Pohick Stream Valley Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
192 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: self · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Burke
12% of Burke’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
13 miles of mapped trail cross Burke, 1.5 per square mile of land. 12% of Burke’s land is conserved, about 637 acres. The biggest trail networks: Pohick Stream Valley Park (2.2 mi), Middle Run Stream Valley Park (1.5 mi), Huntsman Lake Park (1.3 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #31 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
637 acres · of 8.6 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
646 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
5.3 mi lanes · 8.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Burke?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Burke have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Burke is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #31 of 253 in Virginia. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Burke’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (646 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 88%
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 Pohick Stream Valley Park, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Middle Run Stream Valley Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
117 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Huntsman Lake Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
105 acres1.3 mi of trail
Over Grown in SummerOverGrown in Summer
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pohick Creek Stream Valley Park
Nature preserve
107 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Burke Station Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
18 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Greentree Village Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
26 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 16 parks & preserves
Pohick Stream Valley Park192 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsMiddle Run Stream Valley Park117 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsHuntsman Lake Park105 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsPohick Creek Stream Valley Park107 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBurke Station Park18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Greentree Village Park26 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Orange Hunt Estates Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Shannon Station Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Lake Braddock School Site13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Silas Burke Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsRolling Valley West Park20 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsMonticello Park6 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsGreenfield Park5 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Cherry Run Park4 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Burke Ridge Park4 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsSouth Run District Park1 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsWho protects it
637 conserved acres
12% of Burke’s land. Who manages Burke’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County638 ac
Private owners3 ac
Not recorded514 ac
Local Park · 1,149 acPrivate Conservation · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pohick Stream Valley Park Local Park | Not recorded | 552 | Open |
| Huntsman City Park Local Park | County | 209 | Open |
| Middle Run Stream Valley Park Local Park | County | 118 | Open |
| Rolling Valley West City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 41 | Open |
| Greentree Village Local Park | Not recorded | 39 | Open |
| Burke Station City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 36 | Open |
| Monticello Park Local Park | Not recorded | 31 | Open |
| Shannon Station Local Park | County | 27 | Open |
| Braddock Park Local Park | County | 26 | Open |
| Silas Burke City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 21 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Burke
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Burke
Old Keene Mill Swim & Racquet Club
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Burke
Huntsman PlaygroundIn Huntsman Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Burke
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Burke
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Burke
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.6 miUnpaved · 6.2 mi
Grass track0.1 mi
Over Grown in Summer0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
33Tennis
20Basketball
9Baseball
4Soccer
4Multi-sport
4Pickleball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Sydenstricker SchoolBuilding · listed 2012
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Burke: April and August
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 | 47 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 86 | 79 | 68 | 57 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Burke →
Next door
Burke and its neighbors
Burke has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Burke13 miWest Springfield10 miKings Park9.6 miSouth Run8.3 miKings Park West5.6 miBurke Centre4.2 miFairfax Station3.0 miNewington Forest2.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke | 12% | 1.5 | 15 | 98% | A |
| West Springfield | 16% | 2.1 | 23 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Burke Centre | 5% | 1.3 | 7 | 99%+ | A− |
| South Run | 29% | 3.3 | 73 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Kings Park West | 13% | 1.9 | 19 | 98% | A |
| Newington Forest | 32% | 0.9 | 57 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Fairfax Station | 6% | 0.3 | 31 | 96% | A− |
| Kings Park | 30% | 7.4 | 60 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Burke
Where can I hike in Burke?
The longest trail networks: Pohick Stream Valley Park, 2.2 miles; Middle Run Stream Valley Park, 1.5 miles; Huntsman Lake Park, 1.3 miles; Pohick Creek Stream Valley Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Burke is conserved land?
12% 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 Burke’s trails?
Pohick Stream Valley Park and Middle Run Stream Valley Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Burke?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.3 of painted or protected lanes and 8.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Burke?
33,237 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Burke or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 646 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Burke have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Burke 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 →