Westmoreland state park is a true hidden gem located in Westmoreland past King George VA. It is…read moreclose to the George Washington Birthplace. Parking cost about $10 at the entrance. When I was driving in I noticed campgrounds but unsure if there are cabins. They have a nice playground and bathrooms close by. Near the visitor center there is also a Discovery Center however we did not stop by. The ranger let us know that they have more things to look at. We came to check out the Fossil Beach and found a small shark tooth. The rangers were very helpful and kept my kids very engaged while sharing all about the cool things this park has to offer. Inside the visitor center you can find snacks, water fountains, restrooms, air conditioning, a neat gift shop, turtles, and snakes. Ask about their Jr. Ranger program/booklet. It is very kid friendly even for older toddlers. Definitely make a day trip out of this park. In addition to shark teeth hunting you can also swim in the river. Many people were here with umbrellas and towels. It is about a 0.5 mile hike to get to Fossil beach.

We arrived a day early and with the exception of the totally clueless young girl staffing the main…read moreentrance booth the staff at the visitors center were kind, knowledgeable and super efficient. They quickly assigned us pull through hook up site A06. Our site and fire pit were super clean as were the bathroom facilities which even had a nice laundry room. The view from the visitor center is breathtaking and the surrounding trails well manicured. Fossils Beach was a high point with an easy hiking level. Our camp host in A1 was very friendly and cleaned every site as it was vacated. I'd highly recommend this State Park gem while visiting VA.

This is lovely reservoir park along River Road (northwest of downtown Fredericksburg, but on the…read moresouth bank of the Rappahanock River). It's only a 7 minute drive from the Wegmans in the Carl D. Silver Parkway megaplex. As you enter on the left side, continue past the mini-parking lot along a gravel road. At the end, there's a larger parking lot (upper lot) and the smaller parking area (lower lot). On a Sunday morning in late September, it was calm and peaceful on the reservoir. On weekends from 12pm-5pm, the nature center is open for kids. This is a great place for boating (they have kayak and canoe rentals) and easy hiking. Not so ideal for running because the trails are narrow and full of tree branches (hazardous if you're not watching your step). A river path is a good option for walking (but not ideal for jogging). Across River Road at the "bottom of the hill", there's a public boat ramp that's worth a quick peek for a view of the river. At the far left, walk toward the open space and path along the river. After a short walk of 200 feet, you'll get a clear view of how rocky and shallow the river is - as well as bowls in the ground which may been cannon redouts (used during the Civil War). It's amazing to see both the Union and Confederate forces built cannon redoubts on both sides to prevent people from crossing the river at this shallow and relatively calm area. Enjoy!

Pros: Beautiful, calm lake, with chances to see wildlife and public restrooms are available…read more Cons: Driving down the dirt hill toward the water can be treacherous due to long, wide, deep trenches. Also, this lake allows remote controlled boats, so if someone is using it to speed around the water, we kayakers have to steer clear. Noisy and annoying. Finally, we used our own kayaks and PDFs and the cost was $10.

Loved the experience here, nice and clean for the most part. Liked hiking the trails.read more

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.

This is the 11-acre riverfront park is located at the fall line of the Rappahannock River. This…read morepark is accessible via River Road, adjacent to the Falmouth Bridge. Most visitors to this park do so for river access for fishing. This park site is historically know as the spot where John Washington, a Fredericksburg slave who escaped to freedom behind Union lines. This site is known locally now for the amounts of drownings that originate from this river access spot. Seems that no matter how many signs you put up in every language known to man there will still be people that don't use common sense and respect the river. Unfortunately we live in a time where the acts of a few will force the hand of the city to close off all access. Yea I'm sure that'll be the solution. Me ~

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.

Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the…read moreoutdoors, nature, picnics, and water outdoor activities. We went to a 2024 Eagle Festival and had a very wonderful & educational time. The entrance to the park was free on the day of the festival and free transportation from the parking area to the festival location was free. We saw beautiful birds: falcon and owls and snakes. The staff and the organizations at the events were very informative, professional, and fun. They gave a lot of free gifts, educational opportunities, information about wildlife & the environment, and photography moments with the birds. I can not fully express how impressed I was about the Eagle festival in Mason Neck in this review. I strongly suggest you visit next year festival event in Mason Neck or just visit it. Beautiful and well kept state park with picturesque walking trails. Perfect for enjoying the outdoors, nature, picnics, and water outdoor activities. We went to a 2024 Eagle Festival and had a very wonderful & educational time. The entrance to the park was free on the day of the festival and free transportation from the parking area to the festival location was free. We saw beautiful birds: falcon and owls and snakes. The staff and the organizations at the events were very informative, professional, and fun. They gave a lot of free gifts, educational opportunities, information about wildlife & the environment, and photography moments with the birds. I can not fully express how impressed I was about the Eagle festival in Mason Neck in this review. I strongly suggest you visit next year festival event in Mason Neck or just visit it.

Mason Neck is a peninsula which is mostly parkland but is divided confusingly among several…read moredifferent jurisdictions. The best views are the state park, which this is not. The federal wildlife refuge amounts to a couple of miles of trail through the forest, leading to an overlook. There wasn't a ton of wildlife when I dropped in, though I just caught site of a large bird of prey on my way back. The topography wasn't as varied, nor the trails as extensive, as compared to the state park which is just a bit farther down the road. However, that costs money and this does not, so this section is still nice for what it is.

nice place nice location...rentals available......bike trails…read moreand of course hiking trails...would recommend for the family Yes

facilities are pretty comprehensive. water was a little low so the boat ramp was probably a little…read moremore difficult than usual to navigate, but we got the kayaks in the water & back on the vehicle without too much trouble. they have a variety of rental boats/canoes/kayaks, and we saw a lot of folks parking to hike or bike the trails. lovely, peaceful lake to paddle on. had a great time. kind of low of wildlife and even fish, but I figure that was mostly due to our visit being on the last day of September.

great lake for paddling or fishing…read more lots of smaller largemouth bass, but a developing population of larger ones. no gas motors are allowed. concrete boat ramp with a small floating dock and attached canoe/kayak launch. even when the parking area is crowded, I've never seen it full. & the lake looks empty even when the parking is full. limited shore fishing. some picnic tables & such. there are restrooms on the hill above the boat ramp. only flaws are a population of wasps at the dock that repeated complaints to the County have not resolved, and a tendency for all-about-me folks to park along the ramp (which is NOT a parking area, except for the small handicap area) or leave their vehicles there for extended periods.

Lake Mooney is technically a reservoir but it definitely has that lake feel and is perfect for…read morefishing or kayaking. Gas motor boats are not allowed; only electric motors are permitted on the lake. There's a boat ramp that is easy to get to. A few benches also line the shore. This is a great place for a picnic. I personally enjoy visiting late in the afternoon, as you can watch the sun set.