Are you looking for the best waterways in your area to go spend some family time in Ashburn, Virginia? Or, maybe you want a relaxing evening to yourself to get your kayak out and grab a tub of worms and go fishing? Well, you’ve come to the right place. After picking up your child from our daycare in Port Potomac, VA, explore some of the best places to go to spend some time on the water around Ashburn.

Goose Creek and Cathedral Trail Loop

Goose Creek and Cathedral Trail Loop offers a 2.8-mile loop trail located near Aldie. It is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips. You can also take your dog on this fun-filled trip as long as they are on a leash.

They also have a creek that’s perfect for fishing, swimming, and kayaking. There is a boat ramp leading to the river so you can go fishing. Some of the fish you may catch there are smallmouth bass, rock bass, sunfish, fallfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and musky.

Harpers Ferry Adventure Center

Harpers Ferry Adventure Center has many events other than kayaking, such as tubing, rafting, zip lining, a ropes course, segway tours, and kid camps. Who doesn’t like to go zip lining and tubing, right? After you have had your day of fun, there’s also lodging available.

If you want to go fishing, you can catch a lot of your basic fish here, such as bluegill, crappie, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. It was reported that someone did catch an 18.5-inch smallmouth bass there recently as well. If you want to relax and enjoy the sunshine and water without fishing, take a tour around the waterway in your kayak. 

Quiet Waters Park and Harness Creek

A view from the top of a hill near Quiet Water Parks near Ashburn, VA

Quiet Waters Park” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Ken_Mayer

Quiet Waters Park and Harness Creek are two separate areas in the same location. Harness Creek is a very good area to go fishing, kayaking, and swimming if you enjoy being in natural waters instead of a pool full of chemicals. Quiet Waters Park has multiple events to offer you and your family, such as two art galleries, six outdoor pavilions, wedding venues, playgrounds, a dog park and dog beach, and much more. You are also right beside South River, which is good for boating.

This park is exceptionally good for families with pets. While the dog park is only opened seasonally (weather permitting), you can get out of the house and take your pet with you if they like the water. This dog park offers 2 acres of space for your pets to play. It is located at the northwest corner of Quiet Waters Park and there are two separate sections once you enter the dog park. One area is for little dogs, the other is for large breeds. In the large dog section, you can find a spray hydrant and shower nozzle. The smaller breed section features a shower nozzle and a line jet. This is a puppy paradise!

Nova Parks

Nova Parks has multiple locations, as well as multiple activities you can try. There are golf courses, boating, camping, trails, water parks, wedding venues, and much more. They also hold many annual events you may be interested in such as nature interpretation programs, nature hunts, and some fun and educational children camps. There are also cafes, snack bars, picnic shelters, and camp stores for all of your needs.

Boating at Nova Parks is a good way to go fishing and enjoy the sun and nature at the same time. Fountainhead Regional Park, an area inside Nova Parks, is one of the best areas to fish at due to the no-wake zone, which means there is a strict speed limit for boaters that allows for peaceful fishing from Occoquan to Bluemont. Nova Parks also keeps its waters regularly stocked with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, perch, and bluegill. They do have some features there for you to access as well such as the bait shop, snack bar, fishing scale, bragging board, 250-foot fishing pier, and a 100-foot floating dock.

Lake Fairfax Park

If you want a place dedicated to swimming, then you should visit Lake Fairfax Park just over in Reston. This spot has its very own water park — named the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole — complete with slides, sprays, flumes, and showers. There’s also the Rattlesnake River, a lazy river that encircles the whole park. For people taller than 48 inches, admission is $16 on weekdays and $17 on weekends. Children under 48 inches cost just $13, and kids aged 2 and under get in for free.

If a full-on water park isn’t quite your style, you and the family can still enjoy the lake itself. While the lake is relatively small, you can still take a tour boat ride or rent a paddleboat to get out on the water. And for the folks who love to fish, you can go fishing all year-round here. You can fish from the shore or drop a line from your kayak. You can catch bass, black crappie, bluegill, bullhead, catfish, and sunfish at Lake Fairfax.

Beyond the water attractions, Lake Fairfax Park also has an extensive trail network for biking, hiking, and horseback riding. You can also take your bike or skateboard to the pump track and skate park, or you can play more traditional sports at the athletic fields.

You can actually make an entire weekend of it at one of the park’s 136 campsites, 70 of which have electrical hookups. Open all year, the campsites offer toilets and showers, a dump station, picnic tables, and grills for the ultimate holiday getaway. Now that you know where some of the best spots are, where are you going to be visiting first? All of them sound wonderful, and if you don’t have a personal favorite fishing spot or activity center, it’s definitely worth looking into these locations to find the right one for you. Did we miss one of your favorite spots around Ashburn? Drop us a line, and let us know! After all, who doesn’t love getting in the water on a boat and catching something to potentially eat for dinner?