Anyone live in the area and know if the parking lot is open?

The website and phone message (from early April) both say the park is closed (see link below).

But the gov’ner claims parks are open, and the state park website shows state parks are open.

https://www.novaparks.com/parks/fountainhead-regional-park

Are Nova parks just following their own rules? If the parking lot isn’t blocked off on Friday AM, I’m considering driving down there with the kids (just don’t want to drive all that way and end up with a car load of disappointed kids.

I went and hiked Fountainhead a few weeks ago.  At that time the gates were closed and you couldn't park in the parking lot, but lots of people, including me, parked on the access road leading to the gates.  If nothing has changed, you should be able to park there and bike past the gates into the park.  I hike Prince William Forest a few days ago and it was the same - gates closed but the park was accessible.   They had a sign out saying the park was open with minimal services, which means you have to hoof it in to the trails.  It seems that what they're doing is limiting access by vehicle, but declaring the parks to be "open."   Its a stupid policy to prevent access to the parking areas because the secondary consequence is that people are parking outside the parks in areas that create more safety issues.  

Thanks for the update @Arc_Angel

I appreciate it!  Just bought my daughter her first mountain bike, and she’s excited to try it on a “real” bike path (we have done a few short suburban trails here inside the beltway).

It seems like Fountainhead has a perfect beginners trail that’s 3 miles through the woods.

I am thinking about an early morning visit to the park with her this week before her school’s distance learning begins.  Your report is much appreciated.

AAR:  today at 5, technically still closed, but there were a few parking spots outside the gate.

Mountain bike trails are definitely marked CLOSED, but we went around the sign and rode the 3 mile loop anyway.

Lots of people fishing and some others out for a stroll.

Excellent!  I'm glad you were able to get out and enjoy the place.  Meadowood is another good place to ride too.

Nice.  

As an FYI, I found out more info on the site 2 from the hike, not hike last week that we didn't utilize.  Technically, it is a VDOT parking lot, but the gate hasn't been closed in years.  Normally people access the trail from the parking lot at the Jim Micklewright Baseball Field on the south side of Little River Turnpike, but since Fairfax County blocked it off, people have been parking in the VDOT lot.  Fairfax PD and VDOT don't care as long as you're gone by dark (and don't mess with the stuff).

That's the cross county trail, which eventually hooks up to the hike route in Reston, and the other planned route in Alexandria.

This is excellent info.  Thanks!

Scouted a new trail today with the kids & wife (she took the photo)

- horse trails at Lake Fairfax in Reston:

Attached File


Ordinarily I wouldn’t bike on these; not good to come up fast & startle the horses.  But right now the trails are closed to horses.

Weekends are likely a mess since the parking lot is still closed.  We parked outside and rode around the closure barriers.  

The place was mostly empty besides maintenance workers doing repairs to the “Water Mine” water park.  

It was weird to ride up to the mowed soccer fields and having the place all to ourselves.  The trails were fantastic though.

Glad you had a good time. Inside tip, stay away from the skate park.

Awesome.  Great trail.

There’s another way to get there via a trailhead at the hockey / skate rink in Reston:

SkateQuest
1800 Michael Faraday Court
Reston, VA 20190

Trailhead is in the upper most North West corner of the parking lot.

That is an AWESOME tip I plan to use - thanks!