Difficult Run Stream Valley Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
210 acres4.8 mi of trail
Cross County TrailCCT to Fox Mill Road ConnectorCCT Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Waples Mill Meadow Parking
Photo: sailko · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Oakton
Oakton has 18 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 10% of Oakton’s land is conserved, about 605 acres. The biggest trail networks: Difficult Run Stream Valley Park (4.8 mi), Oakmont Park (1.4 mi), Nottoway Park (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #32 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
605 acres · of 9.8 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
620 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
3.3 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Oakton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oakton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oakton is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #32 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 Oakton’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (620 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home97% 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 Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, with 4.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Oakmont Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
136 acres1.4 mi of trail
Cross County Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Golf Parking
Nottoway Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
90 acres1.2 mi of trail
Nottoway Park Fitness Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Kemper Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
27 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
East Blake Lane Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
18 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashlawn Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
17 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tattersall Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
35 acres0.3 mi of trail
Cross County Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Villa D'Este Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
9 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 17 parks & preserves
Difficult Run Stream Valley Park210 acres · 4.8 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsOakmont Park136 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsNottoway Park90 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsKemper Park27 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
East Blake Lane Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsAshlawn Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsTattersall Park35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Villa D'Este Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Oakborough Square Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Regents Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBorge Street Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Oakton Community Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsBlake Lane School Site Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsLawyers Road Park14 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Gabrielson Gardens Park11 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Mosby Woods Park7 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsFox Hunters Park1 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Who protects it
605 conserved acres
10% of Oakton’s land. Who manages Oakton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County604 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2 ac
Not recorded557 ac
Local Park · 1,161 acConservation Easement · 1 acOther Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficult Run Stream Valley Park Local Park | Not recorded | 416 | Open |
| Oak Marr City Park Local Park | County | 272 | Open |
| Nottoway City Park Local Park | County | 181 | Open |
| Tattersall City Park Local Park | County | 70 | Open |
| Kemper City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 54 | Open |
| Ashlawn City Park Local Park | County | 33 | Open |
| Lawyers Road School Site Local Park | Not recorded | 28 | Open |
| Gabrielson Gardens City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
| Blake Lane School Site Local Park | Not recorded | 20 | Open |
| East Blake Lane Park Local Park | County | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
41 places to go in Oakton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Oakton
Hawthorne Village Playground
Directions34 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Oakton
2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Oakton
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.7 miUnpaved · 14.4 mi
Cross County Trail3.9 mi
CCT to Fox Mill Road Connector0.7 mi
Nottoway Park Fitness Trail0.5 mi
Rocky Branch Trail0.4 mi
Closed Jul24-Oct25-Rocky Branch Trail0.3 mi
CCT Connector0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Fairfax Cross County TrailBike route
3.8 miCourts & fields
41Tennis
14Baseball
11Basketball
9Soccer
3Football
1Tracks
1Lacrosse
1Softball
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).
Oakton Trolley StationBuilding · listed 1995
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Oakton: 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) | 43 | 46 | 55 | 66 | 74 | 83 | 87 | 85 | 79 | 67 | 56 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 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 Oakton →
Next door
Oakton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakton | 10% | 1.9 | 17 | 97% | A |
| Difficult Run | 11% | 2.6 | 64 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Fair Oaks | 4% | 0.6 | 4 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Vienna | 6% | 0.8 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Fairfax | 5% | 1.3 | 10 | 99%+ | A |
| Wolf Trap | 17% | 2.6 | 61 | 89% | A+ |
| Merrifield | 3% | 0.2 | 2 | 99% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Oakton
Where can I hike in Oakton?
The longest trail networks: Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, 4.8 miles; Oakmont Park, 1.4 miles; Nottoway Park, 1.2 miles; Kemper Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oakton is conserved land?
10% 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 Oakton’s trails?
Difficult Run Stream Valley Park and Oakmont Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oakton?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.3 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Fairfax Cross County Trail.
Is there public land near Oakton?
31,093 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oakton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 620 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Oakton have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #32 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 Oakton 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 →