Hike or bike at a local park

Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park offer a variety of family-friendly, outdoor activities, from swimming to skating to horseback riding. If you’re looking for something fun, this is a little of what the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger has on record.

PR. WILLIAM PARKS
The Prince William County Park Authority offers a myriad of recreational opportunities at 55 parks — two of which are water parks — encompassing nearly 3,400 acres, including several community-oriented parks within walking distance of neighborhoods. Staff and volunteers teach courses in canoeing, dog obedience, yoga, scuba diving, art, fitness, martial arts, swimming, skating, dance and other activities at the various parks. Parks also offer day camps for county youths.

Water parks:
• SplashDown Waterpark at Ben Lomond Park, just off Sudley Manor Drive near Manassas has a “lazy river,” water slides, a children’s pool, picnic pavilions that are available for group rental and a lap-swimming pool for those who enjoy traditional water activity.

For more information on admission, call 703-361-4451 or visit SplashDownWaterPark.com.

• Waterworks is at Andrew Leitch Regional Park, 5301 Dale Blvd., Dale City. The park includes water slides, water toys, sprinklers and a kiddie pool.

Call 703-680-7137 for admission prices, park hours and additional information. Family passes and group discounts are available.

Other Park Authority-run facilities are:

• The Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center, 13025 Chinn Park Drive, off Prince William Parkway, offers an Olympic-size swimming pool, a recreational pool, a large gymnasium, racquetball courts, day-care facilities, weight rooms, aerobics rooms, a sauna, whirlpools and a youth lounge.

Long-term passes to the center are available, as well as daily rates. Call 703-730-1051.

• The Chinn Regional Park, in which the center is located, also offers soccer fields, hiking trails and a picnic pavilion, as well as the Chinn Regional Library.

• The Dale City Recreation Center, at 14300 Minnieville Road, offers a 25-meter indoor pool, gymnasium, racquetball court, day-care facilities, cardio weight room, game room and a 6-room annex available for rental. On the grounds there are also picnic facilities, a batting cage and two Little League fields. For more informtion, call 703-670-7112.

• Brentsville Historic Recreation Area is on 18 acres at 12249 Bristow Road. Facilities include the historic former county courthouse, a jailhouse and an old one-room school, as well as two baseball and softball fields, a soccer field, a picnic area and a nature trail. Call 703-792-7060.

• Prince William County Recreational Complex, 7 County Complex Court between Woodbridge and Manassas, is behind the McCoart Administration Center. Call 703-590-5900.

Formerly known as Davis Ford Park, it is home to the Potomac Nationals Class A professional baseball team, which plays its home games at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium. Softball leagues also call the complex home, playing nightly on four lighted fields. BMX racing is also available at Pfitzner Stadium.

The track is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. until dusk and on Saturdays and Sundays from 4 p.m. until dusk, except when NOVA BMX races are scheduled. Daily admission for ages 11 and under is $3 for residents and $4 for non-residents. Admission for ages 12 and up is $4 for residents and $5 for non-residents. Pass plans are also available: $20 for 10 visits for residents ages 11 and under, $30 for 10 visits for non-residents ages 11 and under, $25 for 10 visits for residents ages 12 and up and $35 for for 10 visits for non-residents ages 12 and up.

For track opening/closing information, call 703-792-4750, Ext. 3291.

For birthday or rental information, call Sports Services at 703-792-7060.

• Veterans Memorial Regional Park, a 107-acre park, is at 14300 Featherstone Road in Woodbridge. This park features softball fields, lighted tennis courts, a public swimming pool and water slide, a community center and indoor gym, ball fields, soccer and football fields, horseshoe pits, a creek-side nature trail, three covered picnic areas, lighted outdoor basketball courts and the Scott D. Eagles Memorial Skateboard Park. The park is open year-round, but the pool is open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Call 703-491-2183.

• The Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center, at 10900 University Blvd., on George Mason University’s Prince William campus, offers two pools, a whirlpool, family locker rooms, a full gymnasium, cardio, aerobic and strength studios, more than 150 weekly fitness classes, racquetball court and drop-in child care service, as well as a full range of adult and youth programming. For more information call 703-993-8444 or visit freedom-center.com.

• Lake Ridge Marina and Golf Course, 12371 Cotton Mill Drive in Lake Ridge, offers a 9-hole, par-3 course that specializes in youth instruction. Facilities also include a marina area with boat rentals, a miniature golf course, day camp facilities, a volleyball court, playground, picnic facilities, a nature trail and horseshoe pit. Call 703-494-5564.

• Locust Shade Regional Park, 4701 Locust Shade Drive in Triangle, is right off U.S. 1 and adjacent to the planned Marine Corps Heritage Center. The 292-acre park features a golf driving range, batting cages, an 18-hole miniature golf course, six tennis courts, a volleyball court, three playgrounds and picnic shelters. The park also boasts an 8-acre lake with marina and boating facilities and a 400-seat amphitheater. Call 703-221-8579.

• Mayhew Sports Complex, 9901 Balls Ford Road in Manassas, has three football fields. Call 703-792-7060.

• SkateQuest, an ice rink facility at 5180 Dale Blvd., (currently leased and operated by SkateQuest) includes two large rinks with concessions, rentals and sales. Call 703-730-8423.

DUMFRIES

• Garrison Park, off U.S. 1 in Dumfries behind Town Hall, is named after longtime Dumfries resident Cecil W. Garrison. The small park, which backs up to Quantico Creek, has two pavilions, 10 picnic tables, an outdoor basketball court, a grassy field, a playground and two Little League baseball fields.

MANASSAS

Visitors can enjoy basketball, tennis, playgrounds, picnic facilities and other activities at these parks:

• Baldwin Park near Osbourn High School off Prince William Street

• Byrd Park in the Point of Woods subdivision

• Dean Park on Wellington Road and Nelson Park at Sudley Road and Grant Avenue

For more information about city recreation programs or park facilities, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 703-257-8237 or visit manassascity.org.

MANASSAS PARK

• Signal Bay Waterpark, on Signal View Drive, has a buccaneer theme, with three water slides, a lazy river and a pool designed like a beach’s graduated entrance. The park also includes a wilderness fort, softball fields, playgrounds, historic areas and more.

Admission prices vary according to day, time and age of the customer. For park hours and more information, call 703-335-8874.

• Costello Park, off Colburn Drive. For more information, call 703-335-8872.

STATE FACILITIES

The Commonwealth of Virginia maintains two outdoor areas within the borders of Prince William County.

• Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive, features boat launching and storage facilities, a nature trail, a history trail, picnic areas, guided hikes, canoe trips and a park store that sells food and gas for boats. The park has an extensive shoreline on the Potomac River and offers a fishing pier and visitors center, which details the natural and cultural history of the area.

There are fees for entering the park, storing and launching a boat. Call 703-670-0372.

• Conway-Robinson State Forest is off U.S. 29, west of Manassas National Battlefield Park. This 400-acre forest is known for its spring wild flowers and is a popular spot for horseback riding and mountain biking. Admission is free. Has a small 10-car parking area adjacent to U.S. 29. For more information, call 540-347-6358 or visit the state forestry department’s Web site at dof.Virginia.gov/.

NATIONAL PARKS

• Prince William Forest Park, wedged between Quantico Marine Corps base and the Dumfries-Montclair area, is an escape for those who like to spend their time outside. On 18,000 forested acres, the park is the third-largest National Park Service unit in Virginia and the largest park of any kind in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The park is open dawn to dusk. The visitor center is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily but is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The main entrance is on Joplin Road, just west of the I-95 exit for Triangle and Quantico. Admission is $5 per car for a week pass, or $3 per person on foot or bicycle. An annual pass, good for a year from the time purchased, costs $20. Call 703-221-7181.

• Manassas National Battlefield Park, 12521 Lee Highway in Manassas, attracts more than 868,000 visitors a year. Situated on 5,000-plus acres, its aim is to preserve and protect historical resources. Recreation is secondary, though, it has walking and nature trails. Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk. Call 703-754-1861 or visit nps.gov/mana/.

• Stuart’s Hill Center opened in 2000 at the intersection of U.S. 29 and Pageland Lane near the site where Gen. Robert E. Lee set up his headquarters in August 1862. It is devoted to the Battle of Second Manassas and includes paintings and other interpretative exhibits about that battle. The park’s entrance fee is collected on an honor system at the visitor center. The fee is $3 for each person 17 and over. There is no admission charge for children under 17, and adults 62 and over have the option of purchasing a “Golden Age” pass that will get them into every National Park for the rest of their lives for an one-time charge of $10. Call 703-361-1339 or visit nps.gov/mana.