Park Authority

The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin construction work on the Laurel Hill Central Green Restroom. With the exception of a small staging area in the parking lot, construction activities are not expected to impact access to the park.

The contractor, Bright Construction Group, will be mobilizing on site during the week of May 21, as weather permits. Project completion is anticipated in the spring of 2024. The project includes construction of a restroom facility, accessible walkway and supporting infrastructure to include sanitary sewer, electric and water lines.

Funding for the $2.5 million project is provided through voter-approved park bonds. 

Laurel Hill Central Green is located at 8780 Lorton Road, in Lorton. For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Kelly Davis at phone number (703) 324-8609 or kelly.davis@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Discover your new favorite museum with the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) on Thursday, May 18, in honor of International Museum Day.

The FCPA operates several historic house museums, gardens, and nature centers that preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Fairfax County. From the Archaeology Trail at Sully Historic Site to the historic Kidwell Farmhouse at Frying Pan Farm Park if you’re a fan of history, architecture, flora or fauna, we have a site for you.

International Museum Day is organized annually by the International Council of Museum around a theme important to cultural institutions. In 2023 we celebrate museums as key contributors to the well-being and sustainable development in our communities. Located throughout Fairfax County, FCPA museums and park spaces create opportunities for residents and visitors to connect with the past and explore the natural landscape.

Our Historic FCPA sites offer guided tours, field trip opportunities and educational programming. To learn more about the offerings and hours for each location, please visit our Historic Site Tours website.

Volunteer Fairfax and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently honored the achievements of volunteers serving across Fairfax County at an awards ceremony held May 10. Three of the ten Community Champions recognized at the event have been significant contributors to the Fairfax County Park System for many years.

Carl Sell, Franconia District: Carl was named the Lee District representative to the Fairfax County Park Authority in 1971 and served as Chairman in 1974 and 1975. During his time with the Park Authority, the county experienced exceptional growth in parkland acreage and facilities highlighted by the opening of the Franconia Rec Center and the acquisition of Huntley Meadows.

Bill Bouie, Hunter Mill District: Bill is currently serving as the Hunter Mill representative on the Park Authority Board and just recently stepped down as chairman after 14 years of leadership. Under his leadership the Park Authority has earned two National Gold Medal Awards and achieved accreditation three times; acquired more than 10,000 acres of parkland and open space; and achieved the passage of four park bonds worth nearly half a billion dollars in capital financing.

Ellanor C. Lawrence Park (ELCP) Friends, Sully District: In the three years since the ELCP Friends group was created, they have evolved into a major contributing force to the success of the Park and surrounding community. They have been instrumental in developing new and engaging park activities, building awareness about events and in encouraging volunteer support for programs and stewardship initiatives within the park. The group has secured grants and raised more than $25,000 for the Stewardship Education Center and for the STEAM Loop.

“We are proud of the many contributions for which these honorees have been recognized,” said Executive Director, Jai Cole. “They have long been champions for our park system and we count ourselves fortunate to be beneficiaries of their dedicated service, enthusiasm and passion.”

For more information about the Fairfax County Community Champion Awards, please visit the Volunteer Fairfax website.

Join the Fairfax County Park Authority to celebrate the official opening of Accotink Creek Crossing on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 3. The day will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m., followed by a packed day of planned trail activities for the whole family! Activities will include:

• Hike with a Naturalist (9 a.m. and 2 p.m.): Take a hike with a naturalist and explore the wild plants and animals that call Lake Accotink home.
• History Walk (10 a.m. and Noon): Join the Friends of Lake Accotink Park for a stroll down memory lane and learn about the unique history of the area.
• Trail Ride (10 a.m.): Bring your bike and enjoy a trail ride with friends from Trails for Youth.
• Using Technology in Nature (4 p.m.): Learn how to use your phone to enhance your outdoor experiences.

The ribbon cutting and all trail activities will begin at the foot of the new Accotink Creek Crossing. Self-guided geocaching activity instructions will be made available online shortly before the National Trails Day at Lake Accotink event.

The 3.9-mile Lake Accotink Loop trail is one of the most heavily used trail facilities within the Fairfax County Park Authority. It serves communities around Lake Accotink and park visitors from throughout the region. The previous stream crossing at the outfall of the Lake Accotink dam was subject to sudden and frequent flooding, often stranding trail users and tempting them to wade through swiftly moving water. Additionally, excessive storm damage necessitated the total reconstruction of the trail twice within the last five years.

The new Accotink Creek Crossing project included the construction of approximately 320 linear feet of concrete trail and a 325 linear-foot elevated concrete pedestrian crossing over the outfall. The project also helped reduce the overall conditions and slope of the trail in this area in response to community concerns. The total cost of the project was just over $3 million with funding provided through voter-approved park bonds.

Lake Accotink Park is located at 7500 Accotink Park Road, in Springfield. For more information about the day’s events, visit the National Trails Day at Lake Accotink webpage or contact the Public Information Office at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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This event is made possible with the support of the Friends of Lake Accotink, Trails for Youth and Fairfax County Park Foundation.

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in Great Falls, Virginia, is a fantastic natural resource to be enjoyed by those looking for a quiet place to enjoy a hike, gaze at the waterfall and streams, as well as the shoreline of the Potomac River; and to take in the rich abundance of local fauna, woodland creatures and natural resources. If you are seeking a place to drink alcohol, swim or wade in the water, or climb rocks, this is not the place.

The Fairfax County Park Authority will be working collaboratively with the Fairfax County Police Department to ensure only permitted activities take place in this natural area, that people can recreate safely, and that the rules as they apply to alcohol and use of the preserve are observed. Law enforcement and FCPA staff will be enforcing the rules as follows:

• No coolers are allowed. No alcohol or glass bottles are permitted in Scott’s Run. Bags will be checked at parking lot trailheads. Enforcement will be stepped up at the waterfall area. The beauty of the falls masks its peril. This area is subject to dangerous currents, and submerged rocks can combine with those currents to make entering the water a deadly decision. Rain upstream can raise water levels very quickly.
• No swimming, wading or boating allowed at Scott’s Run. Crowds in the water threaten the many invertebrates and the remarkable and rare plant species that call the preserve home.
• No parking is permitted in adjacent neighborhoods or along the roadway leading to the park. Parking is limited to 50 cars in the designated parking areas.
• Dogs must be on a leash while in the park.

Rules are posted at Scotts Run Nature Preserve Park Rules webpage. The Fairfax County Park Authority has 420 parks available for recreational use. Swimming is limited to pools and Rec Centers. Police will enforce all applicable laws. Park Authority employees and authorized volunteer staff have been trained and are obligated to enforce these rules and regulations. Failure to abide by these rules may also result in violators being ejected from the park immediately and prohibited from future use of park property, facilities or services. 

Scott's Run Nature Preserve is located at 7400 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia. For more information, visit Scott's Run Nature Preserve.   

The Fairfax County Park Authority is hosting the first-ever Family Skate Night at Franconia Rec Center. Grab your roller skates and family and friends for an evening of fun at Franconia Rec Center on Saturday, May 13 from 7 to 10 p.m.

The gymnasium at the Franconia Rec Center will be converted into a roller-skating rink, complete with a live DJ! Attendees should bring their own roller skates/quad skates (inline skates/rollerblades are not permitted).

Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 the day of the event.

Register for Family Skate Night

Franconia Rec Center is located at 6601 Telegraph Road in Alexandria, Virginia. For more information, visit the Franconia Rec Center website or call 703-922-9841.

Skate the Wake has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Because of the extreme popularity of this event, the Park Authority will be working to reschedule Skate the Wake for a later date. Stay tuned for details!

Do you enjoy skateboarding, inline and roller skating or BMX biking? Maybe you just get a kick out of watching skaters and bikers in action doing amazing tricks. No matter which group you might fit into, you’re not going to want to miss this year’s Skate the Wake at the newly redesigned Wakefield Skate Park!

Join the Park Authority on May 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a full day of fun and entertainment, featuring celebrity guests, music, food, door prizes, local vendors and more. Meet and get an autograph from Mimi Knoop, five-time X-Games medalist and former coach of the USA Skateboarding team. Music will be provided all day from DJ Derran Eaddy, founder of Solstik Music.

Skate the Wake will also feature a limited-registration Skateboard Trick Clinic and skateboard Best Trick Contest that will be judged by professionals from the Fairfax Surf Shop, as well as celebrity judges Mimi Knoop and Spike Mendelsohn (“Top Chef” competitor and local restaurateur). 

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their artistic skills to the test by trying their hand at graffiti on the Wakefield skate shack. Those interested in skating can learn more about getting started at the beginner skater tent. In addition, the Park Authority will be collecting food donations for Food for Others. You can find out more information about donating at the Food for Others website.

Skate the Wake will be held rain or shine at the Wakefield Skate Park located at 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, Virginia.

Gather your crew, grab a food donation and Skate the Wake on May 13! It’s not a hobby, it’s an attitude!

Wakefield Skate Park is located at 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, Virginia. For more information, visit Wakefield Skate Park or call 703-321-7081.

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The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is seeking teenagers looking to develop their leadership and communication skills to become Counselors in Training (C.I.T.). The C.I.T. program is open to teens ages 14 and older and provides real-world experience in planning and leading activities for elementary-aged children participating in FCPA camps and Rec-PAC. Participants often return year after year, eventually accepting paid staff positions when they turn 18.

Serving alongside adult leaders, participating C.I.T.s assist counselors with programming, gain experience working as part of a team, develop new communication and leadership skills, and have fun helping elementary school-age children. Each participant receives a T-shirt and will receive an assignment for a specific Rec Center, park or school site.

To participate, applicants must submit the C.I.T. application and complete an interview. Once selected to the program, there is an application fee and initial online training that must be completed before the start of the summer program. Specific instructions for summer camp and Rec-PAC C.I.T.s are included below:

Summer Camp C.I.T.s: Applicants must submit their application to the camp program directors at the location they are interested in being assigned to. Camp C.I.T. training will be held virtually on Tuesday, June. 6 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Become a Camp C.I.T.

Learn more about FCPA’s camps by visiting the Camps website.

Rec-PAC C.I.T.s: Applicants must note their preferred location and submit applications by Friday, June 9 and attend an in-person training event on June 17. Accepted applicants will be assigned to a site and work daily on weekdays from June 26 through Aug. 3, from 8:15 a.m. through 4 p.m.

Become a Rec-PAC C.I.T.

Learn more about the FCPA Rec-PAC program by visiting the Rec-PAC website.

Don’t wait, submit a C.I.T. application today!

Explore a thriving wetland sanctuary during Wetlands Awareness Day! Join us in celebrating the significance of Huntley Meadows Park and get connected with the treasured homes and habitats of the wildlife throughout the park on Sunday, May 7, from noon to 4 p.m.

Huntley Meadows Park is home to a nationally significant historic house, majestic forests, wildflower-speckled meadows and vast wetlands bursting with life. Some of the best wildlife watching in the Washington Metropolitan Area is here.

Enjoy an up-close view of live raptors, reptiles and amphibians and interactive displays and activities. Bring the whole family, and your neighbors too, to stroll the forested paths and immersive boardwalk trails throughout the park. See the plants and animals that live in the park and learn how they play vital roles in the ecosystem. Grab a discovery guide when you check in and visit different activity stations, receiving a stamp at each station to earn a prize.

This free, family-friendly event will be held rain or shine. Come discover the importance and value of our local wetlands.

Register for Wetlands Awareness Day

Huntley Meadows Park is located at 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, Virginia. For more information, please call 703-768-2525 or visit Huntley Meadows Park.

It’s National Poetry Month and Arab American Heritage Month. Celebrate both at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park with the first in a series of Poetry in the Parks events.

Enjoy poetry from the Fairfax Poet Laureate featuring local Arab American poets Zeina Azzam, Rayan Afif and Danielle Badra. Poetry in the Parks is a partnership between ArtsFairfax and the Fairfax County Park Authority, highlighting the relationship between nature and poetry. Experience the serenity of the Ellanor C. Lawrence wooded amphitheater, while experiencing the natural surroundings.

The event will be held on April 15 from 3 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but please register for the program.

Register for Fairfax Poet Laureate

Ellanor C. Lawrence Park is located at 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly, Virginia. For more information, please call 703-631-0013 or visit Ellanor C. Lawrence Park.