Located in Springfield, Virginia, Lake Accotink Park is nestled in the midst of Fairfax County. Once a rural farmland, the park is now surrounded by a bustling community.What has become Lake Accotink Park was originally part of the historic Ravensworth Tract (1685). Ravensworth Mansion was built in 1796 and originally served as a tobacco plantation. By the time of the Civil War (1861-1865) Ravensworth was producing wheat and corn instead of tobacco which had taken its toll on the soil. Arson destroyed the mansion in August 1926. The land was sold to a developer in 1957. A historical marker dedicated to Ravensworth is located adjacent to the Ravensworth Shopping Center on Port Royal Road just south of Braddock Road and west of 495.
Originally known as the Springfield Dam when it was first built in 1918, it created Lake Accotink as a clean drinking water source. The reservoir it created originally covered about 110 acres and was approximately 23 feet deep. The first dam was dismantled in 1922 and rebuilt in 1943. Due to siltation, the lake has shrunk to about half its original size with only a 3 to 5 feet depth. A good portion of the "lake" is actually wetlands, which may explain the confusion over its actual size. Contractors have started a year long dredging project.
Bring a picnic lunch, take a hike on the trail around the lake (WMBXF), and ride into the nostalgia of yesterday on the colorful 1930s Allan Herschell Carousel with its hand-carved horses (WMGV7) located at the northeast end of the park. There is a place to purchase refreshments, a picnic area nestled in the shade trees and restrooms.