Time: 60-90 minutes
Length: 4.7 miles
Gear: Water & Leash
Difficulty Level: 1 Paw
Scenery: 2 Paws
Pack: You and Your Dog
I’d like to think the Rolling Stones were referring to my hike this past weekend when they sang “you can’t always get what you want… but if you try sometimes you get what you need.” What do I want? Warm weather, green grass, and the rustle of leaves! What do I need? Some time out of the house, out on a trail somewhere with Cannon.
On Saturday I found myself really burned out on my usual walk around the neighborhood with Cannon and just couldn’t fane excitement to roam the Manassas Battlefield, which is a summer staple of mine. It was time to try something new, so I took my husband’s advice and headed to Burke Lake Park with Cannon – a hike they’d done together in the fall. Since it was my first time I decided to fire up the laptop to read some park facts, look at the trail map and get directions. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Park was named one of the 10 best fitness trails in the nation by the American Hiking Society. It also features a unique list of features.
- Campgrounds
- Ice Cream Parlor
- Marina
- Mini-Golf
- 18 hole, par 3 Golf Course
- Rides (carousel and train)
The park wasn’t very tricky to find. It’s located off of 123 (Ox Road) in Fairfax Station, Virginia. During the off-season months you can drive in past the park office without stopping. The fee for non-Fairfax residents during Spring through Fall is $8. You will find there are a few parking lots around the park that will give you access to the trail that loops the lake (4.7mile loop). We pulled in near the amphitheater and with the ground still snow covered followed the footprints down to what I hoped was that trail.
I didn’t know what to expect since the snow in my yard had mostly melted. I was in for was a mix of snow, ice, standing water, dirt and pavement. It would have been a great day to throw on some snowshoes and explore the off trail, untouched snow. Not having this equipment I simply stuck to the trail that was packed for me. It was a great 90 minute trip around the lake. The ice and snow made for some slippery hiking. This didn’t seem to bother the dozens of other people I encountered on the trail, including mountain bikers. I met a local, named Lenn, who took the tour with me and told me all about best features of the park.
- Launching canoes & kayaks from the marina
- Watching the Great Blue Herons fly above the lake and nest in an island.
- Hiking the trail
- Seeing the kids line up for the train during Halloween
He pointed out nature trails that branch off from the main loop and a great spot on the shore where you can sit on a bench and watch the scenery.
All in all it was a great hike. Cannon enjoyed being able to splash through the puddles and even ran into the lake to retrieve a stick (a great feat for him I assure you). I enjoyed getting to talk to some new people (this is a heavily traveled trail) and getting some fresh air. I’ll make sure to make it back in the spring or summer to give some more detail on the quality of the trail once I can see it out from under all that snow and ice.
