Summer Vacation Gems: Fairfax County's Three Lake Parks

Creating fantastic summer memories doesn't have to cost a great deal of money. Right here in Northern Virginia, you can explore three large public parks built around manmade or natural lakes. These lake parks offer far more than just hiking and fishing.

1. BURKE LAKE PARK
7315 Ox Road ~ Fairfax Station, Virginia
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelake/

This 218-acre lake and park is open from sunrise to sunset during the summer. The park offers campgrounds, fishing (license required), hiking trails, a frisbee golf course, fitness trails, outdoor volleyball courts, picnic areas with grills, and two playgrounds. The park does not charge entrance fees to Fairfax County residents. Non-county residents are also free on weekdays but pay an $8-per-vehicle entrance fee on weekends and holidays.

You can boat on the lake. The launch fee is $5. You can rent a row boat or canoe for a half day ($10.50) or full day ($16). Rowboats with electric motors and batteries are also available for rental. No remote control or sail boats. No swimming or windsurfing.

Burke Lake offers two popular rides for children. It's $1.50 for the carousel and $2.25 for the miniature train, both of which are open daily in the summer and run every half hour starting at 11:15 for the train and 11:30 for the carousel. A miniature golf course is also available. It opens at 11 AM and costs $6 for adults and $5 for children.

Finally, the park offers an ice cream and snack parlor (open 11 AM '" 4 PM), where you can also get hot dogs and soft pretzels, near the Carousel.

2. LAKE ACCOTINK
7500 Accotink Park Road ~ Springfield, Virginia
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/accotink/

This 493-acre park boasts a lake, wetlands, streams, beach area, picnic area, a playground, hiking trails, a snack bar, a carousel, miniature golf, and boat rentals. The park is open from 7 AM until dusk. Admission to the park itself is free.

You can use your own sailboats under 15 feet, kayaks, and boats powered by electric motors on the lake for a $2 launch fee. Rent canoes ($6 an hour), pedal boats ($10 an hour), and row bots ($6 an hour). Take a tourboat ride for $2 per person.

Lake Accotink features an inexpensive miniature golf course, at just $4 for adults and $3 for children. The short, 9-hole course is perfect for the small attention spans of young children. Finally, ride the carousel for $1.50 per person.

3. LAKE FAIRFAX
1400 Lake Fairfax Drive ~ Reston, VA
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lakefairfax/

This 476-acre park features an 18-acre lake, the Water Mine water park, campgrounds, walking and hiking trails, trout fishing (license requited), picnic areas, a playground, and a carousel (nominal fee to ride). The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Rides and rentals typically open by 11.

You can rent a canoe for $6 an hour, or launch your own canoe from the marina for a $2 launch fee (or $20 for a seasons pass). No sailboats or motor boats are permitted on the lake. You can take a tour boat ride ($2 for adults and $1.50 for children 12 and younger). Rent a pedal boat for $6 for a half-hour or $10 for an hour.

The Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole is open 10 AM to 8 PM daily in the summer, although it is sometimes open only to pass holders from 5 PM to 8 PM, so check the schedule online prior to visiting. Admission is $13.50 for those over 48" tall, $11.25 under 48", and those under 2 years old are free. The water park is surrounded by a lazy river with a 2.5-mile-per-hour current. The theme is the Old West, and you'll find wagons, rattlesnakes, mine shafts, and tunnels. The park boasts floatables, showers, water slides, flumes, and sprays. This park is most suited for elementary-aged children, but if you need to bring a toddler with your older kids, he or she can hang out with a parent at "Tenderfoot Pond" and enjoy miniature slides and bubblers. For the teenagers, there's water volley ball and the lazy river.

The rates listed in this article are accurate as of 2011, and, as you can see, they are fairly reasonable. As gas approaches $5 a gallon, there's no need for Fairfax County residents to travel far and wide to enjoy a summer vacation experience. Just take a short jaunt to one of these three diverse lake parks! For more day trips and attractions in Fairfax County, as well as money saving tips (such as when you can save on admission to the Water Mine and where you can find free miniature golf coupons), check out the 2011 D.C. Area Guide to Surviving Summer with Kids.