NOVA Parks (formerly named Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) is an inter-jurisdictional

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

that owns and operates more than 10,000

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

s of

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

countryside In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically describ ...

and

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been re ...

s in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several County (United States), counties and independent city (United States), independent cities in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The Authority was organized in 1959. NOVA Parks presently operates 34

regional park A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government. Definition A regional park can be a special park distr ...

s. A 12-member policy-making

Board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

governs NOVA Parks. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

or county board of each member

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...

appoints two representatives to the Board. Three counties (

Arlington Arlington most often refers to: *Arlington, Virginia **Arlington National Cemetery, a United States military cemetery *Arlington, Texas Arlington may also refer to: Places Australia *Arlington light rail station, on the Inner West Light Rail in S ...

, Fairfax, and

Loudoun Loudoun () is a parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland and lies between five and ten miles east of Kilmarnock. The parish roughly encompasses the northern half of the Upper-Irvine Valley and borders Galston parish, Galston Parish (which encompasses ...

) and three cities (

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Falls Church Falls Church City is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is part of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of 2020, it has ...

and Fairfax) currently have representation on the Board.

History

NOVA Parks was founded in 1959, when Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the City of Falls Church decided to create an agency to protect the drinking water sources of the area, as well to provide passive recreation. Bull Run Park - Mertensia virginica - 05

Bull Run Park - Mertensia virginica - 05

NOVA Parks purchased its first parkland shortly thereafter in

Centreville, VA Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. It had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County as of t ...

from

Gardiner Means Gardiner Coit Means (June 8, 1896 – February 15, 1988) was an American economist who worked at Harvard University, where he met lawyer-diplomat Adolf A. Berle. Together they wrote the seminal work of corporate governance, ''The Modern Corporat ...

and his wife

Caroline F. Ware Caroline Farrar Ware (1899–1990) was a professor of history and a New Deal activist. Her work focused on community development, consumer protection, industrial development, civil rights, and women's issues. Biography Family and early years ...

, in what would become

Bull Run Regional Park Bull Run Regional Park is a multi-use facility located in Centreville, Virginia, owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. The park is situated near Interstate 66, in the Bull Run / Occoquan Stream valley. It features ...

. The park is well-known for the Virginia bluebells that grow along Bull Run and is a destination in the early spring for visitors to view their blooming. The pair later donated their farm home in

Vienna, VA Vienna () is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Vienna has a population of 16,473. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses (22180, 22181, and 22182), bordered appr ...

, which would eventually become

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (95 acres) are botanical gardens and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, in Vienna, Virginia. They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Garden admissions ...

. Within its first decade of existence, NOVA Parks conserved over . In the ten years that followed, that number was increased to approximately . NOVA Parks then added sites in

Clifton, VA Clifton is an incorporated town located in southwestern Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 243 at the time of the 2020 census. Incorporated by the General Assembly on March 9, 1902, Clifton is one of only three ...

, the City of Fairfax, VA, Fairfax County, Arlington and

Alexandria, VA Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

in the 1960s. The agency welcomed

Loudoun County, VA Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. The county seat is Leesburg. Loudoun County ...

in the 1970s. The latter arrangement would lead to the addition of several key sites, including what would become Algonkian Regional Park on the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

, as well as Red Rock Overlook, Temple Hall Farm and Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery. NOVA Parks continued their growth through the 1990s, adding Brambleton Golf Course in

Ashburn, VA Ashburn is a unincorporated settlement and census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, its population was 46,349, up from 3,393 in 1990. It is northwest of Washington, D.C., and p ...

, and then later, in 2006, adding Aldie Mill Historic Park. The agency recently added a new facility at Occoquan Regional Park, named after former board member and Fairfax County leader Jean Packard. In 2022, NOVA Parks acquired Winkler Botanical Preserve as part of an arrangement between NOVA Parks, the city of Alexandria, and the Winkler Organization, which had been the owner.

Historic sites

NOVA Parks manages a number of parks that have historical significance, including an 18th-century mansion, a Civil War battlefield, a 19th-century grist mill, a 200-year-old working farm, a

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

era church, and many more. Major venues include

Carlyle House Carlyle House is a historic mansion in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, built by Scottish merchant John Carlyle from 1751 to 1752 in the Georgian style. It is situated in the city's Old Town at 121 North Fairfax Street between Cameron a ...

, the former

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

home of British merchant John Carlyle; Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery, a park in

Leesburg, VA Leesburg is a town in and the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. It is part of both the Northern Virginia region of the state and the Washington metropolitan area, including Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. European se ...

that was the site of a Civil War conflict in 1861; Mt. Zion Church and the adjacent Gilbert's Corner Regional Park, in

Aldie, VA Aldie is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located between Chantilly and Middleburg in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The historic village of Aldie is located on the John Mosby Highway (U.S. Route 50) in a ...

which were used as a

military rendezvous site, prison, barracks, battleground and hospital; and Aldie Mill Historic Park, a restored mill, with a four-story brick structure with tandem metal

Water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...

s. Other venues include a kiln used by female prisoners from the

Lorton Reformatory The Lorton Reformatory, also known as the Lorton Correctional Complex, is a former prison complex in Lorton, Virginia, established in 1910 for the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States. The complex began as a prison farm cal ...

during the

Women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

Movement, as well Temple Hall Farm and White’s Ford Regional Park, located on the farm formerly owned by Elijah V. White. During 2018, NOVA Parks also added property near Middleburg, VA, henceforth known as the

Battle of Upperville The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Background The Union cavalry made a determined effort to pierce Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart' ...

, Goose Creek Regional Park. The roughly 20-acre space features hiking trails and interpretive information, as well as Goose Creek Stone Bridge that was constructed prior to the Civil War.

Waterparks

NOVA Parks operates a total of five waterparks with differing sizes and features. These include Atlantis Waterpark at

(Centreville), Great Waves Waterpark at Cameron Run Regional Park (Alexandria), Pirate’s Cove Waterpark at Pohick Bay Regional Park ( Lorton, VA), Ocean Dunes Waterpark at Upton Hill Regional Park (Arlington) and Volcano Island Waterpark at Algonkian Regional Park (

Sterling, VA Sterling refers most specifically to a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population of the CDP as of the 2020 United States Census was 30,337 The CDP boundaries are confined to a relatively small area between Virgini ...

Golf courses

NOVA Parks owns three 18-hole golf courses, including Algonkian, Brambleton and Pohick Bay. Each has a different layout and is

Audubon International Audubon International is a not for profit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization based in Troy, New York. Established in 1987, the organization works with communities, developments, resorts, and golf courses in 36 countries to plan and ...

certified.

Constituent parks

The

s and other features administered by NOVA Parks include: # Aldie Mill Historic Park # Algonkian Regional Park # Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery #

Beaverdam Reservoir A beaver dam is a structure built by beavers. Beaver Dam or Beaverdam may also refer to: Places Canada * Beaverdam, Alberta * Beaver Dam, New Brunswick * Beaver Dam, Nova Scotia United States * Beaver Dam, Arizona * Beaver Dam, a dam on Bea ...

# Blue Ridge Regional Park # Brambleton Regional Park # Bull Run Marina # Cameron Run Regional Park # Carlyle House Historic Park # Fountainhead Regional Park # Gateway Regional Park # Goose Creek Historic Park # Gilbert's Corner Regional Park # Hemlock Overlook Regional Park #

# Mt. Defiance Historic Park # Mt. Zion Historic Park # Occoquan Regional Park # Piscataway Crossing Regional Park # Pohick Bay Regional Park # Potomac Overlook Regional Park # Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park # Rust Sanctuary # Sandy Run Regional Park # Seneca Regional Park # Temple Hall Farm Regional Park # Tinner Hill Historic Park # Turning Point Suffragist Memorial # Upton Hill Regional Park #

Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a linear regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail (abbreviated as W&OD Trail), an asphalt-surfaced paved rail tra ...

# Webb Nature Sanctuary # Winkler Botanical Preserve

References

External links

NOVA Parks website
{{Authority control Northern Virginia Virginia municipal and county parks Parks in Arlington County, Virginia Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia Parks in Loudoun County, Virginia Parks in Alexandria, Virginia Parks in Falls Church, Virginia Fairfax, Virginia Government agencies established in 1959 1959 establishments in Virginia