Burke Lake Park — Attraction in Burke

Overall we enjoyed this walk on a warm spring day! We drove in through entrance off of Ox Road and then just headed toward the Marina to park. Decided to go with the baby front pack instead of the stroller on the unpaved path (heading north along the water) and I'm glad I did! A heavy duty stroller with bike tire type wheels might be able to handle it, but not our Graco. Will have to try out the paved path next time since I saw some other moms rolling in that direction. Overall Pros: Pretty scenery and views of forest and lake. Saw some interesting birds up close which was exciting for the bebito. Even though there were a decent amount of other walkers, there is enough space to still feel like we had some quiet solitude. Bathrooms were clean by the Marina. No problems with parking (on a weekday). Park benches along the route were nice for taking a break. Overall Cons: Some muddy spots on the trail even though its been a few days since rains. The bathroom by the Marina doesn't have a baby changing table so we had to do a car diaper change. Signage for where to park to get to the trails was lacking at first so it was a bit of a crapshoot deciding where to park. (If you need a paved trail, I got the impression the best place to park is the...

I am a regular visitor of this local park especially on fall and spring Friday afternoons when the lake trail proves less crowded. Parking has not been problematic for me, although I could see where finding a spot could be challenging on fair weather days and/or event days for disc golf and the like. County residents enter free of charge.

The trail starts near the boat rental facility and winds around the lake nicely. The trail runs next to camping areas at one section and volleyball courts at another and a children’s play place and public restrooms at another. Park staff do a fair job maintaining the trail, although a combination of persistent wet conditions and bike use can make for some sporadic puddles in the aftermath. Elevation changes are infrequent as expected and gradual on the few occasions they happen. Wildlife tends to be minimally visible on the trail. Users are consistently courteous with bikers using audible announcements to warn walkers and joggers when passing.

I have not tried the miniature golf or boat rental offerings but suspect they are likely quite enjoyable. I am glad this park exists and will continue to patronize when I want to get a couple of laps of pleasant scenery without having to drive...

The park employees were sharp, professional. They didn’t mind radioing in—crackle, static, over—and one of them even came to find me after their walkie-talkie chatter. That was going the extra mile. When the female employee approached, she spoke with clarity, almost like a report: she named the actions she had taken, explained the current situation, and asked if there was anything else she could do about my late arrival.

It was more than customer service; it was a miniature performance of attentiveness, with her weaving a rationalization for my absence into an informative and intricate explanation. Her tone had a kind of rhythm, punctuated by the little noises of the park—rustle, snap, chirp.

Standing there, exchanging words that were half-official, half-human, I realized how aesthetically pleasing it is to live amidst all this green in Virginia. The park itself became part of the dialogue, as though nature too had joined the...