on us while out on the water. I've rented boats in many other places and all they needed was the vessel back. I guess to prevent theft...but they log the number assigned to the vessel on the form prior to you renting so...But at least there isn't an entrance fee to this park and there isn't really much else to do besides activities around the water front. There is a trail that leads to Bull Run, but there isn't say a playground, picnic area, or sports fields. Parking is pretty limited but you can park along the side of the road.

One of my dogs favorite hiking spots. The bike trails are good too, although this park is nestled…read moreway out of suburban NOVA areas like FFX.

Ideal place to enjoy the park, see wildlife, bicycle, walk, and just immerse yourself in beautiful…read more nature. It was our first time here, and we enjoyed bicycling the area for the first time. I liked how you had a two way lane to bike and walk. There was a lot of renovations on the Mt Vernon Trail going through the park and marsh area. It does get crowded there yet there was a lot of parking. It is parallel to Belle Haven Park. There were no nearby restrooms. You do hear sounds of cars & traffic along the Mt. Vernon Trail. The trail gets narrow at some areas and can get uncomfortable by the renovation area - close to oncoming cars. Bicycling through the woods over bridges and stopping by areas to enjoy the views were highlights we enjoyed at Dyke Marsh. We decided to just bicycle for an hour, yet it was enough for both of us. Looking forward to bicycling through all 18 miles of the Mt. Vernon Trail.

Dyke Marsh is a gem. Hidden a few south of Old Town Alexandria, and situated between the Mt Vernon…read moretrail and Potomac, Dyke Marsh is a wetland preserve that George Washington noted centuries ago. This wooded area with a trail that runs a bit more than a mile along the river, has owl and eagle nests and amazing guess of small islands in the Potomac. On any day, there are families, couples, people with dogs. The Marsh attracts lots of birders with their binoculars and photographers with seriously long zoom lenses. This is a place to amble for 45 minutes and connect with the natural world. It's managed by the US Park Service. If you're interested, join the Friend of Dyke Marsh to help preserve this treasure.

My friend and I really enjoyed coming here for a good afternoon hike. The signs were clear and the…read morehike with the waterfall was really nice. There were restrooms by the parking lot and the park wasn't too crowded. We had a great time exploring this part of Patapsco!

This is a well-maintained state park that is suitable for folks of all ages. Great for relaxing…read morewalks with your pets and family, swimming, biking and solo trips. Although quite crowded during weekends, the trails are quiet for the most part. My husband & I took the Soapstone trail to the beautiful Cascade falls and it didn't disappoint. The path was clean & easily accessible. Although rocky at a few places and had a creek crossing, our 3-mile hike went by quickly. After the hike, we couldn't miss visiting the popular attraction - the Swinging Bridge. It did scare me a bit while walking on it lol but for the view and the cool breeze blowing, I'd definitely visit it again. Parking: $3 per vehicle Amenities: Picnic tables, kids playground, barbecue grill, swimming, camping etc

Easy to get to from highway, not super crowded and had plenty of parking (granted, it was a…read moreweekday). A few decent miles of trails with lots of cute bridges. There are benches scattered throughout the preserve on the trails, as well as some picnic tables near the pond. At some points the trails were well marked, well at others it was less clear where to go. Great for a quick fix of nature not too far from the city. Probably will go again!

Beautiful park that's truly a hidden gem. There are a few miles of trails, a man-made waterfall,…read moresmall picnic area and pond. Great place to spend an hour or two- without having to drive far.