Plan Your Visit to Lake Accotink Park
Lake Accotink is free to enter and open dawn to dusk; its carousel, kayaks and mini golf run seasonally. Here's how to plan a family outing, a paddle or a walk around the lake.
A family half-day (spring to fall)
Ride the antique carousel (rides every 30 minutes while the marina is open; $4 on weekdays, $5 on weekends), play the nine-hole mini golf course (about 30 minutes for most groups), then picnic by the playground. In 2026 the carousel ran from early April to late September, and mini golf into early November, on weekends in spring and fall and daily in summer.
Kayakers
Single kayaks rent for $14 to $15 an hour and tandems for $18 to $19; renters must be 18 with photo ID and a signed risk form, and someone 16 or older must be in every boat. Book online for summer weekends. Swimming, paddleboarding, sailing and motors aren't allowed.
Walkers and runners
The roughly 4-mile natural-surface loop around the lake is part of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail. Its crossing of Accotink Creek below the dam floods during and after heavy rain, with no bypass, so don't try to cross when water is running over it. The singletrack isn't signed, so carry a phone map.
Anglers and birders
Fish from shore or a boat with a Virginia fishing license. Watch for great blue herons, turtles and the occasional bald eagle. If the lake is lowered for maintenance, stay off the exposed mud.
Hours and contacts
- Park: dawn to dusk, daily; office 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Entry and parking: free.
- Park office: 703-569-3464; picnic shelter reservations: 703-324-8732.
- Organized races and trail events need a Park Authority permit at least 30 business days ahead.