🐾 Kids at the Dog Park: Real Stories, Safety Risks & Smarter Solutions
If you’ve spent time at an off-leash park, you’ve probably seen it:A parent strolls in with a stroller 🚼 or […]

If you’re searching for an outdoor adventure with your dog in Fairfax Station, Virginia, Fountainhead Regional Park is an excellent choice. While the park doesn’t specifically feature a dedicated off-leash dog area, it offers a wide variety of pet-friendly activities including dog-friendly hiking, boating, fishing, and scenic picnic spots. Its expansive nature trails, lake access, and forested scenery make it a unique spot for dog owners and families alike who want to enjoy Northern Virginia’s outdoors with their pets.
The park is well-known for its well-maintained hiking and biking trails, clean facilities, and welcoming atmosphere. There are full restrooms at the visitor center and porta-potties at trail entrances, and the area is kept clean and safe thanks to attentive staff. Ample parking and shaded, picturesque areas are available throughout. While enjoying pet-friendly trails, visitors may spot local wildlife and enjoy the natural beauty that sets this park apart from others in Fairfax County.
This a beautiful park with a lot of activities available. They have a mountain bike track, hiking on the Bull Run trail, a nice fishing area, and boat/paddle board rentals.
Very clean, decent place to take your family/kids for some nature time. The fishing “pier” get pretty full early so your fishing spots maybe limited.
Hats off and many thanks to the young man named “Zeke” working the boat rentals. I am so good at casting, I caught my own ear last weekend. I went to “Zeke” for help. With a pair of pliers and his steady hands, I was unhooked and released back into the wild! Thanks Zeke
Very clean, decent place to take your family/kids for some nature time. The fishing “pier” get pretty full early so your fishing spots maybe limited.
Hats off and many thanks to the young man named “Zeke” working the boat rentals. I am so good at casting, I caught my own ear last weekend. I went to “Zeke” for help. With a pair of pliers and his steady hands, I was unhooked and released back into the wild! Thanks Zeke
Very clean, decent place to take your family/kids for some nature time. The fishing “pier” get pretty full early so your fishing spots maybe limited.
Hats off and many thanks to the young man named “Zeke” working the boat rentals. I am so good at casting, I caught my own ear last weekend. I went to “Zeke” for help. With a pair of pliers and his steady hands, I was unhooked and released back into the wild! Thanks Zeke
This is a beautiful park to run, bike, fish, or boat at.
This is a beautiful park to run, bike, fish, or boat at.
Excellent mountain biking trails, feels very professional. Found a tortoise on the trail and moved him off. Watch out for wildlife!
Excellent mountain biking trails, feels very professional. Found a tortoise on the trail and moved him off. Watch out for wildlife!
Excellent mountain biking trails, feels very professional. Found a tortoise on the trail and moved him off. Watch out for wildlife!
Went on a whim as a weekend trail hike destination and ended up renting a boat and spending the day on the lake. Prices are super reasonable and they offer tackle and bait, sunscreen and extras and lunch options as well as boat rentals. Boat rentals include canoes, kayaks and John boats with the option to also rent a trolling motor so you don’t have to paddle. The prices are super reasonable. We spent about NULL for the John boat rentals with the trolling motor, sunscreen (we expected to trail hike so didn’t bring it) and lunch for myself, my fiance and our three year old. Life jackets are provided with the boats and you can stay out on the lake until 5pm when boats need to be returned. We spontaneously decided to rent a boat instead of hiking and went out around 3pm with the trolling motor and it still felt like we spent a ton of time on the lake. The dock wrapped around the visitors center has holes drilled in the railing for fishing poles and fishing is encouraged (I will definitely be bringing my daughter here for fishing as well as doing the trails we never got to) and they sell tackle and bait at the shop. It’s a nice big lake and in the two hours we were out we still didn’t get to explore all of it. We are super excited to revisit and plan to bring family and friends next time. I would recommend this to anyone who loves the outdoors, fishing and boating and it’s absolutely stunning with all the fall foliage! Such a gorgeous hidden gem with super reasonable prices. Parking is great and the visitor center has full restrooms while the hiking trail entrance has porta potties (one of which is disability friendly) in the parking lot. Would recommend 10/10.