This past weekend, I went to one of my favorite local parks in Vegas, and it prompted me to think…read moreof my favorite urban parks across the United States. Belle Isle was the first place that came to mind! I lived in RVA (Manchester) for a year from 2007-2008, and Belle Isle became a second home for me during that time. As an avid adventurer, I highly recommend Belle Isle for the following reasons (based on my pre-pandemic/circa 2008 experiences): 1.) Egalitarianism: It's a great place to mix and mingle with people from all walks of life. 2.) It's a great choose your own adventure type of place where you could spend an entire day doing a mix of the following activities: kayaking, hiking, biking, swimming, reading, sunbathing, whiling away time on the rocks, cloud gazing, having a picnic, doing landscape photography/photoshoots, etc. 3.) The James River! It's the only Class III-IV white water rapids in the U.S. running through the heart of a city center. 4.) Wildlife (especially the aquatic birds)! 5.) Proximity to the rich culture, food, and history in Downtown Richmond that you can explore before or after your Belle Isle adventure.

Always a great place to get out into nature. One of my favorite places to hike with great views of…read morethe river or the woods.

If you're not a stickler for rules, like me, this is the place for you because anything goes…read more My kids and I have a blast here. There's so much in the water to do. The only rule they have is that you have to wear a lifejacket for the blob and the newly added trampoline. I'm sure that's just because if you launch your kid high enough on the blob, they could possibly lose consciousness on the impact of the water. Life jacket will keep them afloat. There is an abundance of open container alcohol drinking and profanity, but if you like to people watch while you're grabbing a snack (and don't really get horribly offended by profanity in front of your kids), this is the place for you. We do thoroughly enjoy ourselves here.

Three different accessible lakes with different functions. Wonderful place for family and children…read morebut be advised, it is permanently closed.

I had an incredible time at this charming park. As it is getting warmer, I am looking for new to me…read morespots to go on walks after work. Three Lakes Park was the perfect evening refresh. We arrived around 5:30pm and spent until about 7pm exploring all the walking paths. There is something here for everyone. There is a huge playground for little ones, there are paths for walkers/runners/dog walkers, and there were even a bunch of people fishing in the lakes. I love how child-friendly this park is. It felt like most of the bridges, benches, and other fun structures were made by girl or boy scouts. There is a huge parking lot so it's easy to drive to this spot. They also have very clean restrooms. We didn't go in to the nature center, but that was pretty too. I liked that this park had a lot to explore. The water was low enough at one section for us to go to a little island in the middle of one lake. While not all the trees have their leaves yet, I image this is even prettier when everything is in bloom. It was a very serene and lovely place to explore.

Three Lakes is a gem of a park not far from Richmond proper. I love walking here when I happen to…read morebe visiting a business or estate sale nearby and it has always been exceedingly pleasant. This place has plenty of parking, lots of playground equipment, and (as the name suggests) three small lakes to walk around. It's worth noting that the main lake (closes to the park entrance) is where fishing is permitted and has the newest/nicest path as well. The middle lake is enjoyable though is a bit rougher. The far lake was damaged in storms in the past so some of it is pretty rough but still enjoyable to explore. I make sure to hit all three lakes every visit, though if you want a nice clean experience, stick to the main lake. The nature center is nice but fair warning: it's pretty small and won't take more than 10-15 minutes to enjoy in its entirety. Still, the staff member there tends to be nice and there are a few small animals in the little displays there. If you want a fun place to walk (especially if you have kids who like playground equipment), this is a great spot to do it. Overall: 5.0 stars ---- Pros: - Beautiful walking spot. - Pleasant staff. - Lots of free parking. - Fun (if small) nature center. - Plenty of playground equipment for kids. Cons: - It would be great if they fully re-built the third lake, though I suppose the rugged nature of it is part of the charm.

I drive from SC to CT and back twice a year and typically stop at a different dog park in Richmond…read morebut decided to switch it up this year. On the way up, we stopped at the Byrd Park dog park. It was clean, well shaded, had running water available, and even the human portapotties were clean and in the shade (a miracle!). The dogs that were there with us were well behaved and the owners seemed to be paying attention and interacting with them, always a good sign. On the way back, we parked at the little pond and walked around for a little while. It was a little too warm to do multiple laps, but it was a great view and, again, very clean. I think we'll be making Byrd Park a regular part of our journey from now on.

Richmond is home to many top-tier, well-maintained parks, and Byrd Park is no exception. The park…read moreis host to many events throughout the year, has cherry blossoms in the spring, and the foliage is lovely in the fall. It's a great place to go walking or catching up with friends. Parking is abundant as well.

Pony Pasture is one of those places you have to see to believe. With incredible views of the James…read moreRiver and access to amazing trails. This is a great spot for families, couples or friends looking for water access or a spot for a picnic. I love checking this spot out and sitting on a rock and enjoying the sounds of the water while watching the geese present. There is ample parking in the form of a parking lot, a public bathroom with multiple stalls and most of the trails are well marked with trash containers sprinkled throughout which has definitely caused the litter here to decrease. Definitely check this spot out if you're wanting a nature retreat!

Beautiful, serene park worth searching for if you'd like to escape the humdrum or daily grind. It's…read morejust so relaxing listening to the river rolling over the rocks and boulders. There's something to be said about unplugging and losing yourself in nature! You should try it!

Went to meet friends for surprise bday get together for their Mom. Which was awesome once everyone…read moreshowed up. How ever, the state of VA needs to invest in bigger signs with a bit more clarification of where things are. Basically I had to go back to main entrance and make turn just to figure out where I needed to go, but funny thing is I was the first person to show up at the shelter . The park is beautiful though, and very popular for the water park inside.

With spring around the corner, I am enjoying finding nature spots to explore with these bursts of…read morewarm weather. My best friend and I went to Pocahontas State Park a few weekends ago to do the Beaver Lake trail. This park is pretty big and they offer a variety of trails to explore. I love that you are able to walk, fish, bike, and even camp here. I just learned that if you are an REI member, you can take your receipt and use it as a payment to enter this park! It's usually $7 to enter with a car, but it was nice to be able to enter with a REI receipt. I've come twice this year and while the trees are not green yet, it's still a lovely park to explore. It's very family-friendly. There is a playground in the space. They also seem to have pools here. You can use All Trails to find a trail you want or ask the park ranger for recs on the map. They also have an information center and museum. If you live in the RVA area, I recommend checking out this park at least once.

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.

Decent half mile loop walk around the lake with two minor inclines, barely of note. Nice exposure…read moreto birdlife and at least one lizard/skink/newt that my wife saw. There are two easily accessible areas for fishing. although this is purely for-fun fishing not WOW fishing. IYKYK. Nice suburban setting, open til dark. Decent parking. No potties that we could see.

Love this park for walking. Ample shade and sun with beautiful views. I love the trail around the…read morelake this park is amazing with onsite parking and restrooms.

Beautiful park in Glen Allen. Spacious clean park with a lot of room to walk, fly kites, fish and…read morehave an afternoon picnic. One of my favorite parks.

Super clean, well-manicured park that stretches nature out like a blanket of beauty! The glassy…read morelake is gorgeous with the fountain flowing majestically. For lovers of nature walks, and active people, there's plenty to do in this park! There's a horse pit, baseball fields, football fields and tennis courts. Bait your hook and go fishing on the pier! For history buffs, you'll enjoy walking down the lane to the museum on the property. There's a nice playground for the tots, and a community library box near the parking by the playground. There's plenty of spots to picnic, and refreshing views to enjoy. The hiking trails are perfect for admiring creation, and at times you can also enjoy the farm animals! So park your car at this lovely natural space and take a respite from the chaotic world to recharge your batteries!

I really love Maymont Park and will stop here to walk every chance I get. It has parking right…read moreoutside the gate and it's free to just walk right in. I really like how big the park is and that they have an Italian and Japanese specific garden within. This park has so much, from animals to waterfalls, and would be great for photos. It's so easy to find peace here and spend time even just sitting and relaxing. It's the perfect spot for families or to take a date, so you can really have a nice time with anyone. I highly suggest stopping in and getting some zen time.

What a beautiful experience! This park offers a ton of scenery. I enjoyed seeing animals, the…read morepeacefulness and how clean the park is!