Discover Reston: Lakes, Culture and Nature

Reston combines the history of a planned community with lakes, hiking trails and diverse nature experiences. Anyone wishing to plan a trip featuring culture, water and outdoor activities will find various starting points here for organizing their days. When choosing your holiday apartment in Reston, you can therefore first consider whether Lake Anne, excursions into nature or activities for children should be the focus of your trip.

Lake Anne as a Cultural Starting Point

The Lake Anne Village Center was the first village in the planned community of Reston and opened in 1965. The Lake Anne Village Center Historic District illustrates social, architectural and land-use innovations of the New Town movement. Lake Anne is therefore more than just a place name: The area is ideal for anyone interested in Reston’s origins and character.

The Reston Museum is located at historic Lake Anne Plaza. Admission is free; permanent and curated exhibitions give a visit a clear cultural focus. You can use your museum visit to learn about the area’s history and then incorporate other interests, such as water, exercise or nature, into your trip.

Lakes, Water and Experiences with Children

Lake Fairfax Park includes a 20-acre lake with fishing opportunities. Reston also has four lakes, three ponds and 20 miles of streams that form aquatic habitats. These bodies of water are used by boaters and anglers.

The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole offers a world of its own. It features tube slides on the Rattlesnake Lazy River, a children’s pool at Tenderfoot Pond, as well as slides, tunnels and interactive play elements for young children. This makes it possible to alternate active days at the pool with cultural discoveries or more relaxing nature experiences, without limiting your vacation to just one type of activity.

Hiking Trails and Environmental Education

Every named hiking trail in Reston has an interactive map. It can be used to determine your own location on the respective trail. The Walker Nature Center offers on-site and outreach programs on environmental education and conservation for people of all ages. Activities mentioned there include hiking, paddling, roasting marshmallows and stream activities. This allows families to accommodate different interests: While some enjoy being outdoors, others prefer to discover nature as part of a supervised or thematically focused activity.

The W&OD also shapes the region’s orientation. Today, it is a continuous, 45-mile-long trail from Shirlington in Arlington County to Purcellville in Loudoun County. The historic railway connection after which the trail is named originally connected Alexandria with Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Leesburg and Purcellville. This connection adds a historical perspective to today’s nature and exercise themes.

Choosing the Right Vacation Focus

Accommodation in Reston can serve as a base for a trip in which you give different emphasis to culture, water and nature. Lake Anne Village Center, the Historic District and the free Reston Museum all support a culture-focused stay. Those who prefer exercise and nature can put the hiking trails, the W&OD or the programs at the Walker Nature Center at the center of their plans. For trips with young children, consider planning a day dedicated to the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

Lorton, Annandale, Centreville, Mclean, Burke, Herndon, Vienna, Springfield

To the overarching travel overview: Fairfax County.