Winkler Botanical Preserve
Managed by NOVA Parks
51 acres3.1 mi of trail
Green TrailWhite TrailYellow TrailRed Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Ben Schumin · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Alexandria
11% of Alexandria’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 26 miles of mapped trail cross Alexandria, 1.7 per square mile of land. 11% of Alexandria’s land is conserved, about 1,030 acres.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #46 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
1,030 acres · of 14.9 sq mi of land
Trails
26 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,027 ac
6.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
59 mi
17 mi lanes · 20 mi paths
Highest peak
144 ft
Shooters Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Alexandria?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Alexandria have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Alexandria is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #46 of 253 in Virginia. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Alexandria’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (26 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land6.5 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,027 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 82%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Alexandria ranks #106 on Outdoors.
Park acres per resident are where Alexandria trails most U.S. towns: 6.5 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 160,662 people share 1,027 acres.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Winkler Botanical Preserve, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jones Point Park
Managed by National Park Service
65 acres1 mi of trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Cameron Run Regional Park
Park
33 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dora Kelley Nature Park
Park
49 acres0.7 mi of trail
Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
James Marx All Veterans Park
Park
10 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 61 parks & preserves
Winkler Botanical Preserve51 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · NOVA Parks
DirectionsForest Park20 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJones Point Park65 acres · 1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsCameron Run Regional Park33 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsDora Kelley Nature Park49 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookvalley Park22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJames Marx All Veterans Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Ward Park36 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFounders Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDaingerfield Island147 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsBen Brenman Park35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Jefferson Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsShipyard Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsChinquapin Park28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEugene Simpson Stadium Park16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWindmill Hill Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMonticello Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Alexandria
Fort Williams Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Alexandria African American Heritage Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Alexandria City
DirectionsTide Lock Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Four Mile Run Park64 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsArmistead L. Boothe Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOronoco Bay Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hooff's Run Park and Greenway5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rosemont Citizens / Lower East Rosemont
DirectionsTarleton Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMontgomery Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Alexandria
DirectionsLandover Park & Warwick Pool2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBuchanan Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPresident Gerald R. Ford Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKing Street Park at the Waterfront1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarlyle House Historic Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · NOVA Parks
DirectionsPoint Lumley Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPY Plaza East1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPotomac Yard Park18 acres · Alexandria Parks & Rec
DirectionsJoseph Hensley Park17 acres
DirectionsWitter Recreation Fields12 acres
DirectionsAngel Park11 acres · City of Alexandria
DirectionsHolmes Run Scenic Easement11 acres
Clermont Natural Park6 acres
DirectionsGeorge Mason Park5 acres · Alexandria Parks & Rec
DirectionsLuckett Stadium5 acres
DirectionsLenny Harris Memorial Fields at Braddock Park5 acres
DirectionsEwald Park4 acres
DirectionsLimerick Street Recreational Field4 acres
DirectionsJames Mulligan Park4 acres
DirectionsRivergate City Park3 acres
Cameron Station Linear Park3 acres
DirectionsOld Town Pool2 acres
DirectionsGoat Hill Park2 acres
DirectionsBeverley Park2 acres
Beach Park2 acres · Rosemont Citizens' Association
Short Bridge Park1 acres · Arlington County
DirectionsPowhatan Park1 acres
DirectionsWaterfront Park1 acres
DirectionsAlexandria House Park1 acres · City of Alexandria
DirectionsOakville Park1 acres
Howell Linear Park1 acres · City of Alexandria
Neighborhood Park1 acres
DirectionsFord's Landing1 acres
Colasanto Park1 acres · City of Alexandria
Directions3550 Commonwealth Ave Park1 acres · Alexandria Parks & Rec
DirectionsWho protects it
1,030 conserved acres
11% of Alexandria’s land. Who manages Alexandria’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service544 ac
Town or city436 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government163 ac
Private owners80 ac
County32 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land29 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits26 ac
Local Park · 788 acNational Park · 265 acSpecial Designation Area · 223 acRecreation or Education Easement · 85 acPrivate Park · 78 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington Memorial Parkway Special Designation Area | National Park Service | 488 | Restricted |
| Fort Ward Park Local Park | Not recorded | 65 | Open |
| Cameron Run Regional Park Local Park | County | 60 | Open |
| Ben Brenman Park Local Park | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Four Mile Run Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Winkler Botanical Reserve Private Park | Private owners | 44 | Open |
| Clermont Natural Area Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Dora Kelley Park Local Park | Not recorded | 41 | Open |
| Chinquapin Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Francis Hammond School Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
202 places to go in Alexandria
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Alexandria
Old Town PoolIn Old Town Pool
DirectionsWarwick PoolIn Landover Park & Warwick Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Alexandria
Hooff's Run Park PlaygroundIn Hooff's Run Park and Greenway
DirectionsScrambleHours: Mon 8 am – 6 pm; Tue–Thu 8 am – 7 pm; Fri 8 am – 8 pm; Sat 9 am – 9 pm; Sun 9 am – 6 pm
DirectionsSimpson Park PlaygroundIn Eugene Simpson Stadium Park
DirectionsToddler MazeIn Potomac Yard Park
DirectionsTot Lot
DirectionsWestminster Weekday Preschool
Directions149 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Alexandria
Ben Brenman Dog Park
DirectionsBraddock Dog Park
DirectionsCarlyle Dog Park
DirectionsChambliss Dog Park
DirectionsChinquapin Dog ParkIn Chinquapin Park
DirectionsDel Ray Central Bark Park
DirectionsDuke Street Dog Park
DirectionsE Monroe Ave Dog Park
Directions12 more dog parks
Fort Williams Dog Park
DirectionsFounders Dog ParkIn Founders Park
DirectionsFour Mile Run Dog ParkIn Four Mile Run Park
DirectionsHooff's Run Dog ParkIn Hooff's Run Park and Greenway
DirectionsMontgomery Park Dog ParkIn Montgomery Park
DirectionsMonticello Dog ParkIn Monticello Park
DirectionsMount Jefferson Dog ParkIn Mount Jefferson Park
DirectionsSimpson Stadium Dog ParkIn Eugene Simpson Stadium Park
DirectionsTarleton Dog Park
DirectionsTimberbranch Dog Park
DirectionsWiggly Field
DirectionsWindmill Hill Dog ParkIn Windmill Hill Park
DirectionsPlus 9 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Alexandria
Daingerfield Island Marina slipwayIn Daingerfield Island
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Alexandria
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Alexandria
Shooters Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Alexandria
Area 1In Fort Ward Park
DirectionsArea 2In Fort Ward Park
DirectionsArea 3In Fort Ward Park
DirectionsArea 4In Fort Ward Park
DirectionsArea 5In Fort Ward Park
DirectionsPlus 9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.4 miUnpaved · 11.0 mi
Green Trail1.1 mi
White Trail0.3 mi
Nature Trail0.3 mi
African American Heritage Park Trail0.3 mi
Yellow Trail0.2 mi
Mount Jefferson Trail0.2 mi
Founders Park Trail0.2 mi
Red Trail0.2 mi
Green/Red Trail0.2 mi
Timber Branch Trail0.1 mi
1 more trails
Red/Yellow Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
59 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
17 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
20 mi
off-road bike paths
22 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
134Tennis
38Basketball
32Baseball
22Soccer
9Beach volleyball
6Football
2Pickleball
2Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →45 places on the National Register, 7 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
George Washington Masonic National MemorialNational Historic Landmark · Place · listed 2015
About itCarlyle HouseBuilding · listed 1969
About itBank of AlexandriaBuilding · listed 1973
About itLloyd HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itLee-Fendall HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itProtestant Episcopal Theological SeminaryBuilding · listed 1980
About it33 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Alexandria: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 48 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 89 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 58 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.6 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Alexandria →
Next door
Alexandria and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Washington118 miArlington36 miAlexandria26 miRose Hill8.5 miLincolnia4.3 miBelle Haven1.7 miBailey's Crossroads1.4 miHuntington1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 11% | 1.7 | 7 | 99%+ | A |
| Arlington | 11% | 1.4 | 6 | 99%+ | A |
| Lincolnia | 13% | 0.9 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
| Bailey's Crossroads | 5% | 0.7 | 3 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Rose Hill | 13% | 1.5 | 22 | 91% | A |
| Huntington | 7% | 1.2 | 4 | 99%+ | A− |
| Belle Haven | 35% | 0.9 | 21 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Alexandria
Where can I hike in Alexandria?
The longest trail networks: Winkler Botanical Preserve, 3.1 miles; Forest Park, 1.1 miles; Jones Point Park, 1 miles; Cameron Run Regional Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Alexandria is conserved land?
11% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Virginia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Alexandria’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Winkler Botanical Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Alexandria?
59 miles of bike routes are on the map: 17 of painted or protected lanes, 20 of off-road paths and 22 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Alexandria?
29,556 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Alexandria or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,027 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Alexandria have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #46 of 253 in Virginia. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Alexandria neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →