It's a nice place to hang out with the family and cool off. Great spot for the kiddos to, not to…read moredeep till you go further out.

A little gem. This is a small but nice little place to go that's not far if you live in the area…read more It's great for little kids with no waves. The water is never freezing. If you want to go to a 'sandy beach' area that's not far this is the place. It can quickly get crowded and parking does fill up quickly so go early. The bathroom are clean.

If you're into history, hiking the trail around Government Island is an interesting one. It's the…read moresite of a colonial-era quarry that the federal government later bought to use the stone to help build the U.S. Capitol and The White House. After driving 45 minutes from Southeast D.C. on a January Saturday, here's my experience. 1) Parking: There's a medium-sized gravel parking lot with empty spots often. On the edge of the lot is a porta potty. Near the trail head are signs talking about the area's history and directions on which path to follow. 2) Trail: The path leads to a boardwalk where people sometimes fish. Follow the boardwalk across the water to the island. Here, the trail wraps around the small island with a constant view of the water and its wildlife, including herons. 3) Markers: The trail is well marked with signs that talk about the quarry's history, how the stone was transported to D.C., etc. You can see the foundation of the old quarry and a historic marker.

Ive been coming to this place since I was In HS You can…read moreclimb up and see where the Stones were cut for the Washington monument. History is this close by is a cool part of our past you should check out. Bring a good pair is shoes and look for the Bald eagles.

never enough parking in places like this, but that's my only complaint. this is a great natural…read morearea to hike & the access to the creek for canoeing or kayaking is excellent. it is a relatively long carry for the kayaks - the boardwalk is around 100 meters long, and the path from the parking area is around another 25. having a wheeled trolley to aid moving the boat helps. the area is wonderful - lots of wildlife and sights without compare. such a pleasant workout to paddle through the wilderness. it is a good idea to check times for the tides - the creek is tidally influenced and it can make a big difference in how leisurely your paddling is. excellent place - so glad that Stafford County & the Commonwealth established it.

It's not terribly far from the highway, but this is a very quiet stretch of waterside woods. Of the…read moretwo entrances, the one I took (a right turn on the road leading into the area, as opposed to staying straight) had a long dirt road before reaching the parking area. From there, a path led a few miles through tranquil forest before reaching a fairly anticlimactic ending. The view of the river was obscured by trees, and you couldn't really get down to the water on the muddy cliffs with signs telling you to stay clear. Still, if life is about the journey, it was a pleasant walk, and there were other trails. I suspect the area is interesting by canoe as well.

Nice park with lots of fields to play on and a few trails to explore. Easy to get in and out of it…read morewith good parking.

This is a great park! The parking lot seemed to fill up quickly due to multiple games/ practices…read moregoing on and there were lots of kids on the playground. The park is open 8am- 8pm with an actual gate the closes at 8pm. The park is kind of hidden at the end of a long residential road. We never saw any lake, but my son had a great time on the playground.

Small park located at the top off a hill after passing over the railroad tracks and a residential…read morearea. There is a short auto tour and you can also get out and hike around and see more. There is one small picnic area. Restrooms...well there are just port-a-potties. Quiet area with young trees. One thing that detracts from the park are the large power towers in the middle.

Gorgeous water views. We came for a kayak tour of the Ghost Fleet through Charles County Parks and…read moreRecreation. As first timers kayakers it was a nice experience, glad we had guides, and I wish I would have opted for the longer tour. There are a few benches that overlook the water but not much else. We didn't hike any of the trail because we saw a snake and immediately turned back. ( Yes, I understand animals will be on all my nature loving adventures but I'm going to chicken out every time lol) Beautiful scenic drive to get there. Great for kayakers.

Nice views even though it was a gray sky kind of day. There's only a small patch of beach area. A…read morenice sturdy dock and boating house with rentable kayaks and such - was closed at the time. It was nice and scenic for the family. I definitely think it's interesting for the historical aspects with the wrecked ships (ghost ships) viewable from land. I did not get a chance to checkout nature trials so that is left to be explored.

It's nice to have this dog park in the gated Aquia harbor community. This is the updated park where…read morethey have sectioned it out into three gated areas. There is no longer a shelter but looks like a pump is still here on outside for water. Doggo had a great time stopping off before we visit some friends at their home.

Be aware that this is not a public dog park. It is unfortunately for residents only. Tried to visit…read morebut was turned away.

Wanted to give a more recent review since most of the other reviews are 10/11years or older. This…read moretrail is so much fun but definitely more for a seasoned bike rider. About at mile 2 from Rt 605 the gravel has seen better days and it's quite bumpy. However, it is such a fun trail for a challenge without much hills. Definitely need a mountain or mountain hybrid bike. Walking or running on this trail is wonderful just be sure to watch your footing especially in fall when the leaves may cover up some of the old wooden tracks. Small kids/strollers will have a hard time past the 2 mile. Bring bug spray in the summer! Views are absolutely beautiful!

If your an outdoor enthusiast, this is the place to go. Over 15 miles of landscape and trail hiking…read moreshould suffice for those looking for a challenge. There is limited parking at the entrance, so plan accordingly. They have a small pic of area with two pic ic tables, a frill and a cinder block fire pit. If I had more time it would be an awesome hangout place for a group of friends. I really hope that the continued fight to protect the trail prevails!!