Such a serene and gorgeous space to relax and enjoy nature! Visited for the 2nd time in early Nov 2020. Masks are mandatory on the trail and makes everything safer since its not as wide as a roadway and it is likely that you will pass others and not have 6ft between you.Highly recommended for nature lovers, wildlife watchers and photographers. Beautiful birds in the trees and variois species of waterfowl.As the autumn leaves shed and the rains fall more often, the grounds can be muddy and messy, so wear the right shoes and gear. Layers are also recommended in the fall as it can get humid below the canopy of trees.

I saw a few friends posting a lots of birds pictures which they took from this park. I am a “ cell phone photographer “ so I can’t shot any good birds photos. But I love trees and flowers so I decided to visit the park. Very satisfied. I took a lot of pictures. Here are some. Highly recommended!

This park is truly a gem. It’s well designed and kept allowing close access to a marsh ecosystem where unique birds habitats or transition through.

Nice place. The parking area isnt huge so it can get full on nice days. Im sure in spring and summer its loaded with wildlife, but end of November was a little quiet

I never knew a place like this existed in Alexandria Virginia. A huge forest in the middle of a city. Wonderful place to enjoy a long walk and see many different types of birds and small animals in the summer weather. It’s very beautiful and calming to make one fell relaxed within minutes of a busy city.

This place is great! It feels so natural here and alive. Very well maintained and theres so much wildlife to watch, birds, turtles, fish, crayfish, frogs, bugs, I saw them all on my first time visiting. The boardwalk is definitely the highlight. Make sure to bring some binoculars and some bug repellent! I came midday and the mosquitoes werent too bad, but Id imagine if you came in the evening thered be tons of mosquitoes. I cant recommend this place enough, Im definitely coming back soon.

What a beautiful and special place to go! We loved the boardwalk and getting to see the frogs and turtles on each of the sides. The viewing tower really lets you see all the different birds and how they interact. It was definitely a great way to spend the day with my boys and mom.

This is a wonderful place for kids, adults, and photographers. If you live in the DC area, it’s hard to beat the mix of forest, marsh, and wildlife watching within a 45 minute radius as Huntley Meadows. You can see muskrats, beavers, snakes, raccoons, turtles, butterflies, great blue herons, turtles, and much much more depending on when you go and the time. One of the best times to go for spotting mammals is in spring and summer. During the fall, you won’t see as much. The trail is super easy and flat, and the highlight of course is the .5 mile boardwalk portion. Tips: bring binoculars (for spotting the beavers and birds in the distance), a magnifying glass (especially for the kids who can view a ton of interesting fauna), and bug spray...there are mosquitos. It’s a small parking lot but if it’s full you can park on the right side of the entrance road as you enter. Best time to go is before 10:30 am to beat the crowds. Photographers also like to get there during the golden hours with their big cameras so keep that in mind too. All in all a wonderful place. For more info do check out the friends of Huntley park page for all the types of things you can see there. Finally, no bathrooms as visitor center is closed. And if you have a dog, they can come on the trail but can’t go on the boardwalk.

This is a very cute little park. It’s a quick walk but with great views. The wetlands with the zig zagging boardwalks are prime photo spots. Most beautiful in the autumn!

Huntley Meadows is by far my favorite park in the area. There are forest trails and board walk trails through the wetland. Its about a miles walk from the parking lot to the wetland proper. Once you reach it, pay attention and you will be rewarded! Ive seen a wealth of animal species here, anything from beavers to crayfish and beyond. A birdwatchers paradise, and a wonderland for children. They do educational events and also camps for children and summertime firefly walks.There is no fishing, no running, no dogs, no music and no touching the wildlife within the wetland. Enjoy this oasis the heart of the city!

This is my happy place. My son and I love it here. So peaceful. Always enjoy seeing all of the wildlife. Be sure to wear bug repellent.

Great little park with a miles of trail and a boardwalk that puts you right in the middle of the wetlands. You can spot minnows, tadpoles, frogs, and even kingfishers, if you are patient and on the lookout for them. Nice visitors center, which is unfortunately closed due to COVID containment. The only downside to this places nice facilities and popularity is the limited parking lot space. If you come on the weekends be prepared to park along the entry road because the lot can fill up by mid morning.

Such a beautiful and peaceful park. My sister had been asking for new photos, so we went wandering around at the crack of dawn. We had a really nice time watching all the turtles and frogs, and the local bird watchers very kindly shared their bird knowledge with us as well. This is truly a special gem of a park.

A relaxing and convenient trail to walk a dog or ride a bike, but not very scenic. I recommend it .

Used by a lot of families and bird watchers. Very nice quiet walk, however the deer trail section was too narrow to accommodate the foot traffic while i was there.

One of my all time favorite outdoor places in the DMV. This is truly a hidden gem. It is tucked away in suburbia and starts off with as a nice forested walk. The trail is hard packed earth and generally ok for strollers. The best is when it opens up to a boardwalk over looking the wetlands. Reminds me of the Florida everglades. There is just a ton of animals to see from birds to turtles. My son was only 5 months but I cant wait for him to experience it when he is older!

Beautiful sky with calm air that allowed beautiful reflections.Special sightings were a pileated woodpecker and a barred owl.

The Boardwalk that goes through the wetland makes the experience unique. It is very well maintained and enjoyable. They do a great job.

The largest of the Fairfax County parks, Huntley Meadows Park is a dream for families, photographers, dog walkers and nature lovers.My toddler and I went on a Monday morning around 9:30am during the summer. As we rolled into the free parking lot, we noticed a number of photographers trekking back from capturing the sunrise off the wetlands in the middle of the park.Once parked, we followed the sign to the wooded trail. We hiked for about ten minutes passing the nature center (its closed during the pandemic) and markers leading the way to the wetlands. The majority of the ten miles of trails are in woods and shaded (very important during hot D.C. area summers). Dogs on leashes are welcome on these trails and we saw a number of dog walkers.We then hit the boardwalk over the wetlands. This is where the trails become more stroller friendly, but also very hot. The wetlands go back a half-mile, but its not shaded. Plan accordingly.The wetlands are beautiful with the boardwalk emerging from the greenery. Slowly walk along the boardwalk and look into the water to see frogs, turtles and maybe a beaver or two. Further in the distance, you can see butterflies and heron.If you go, stop by Historic Huntley afterward to learn about the history of Huntley Meadows and see a historic house.

The park has a wonderful combination/balance of walking through the woods, and walking along a boardwalk through wetlands. Its never crowded and always peaceful and rejuvenating. During normal times, the Visitors Center can entertain the nature enthusiast for an hour or so. Theres always plenty of parking, and the park is well kept, with no litter or trees across the path or anything that would disturb your enjoyment.

A beautiful wilderness. The boardwalk offers a wonderful way to watch turtles, tadpoles, and birds. Kind of magical.

Huntley Meadows is a beautiful place but it’s not only beautiful, it offers a lot in the way of education for kids too. We look forward to returning!

Very peaceful place to walk and enjoy nature. Shaded areas on path and sunny areas on boardwalk. Saw some frogs, turtles, small fish and birds. Dog friendly too.

Huntley Meadows Park - birds, geese, ducks, turtles, bugs, frogs and even beavers! Wild lives are preserved so well! ! Very easy for young kid to hike around!

There was a snake helpfully sitting right next to the sign showing snakes to look out for. Lots of wildlife around the water, pleasant walk through the woods

Awesome little trail to see the marshlands and wildlife! We saw over 10 turtles and many water birds including a great blue heron.

This is probably the largest park, around 1500 acres, in the area. There’s some of the best wildlife watching spots.

Great park to walk except many dont social distance which would improve greatly if people were more courteous.

Wonderful park on the outskirts of Alexandria, you wouldnt guess at all that you were so close to civilization. Its a wetland reserve, so it has water level control. High level of wildlife sightings. Trex walkways since about 2000, last restoration was in 2013. Virginia has plenty of well-maintained parks and this is one of them!

Beautiful place in the middle of suburbia. Owned by George Mason back in the day. Full of history. It was used for aeronautical research in the mid 1900s. You can still find neighborhood roads bordering it with different airplane/airport terminology names.

It was cold so we didnt see much. Would be great in warm weather.

Lots of trees and wetlands areas. Great place for a hike. Largest park in Alexandria.

Beautiful park, lots of wildlife and well maintained. This synthetic boardwalk allows you to really go into the marsh area.

Beautiful trails and boardwalk through woods and wetlands. Wheelchair accessible. Bug spray is very much advised,

This is a wonderful wetlands park that is a true gem tucked away in Alexandria. Definitely recommend it.

A huge beautiful natural habitat full of different species of birds, reptiles and small mammals. Great easy hiking trails and optimal for bird watching and sightings of beavers and deers .

Always love going here. Smallish parking lot. Lovely and lively trails. Always intriguing with the fauna.

Good place to take children to learn about nature. Great place for couples and families to go enjoy nature. Its free!!! You will possibly see frogs, live turtles, lots of dragon flies. Butterflies, water, tadpoles, and more while walking on a safe boardwalk.

One of the hidden gems in the area.. plenty of cool animals, plants and bugs to see on and off the trail

Wonderful wildlife area with flat accessible well-maintained trails. The wetlands boardwalk is truly great and gives great access to a lot of wildlife watching.

This is my second time here in the last couple of years. My dogs love all the new scent. There is plenty of parking and a $2 donation is recommended. Please make a donation to support this park. This park is very clean, and it looks like they started doing special programs. There were signs on up coming activities. On the trail, there are markers with a number. They mark where you are in the trail. Look for the red Dot on the trail diagram below the number, the red dot represent you are here. It helps give an idea how far/close you are from your car, and a reference point on where the marsh boardwalk is. It is difficult to get lost unless you go off trail. Dogs are NOT allowed on the boardwalk... For safety and preserving the wildlife reasons. I did let my dogs go about 15 feet into the boardwalk to take some pictures. The view is beautiful. Many people brought their DSLR to photograph. My dogs had a great time. There were quite a number of dogs there. It is so dogfriendly.

If you live in the area you should definitely go to this park. The paths are absolutely gorgeous with great views of the creek. A relaxing place to enjoy the nature.

Hidden gem! I guess I shouldnt be telling you. Wetlands are amazing so close to civilization

The park is well kept, a great place to go if you want to observe nature and take wildlife or landscape photos. The paths and trails are maintained and in great condition along with the boardwalks that go through the wetlands. The guides are also very friendly and helpful. If you enjoy the outdoors and nature I would highly recommend this park. When we went there were beaver dams and lodges but we didn’t see any beavers. We also saw ducks, Canadian geese, frogs and raccoons.

Beautiful place to walk through.

Perfect trail for families. Its level and easily stroller accessible.

An easy to follow set if trails, through both wetlands and land. We never fail to see amazing bird and wildlife species. Were looking forward to more restroom availability once full reopening takes place.

Gorgeous place. Didnt see any beavers sadly, will have to go back.

Unbelievable place for great walk for scenery wildlife beautiful place

Great paths to walk. Both paved and unpaved. There are two entrances to the park with a nature/educational center on the southern side. Plenty of parking with a volunteer donation of $2 suggested per visit. A great bird watching location.

Beautiful park with so many beautiful creatures. You can spend hours here just watching all of the wildlife on the board walk through the wetlands.

Absolutely beautiful. I loved every minute. We saw nesting geese, bullfrogs, a snake, fish, heron, snapping turtles etc. My kids ( 3 and 6) loved seeing wildlife so close.

The first thing i noticed in this place is, its not some other parks, its relatively untouched and darker. The Variety of the flora and fauna is second to none in this area. The sound, oh the sound is incredible, birds are chirping, and thousands of unknown sources will give you an eerie feeling. If you are a photographer, this is the perfect place for wildlife photography. Buy one thing, this place is not for someone in a rush. You have to be really slow in your walk and very observant to feel whats happening all around, you will instantly feel that you are not alone and thousands of eyes are watching you. Good Luck in your adventure.

Gets busy! Very pretty place thats great for animal watching. Dont forget your bug spray!!

It was a nice experience. A little hot but, in these days of COVID, its a good place to visit to let your body and mind relax. Close by and not too busy, at least early in the morning.

Great for bird watching and seeing turtles. Cant take your dog on the boardwalk but lots of mini trails. Grrat place for families and strollers. In the summer can get packed with cars so have to get there early enough to find a spot.

Beautiful, well maintained park with awesome walkways over the wetlands. Not super dog friendly though as dogs are not allowed on the walkways. Also highly trafficked, at least the day I went.

Beautiful park. There is a nice path through the woods that goes into the marsh. Several places to stop and rest (if needed) along the path. Theres also a nature center and pavilions (though closed at time of our visit due to covid 19). We saw lots of animals - turtles, frogs, birds, butterflies, and even small lizards.

Weve enjoyed a lot walking on this trail, seeing groundhogs, little cute snakes, big turtles, fish, lots of baby frogs and birds. Something very different in this area. We will definitely go back.

Great place to come for a leisurely walk. Very scenic.

Just awesome! You wont even believe that your on Richmond Highway!

Hidden gem in the middle of NOVA! Great little walking - totally flat with boardwalk out on the marsh. Lots of creatures and birds, great for all ages. Great signage.

Beautiful park. Went on a Saturday morning. Lots of birds to see. Bring the sunscreen and bug spray!

A great scenic walk with the best close-up experience to nature that Ive experienced!

Love this park! Plenty of birds and turtles to see by walking the boardwalk. Great for every season.

Beautiful boardwalk through a wetland teeming with life. Turtles, frogs, fish, water snakes and birds of all kinds, plus beaver, raccoons and more.

Nature at its best all year around here

Huntley meadows is a great place for a walk. The lack of bikes (theyre prohibited) means you can relax a bit and enjoy nature and the mix of forest, wetlands, and water mean you can experience a diverse environment. We often see turtles, heron, and frogs while we walk the dog.

Beaver, frogs, red winged black birds amazing wildlife and good boardwalk.

This is a decent and shorter park to take a walk in. I really feel like its a 4.5ish but I cant give that rating. The mosquitoes are why I am giving this a 4. Its absolutely horrific to go here in the summer with the continents of mosquitoes here. If youre interested, make sure you read some of these. Lets break it down:Pros:-Plenty of parking. Its suggested to leave a donation of $2 but thats up to you.-The trail is not very steep and winding, which makes it suitable for most people.-The trail really isnt long (could be a con as well). It takes 30-45 minutes to walk the lap.-Plenty of wildlife to see. I saw deer tracks (didnt see any deer), a turtle, plenty of ducks, herons, and birds. I saw beaver dams, but no beavers. You cant get close enough to the dams to get a good view.-Some flowers grow along the trail which make for some good photos.-Once you hit the boardwalk, if you go left at the first split and follow the trail, youll find an observatory with a pretty good view.-Good for photosCons:-Holy moly, are there mosquitoes here...I have never seen so many mosquitoes in my life. If you dont coat yourself in bug spray, God help you. Im talking swarms of 20-30 following you. Theres a CVS 0.8 miles down the road so do yourself a favor. If you try to take this walk without some bug spray, you gone die. O+ blood types beware.-No running on the boardwalk. Likely a precaution to prevent slipping and damage. It makes sense but joggers beware.-No dogs on the boardwalk. Makes sense considering its swamp-like. Keep your animals on the trails.-No bicycles. If youre trying to bike in a swamp...really?-The walk wont offer you much shade once you hit the boardwalk. Prepare if you go in the summer.-Construction and unfinished trails once youre past the boardwalks.I didnt go into the visitor center. We tried, but the doors were locked.Overall, a decent park to visit with plenty of scenery and wildlife. If you love nature, its worth a shot, but you better prepare accordingly.

Good for late fall / winter walks

I have been on this trail a few times prior to today. As for rating this place the first two times, my experience was a little different than today. I didnt see many kids or families on the trials prior to today. Just a few dog walkers. It was a joy to see families out enjoying nature although circumstances contribute towards not having many options.Trials are very clean. Dogs must be on a leash. Lots if wetland, moss and old trees. Perfect place for bird watching. Im not sure of the pond as for public fishing or water activities. Would love to waterboard if it was an option.

Was a beautiful day and fun family walk. Recommend bringing a camera and binoculars to get a close look at the wildlife.

Great place for an evening walk to see the bird life

Wildlife sanctuaries in swamp land and in the middle of Alexandria and Springfield, Great place for birds lovers.

This is a beautiful trail through the canopy then an extensive boardwalk around a wetland. Clean and well kept

Neat place to get out and see nature.

Great opportunity to visit wetlands habitat. Several beaver lodges were viewable

Even with COVID19 we are able to come here and walk around and bike. Its a good way to get out of the house without a lot of risk! Such a beautiful place!

Perfect spot for a relaxing walk away from the bustling urban life. Keep an eye out for beaver dams and snapping turtles!

Beautiful place. Not dog or bike friendly! But great to bring the whole family though maybe no babies or really young kids as there is a path with water and you dont want playful kids to fall in! Youll always find animals here even with the worst weather. Many photographers hang out here for good reason. The trails are not hard and are very flat so perfect for a beginner. Love driving out here. Theres also a lot of popular stores near by if you want to grab a well deserved meal after visiting the beautiful sites!

Saw tadpoles, waterfowl, and a variety of turtles including a spotted turtle! Great spot for a short adventure. The visitors center was well put together and the staff was informative and welcoming. 100% love this place.

This is a true gem in the middle of the city with wetlands, tons of wildlife and great programs for kids and adults

Good place for a nature walk. Boardwalk is nice, lots of birds. Easy access, kids friendly. Recommend it to others as well.

Great paths... Bring your bug spray.

This is a beautiful, wonderful place to experience nature even though you live in the city. Forest and wetland ecosystems are here. You can easily see bullfrogs, fish, muskrats, and at least ten different kinds of birds. There is a boardwalk trail over the wetland and a watch tower. Theres a nature center, and it seems like they have a program every weekend. I have noticed that a diversity of people visit here, young families, elders, dog walkers, teenagers.

Stunning views and free to visit! We didnt use the visitor center, but there is no cafe or the like if youre hoping for one

Well maintained park with some excellent walking trails. Loved seeing all the birds and beaver dams.

Huntley Meadows is one of our favorite places to in Fairfax County. Its so amazing to me that we have such a beautiful wetland complete with beavers, birds, and other wildlife. The one and a half mile walk through the park it is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Very convenient location off Telegraph Road. Even though busy on the weekends can always seem to squeeze into a parking spot. The pavement could use some repair in the early section off Telegraph Road parking and it can be narrow when busy.Plenty of runners, families and dogs being walked so it seems to be a good fit variety of activities.

I love this park! It has a little paved path, lots of well kept gravel paths, some dirt, and neat boardwalk paths over the wetland. Forest and wetland enviroment to enjoy tons of wildlife (a Birders delight). The interpretive signs are nice as well as the benches and buildings. I run on the long deer trails and sight see over the boardwalk.

Great place for long walk in jungle.

Understated nature preserve provides accessible boardwalk thru marsh land. Lots of birds, frogs, turtles and water bugs

If you like to smell the nature, this is the place to go. We enjoyed.

This is my happy place. I just wish there were less photographers.

Good place for family, see animals, good photos, meditation and love

I was a bit disappointed on this location.

We go here at least once a week. We have seen deer, turtles, frogs, beavers, lizards and lots of different birds. We do get eaten alive by mosquitoes during the summer though.

What a peaceful little hike. Amazing array of birds, butterflies and turtles in view.

Ive only visited this place a couple times but I absolutely loved it. Beautiful walking trails, no trash littering the ground, and great tall trees that help you feel like youre away from the busy city. The fact that this gem is between so many neighborhoods is makes it even more special... Like a hiking trail in your own back yard. Parking lot is small, but Ive never seen it even halfway full.