Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, Lorton VA

March 2025

I visited Meadowood by mistake, but it was a happy mistake. I was driving towards Mason Neck Park, and saw a sign for a Mason Neck trailhead, and turned in here. Turns out this isn't actually part of Mason Neck proper, but instead an 800-acre forest with 13 miles of hiking trails (of which 7 miles are open to horses and over 6 to mountain bikes).

Because it's not technically a park but instead a "special recreation management area," there are no amenities; I don't even think there's a port-o-potty. You just get dirt trails that wind through the relatively hilly woods.

I'd been here once before in a busier time of the year, during which time I encountered more mountain bikers than hikers. While the park--sorry, management area--isn't exactly mountainous, I encountered quite a few mild to moderate elevation changes during my roughly hour-long hike. It won't necessarily tire you out, but it's not flat, either. Fortunately, the trails are well-marked, although confusingly they’re all blazed with the same color blue as far as I can tell.

That said, if you're looking for a quiet walk through the Virginia woods, that's exactly what you get here. The elevation changes bring constant changes to your view, so while the section I hiked was all woods, the experience stayed fresh throughout. And with these many trails, there's plenty to explore.

Cost: Free

Conditions: 66° Fahrenheit and clear