Local Guides World
Top Tourist attractions in Lorton, United States
Top Rated Tourist attractions in Lorton
Top Reviewed Tourist attractions in Lorton
Laurel Hill Mountain Bike Trails
Meadowood Special Recreation Area
Mason Neck West Park
Mason Neck State Park
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Occoquan Regional Park
Laurel Hill Community Center
Reviews
Perhaps my favorite park in Woodbridge. Good spot to run a 5K loop. The "secret" wooded trail near the entrance of the park is a great way to up the cardio difficulty or go for a nice hike. You can also hop on the Cross Country Trail here terminating at Great Falls if desired.
You won't find the layout of the 5K path online, at least at this time, please see the photo attached.
You won't find the layout of the 5K path online, at least at this time, please see the photo attached.
Went to the batting cages, they provide helmets and bats for free. You buy tokens for the balls, thought it was cheap at first but those balls go quick! The attendant will adjust the machines if they're too high or low.
Water lovers will enjoy the boat ramp and kayak access. Cafe on site for when you get hungry and didn't pack your lunch or bring picnic supplies. Bathroom outdoors and indoors. Batting cages seasonal. Nice greenway for walking or biking.
Beautiful spot to have a walk or a picnic within the nature.
Plenty of parking. Great trails, birds, nature. Enjoyed the Tundra Swans during a beautiful day!
Travelled to view the visiting Tundra Swans. Easy trail to covered viewing area. Seating and a viewing scope. Dog friendly. Bald Eagles nesting nearby.
Nice, short trails, lovely swamp views, TONS of wildlife. I've seen multiple species everytime I go out here. Rangers are also very friendly (at least the one's I've encountered are). The Visitor Center has a nice little display and cool merchandise.
Beautiful park right here. Walk, run , bike, fish or kayak along the river from here. Seems to have enough parking. Lots of different trails along the river or in the woods to explore. There are baseball fields and batting cages. There’s even a garden celebrating women’s suffrage. It’s an easy place for exercise, fishing or a picnic.
Lovely trails, beautiful views, and wonderful biodiversity — you get some uphill hikes, beach hikes, and your standard trail hikes. We really enjoy this place and come back almost every weekend.
This park is such a hidden gem! Giving views of the marsh and grassland it is also amazing for leaf peeping in the fall. Lots of wildlife and the visitor center and staff are great. Highly recommend.!!
This park has at all! Great café w healthy food choices. Seating area indoor and outdoor w water view. Picnic aerea, trail, boat ramp, rentals.
Great mountain bike trail with multiple entry points and parking for 20ish cars at each. Easy to ride with wooden humps in sections. It can get a bit crowded on weekends but is always respectful and fun.
Meadowood's great. Lots of open land lots of woods lots of trails. The occasional picnic table.
Fun trails with a wide range. I'm just starting out with mountain biking. Definitely take it slow if it's your first time, there are some spots where you could slingshot off the trail into a deep ditch. It connects to a nearby park with portapotties (maybe 15 minute bike ride). Looks like they're building a full restroom there.
Best mountain biking trails in the area. There are lots of roots and rocks so don't exceed your skill level.
Everyday delivery…..Beautiful place
A lot of horses and very friendly. staff is nice as well.
We had a great quick visit to Mason Neck State Park today. We paid $10 to enter the park, and drove down to the beach area. There was a great 1 mile Bay View trail that took us along the bay then looped back through the marsh and the woods back to the parking lot. We started the .3 mile out and back beach trail, but since it was a hot day our dogs were too tired to finish. There were plenty of play areas and playgrounds to keep everyone entertained. We plan to come back and enjoy the bay kayaking next time!
Great place for kids to play
Fantastic trail.. it could be a bit of a challenge for some but totally recommended..
Occoquan Regional Park is an absolute gem nestled along the banks of the picturesque Occoquan River. This expansive park provides visitors with a perfect blend of natural beauty, recreational activities, and tranquility. Here's my review of this stunning destination.
An absolutely lovely nature preserve just a stone’s throw from DC and Hoodbridge. It is free of charge which is wonderful, though it has no amenities other than a trailhead toilet. The whole of Mason Neck was almost developed in the 1900s, but heroic Elizabeth Hartwell and others fought to save it from the destruction that nearly every other forest has felt in the region. The forest is surprisingly pristine and in the middle of the forest, the only sounds you hear that aren’t natural are of the occasional chopper or plane. Lots of avifauna and other creatures. Highly recommend a visit.
Another great state park and like the next door Liz Hartwell NWR, it is a pristine forest saved from destruction by developers in the last century. It is now a haven for avifauna such as eagles and osprey, but many other wildlife and plants as well. It is $10 for entry unlike the free NWR next door, and there is a visitor’s centre with a gift shop and neat exhibit. Would highly recommend a visit, a lovely place to hike so close to DC and Hoodbridge, cheers.
Amazing and decently challenging mountain biking trails
what kind of rec center is consistently closed on saturdays (one of the only two days of the week, adults are allowed in the gym to play basketball) 💀
I go to play pickleball. The first impression when you walk in is warm and welcoming. The front desk team great you with a smile. They make eye contact. The facility is always clean and orderly. The gym is always groomed. Its clear they care about the place.
Like to take my dogs here for walks. It is local and close to my house.
Great place to get some peddling in or even a hike. Not crazy technical, but some skill is needed. Not a typical family biking path, some rocks and roots throughout.
Great place for my 11 yr. old and 9 yr. old twins to learn and enjoy riding trails. You can also get a decent workout in, if you want to push it, or you can have an easier day on the trails if you want. The views are nice. Nice network of trails and a great place to ride!
By far one of my favorite parks in Northern Virginia! It is cleaner than most Nova parks and the shelters for bbqs and gatherings are SO much nicer than any other parks in the area! Our dogs love hanging out here and exploring the trails :)
Great for beginners and kids. Each loop/trail is not long, combined 1-2h riding. Tons of birds! Beautiful scenery as well. Big parking!
I used to go to Woodmarsh Trail often during the pandemic. My goal was to lose weight, and since going to the gym wasn't safe, I decided to go hiking. My average daily walk was 2-4 miles, and I carried a bottle of water, an apple and a cucumber on my morning hikes (3-4 times a week). Cucumbers and apples are good because they quench thirst faster than water. If you want to lose weight by hiking, be sure to bring cucumbers and apples. I have been to the mountains often since I was a child. It's really good for losing weight without harming your health, and we share with you some hacks without the help of people around you.
When I wake up in the morning, I go for a walk on an empty stomach. It burns the fat accumulated in the body. And when I get home, I have breakfast. I'm not hungry because I ate apples and cucumbers. You won't eat much for breakfast.
When I wake up in the morning, I go for a walk on an empty stomach. It burns the fat accumulated in the body. And when I get home, I have breakfast. I'm not hungry because I ate apples and cucumbers. You won't eat much for breakfast.
We'll kept baseball field. Bathrooms, bleachers and a snack shack. Basketball court as well.
Pretty cool. Took my aussie with me..
4/2023...For some reason, I keep coming back to this little spot!
4/2023...For some reason, I keep coming back to this little spot!
I have visited the Mason Neck State Park many times, the most I like among state parks.
This location is a great place for family camping.
Not only for family, but also good for elderly people.
1. The location is not far from Woodbridge, about 50 min drive down to the South.
2. It has camping ground next to the Potomac River.
3. If you like to 👣 . 👍
4. On the way back home, there are local Farmer's markets, and it is good to get very fresh vegetables and fruits.
5. Parking $5.00 / day
6. You can get the parking permit, which is the cheapest parking fee for all VA state parks.
7. I got the parking pass after I had visited, which was a great decision to get a parking pass because every time, I needed to put $5 bill in the envelope.
There are 3 benefits of Walking
1. You can make your body healthy
2. Reduce your stress
3. You can lose your weight
I had lost 10 pounds Lol
For children
walking in the forest is said to be emotionally good for children.
These days Chandran spend a lot of time for using computers (game) and cell phones. In my opinion, they should do some activities. Walking or Hiking with parents in the forests could be a good memory for your children. I recommend you to visit this park at least once if you have not been there. I bat you will love it.
This location is a great place for family camping.
Not only for family, but also good for elderly people.
1. The location is not far from Woodbridge, about 50 min drive down to the South.
2. It has camping ground next to the Potomac River.
3. If you like to 👣 . 👍
4. On the way back home, there are local Farmer's markets, and it is good to get very fresh vegetables and fruits.
5. Parking $5.00 / day
6. You can get the parking permit, which is the cheapest parking fee for all VA state parks.
7. I got the parking pass after I had visited, which was a great decision to get a parking pass because every time, I needed to put $5 bill in the envelope.
There are 3 benefits of Walking
1. You can make your body healthy
2. Reduce your stress
3. You can lose your weight
I had lost 10 pounds Lol
For children
walking in the forest is said to be emotionally good for children.
These days Chandran spend a lot of time for using computers (game) and cell phones. In my opinion, they should do some activities. Walking or Hiking with parents in the forests could be a good memory for your children. I recommend you to visit this park at least once if you have not been there. I bat you will love it.
Nice park walk, hiking, baseball, basketball and tennis
Easy hikes! One trail is paved and flat the other is also easy but unpaved. Great views from both blinds. Alot of bird activity. Good location for seeing tundra swans.
Always clean and a place for the family
Took a nice hike w our kids and we all really enjoyed it :) a bit hot that day but def will go back when it cools down! kids had a lot of fun and there was a bike path close by as well that looked like it would be fun.
My favorite friend fox was limping today. Please DRIVE SLOW! All I can do is assume someone new to this wildlife refuge was speeding. Please please stop driving aggressively. Animals here are so friendly and unafraid! It pains me to know he might get hit again as there are several large parties at the picnic area tonight. Maybe put a sign up to remind people to keep an eye out for wild animals!
The Laurel Hill Mountain Bike trails are built in an area that historically was a prison called the Lorton Reformatory, established in 1910 for the District of Columbia, United States. The complex began as a prison farm called the Occoquan Workhouse for non-violent offenders serving short sentences.
There are about 8 miles of easy trails and rare in this area the trees are not so thick you can actually see a bit of scenery. A few of the trails are marked intermediate/or advanced mountain bike trails but from a mountain biking point of view they are all easy/green trails.
There are about 8 miles of easy trails and rare in this area the trees are not so thick you can actually see a bit of scenery. A few of the trails are marked intermediate/or advanced mountain bike trails but from a mountain biking point of view they are all easy/green trails.
Fantastic beginner MTB trails. My boys, 7 and 10, learned to ride here with their 6 speed REI mtn. bikes. Gears are required, there are some hills, but they are kid friendly.
Great walk, run or bike trail all in one. One can easily make this trail 10 plus miles if need be. So of the trails are designed to be harder and harder for bikers, but one can easily run or hike the same area. View is great.
Very peaceful, wonderful place to escape for a minute. On the weekends it's more people out but if you just want to take a walk or bike ride...it won't be that crowded. If you plan to do any activities such as soccer, softball, volleyball, etc...it might not be enough space if their are multiple families out.
Great single track mountain bike trails. If this is your first time here, start at the end of the parking lot.
Past the equestrian stables you will find a gate across a service road. Go past the gate and look for the signs for the Green Course and head to the left.
The Green Course is not too difficult and you can build up a lot of speed if you are not careful. This is a good course to get a feel of the tracks which are similar on the Orange and Yellow Courses.
Along the course you'll see plenty of wildlife to include deer and the surpsingly un-endanged suicide squirrel. 🐿
Enjoy the ride! 🚴♂️
Past the equestrian stables you will find a gate across a service road. Go past the gate and look for the signs for the Green Course and head to the left.
The Green Course is not too difficult and you can build up a lot of speed if you are not careful. This is a good course to get a feel of the tracks which are similar on the Orange and Yellow Courses.
Along the course you'll see plenty of wildlife to include deer and the surpsingly un-endanged suicide squirrel. 🐿
Enjoy the ride! 🚴♂️
Great local place for some tennis or the little ones to play in the tot lot. Also a swing set for kids. Great place for Pokemon Go if you want to stay in one spot for 4 stops and a gym too!
Great trails to build mountain biking skills and get into the sport. It's all loops, so you won't get lost, but I recommend new riders use a trail map to plot your course and find your favorite routes. Trail Forks is a great app for it. Apple Orchard is my favorite trail, nice flow.
Not a lot of activities to do at the park. They have two tennis courts and a baseball field
Peaceful, serene, beautiful. What more could you ask for? Woodmarsh trail is easy going, almost entirely flat. Lots of spider webs though! The views for the marsh and the Potomac are wonderful. I spent a lot of time just looking at the water and listening to the insects.
Enjoyed the visit.
Too many deer stands for controlled kills. The stream is nice. Nice out of the way ball field and tennis courts. I have never seen this place crowded.
Fantastic neighborhood with great amenities like pool, tennis and basketball court. All of this within 20 miles of DC and a part of Fairfax County School system. What's not to like.
Wonderful neighborhood. It is great for young families or families with kids.
This is very beautiful and peaceful place. My house next to the top of the hill and I pass it everytime when I would like to go to somewhere.