At the 47-acre Dora Kelley Nature Park in Alexandria, adventurous locals can get a sense of native wildlife while also escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday living. While this beautiful wooded park is located just minutes from the downtown area, its self-guided nature trails and rocky creek will make you feel like you’re a world away. There are both paved and non-paved trails to accommodate all types of hiking, biking, and walking, so bring your bike for a scenic ride along the well-maintained trails, or embark on an afternoon hike to get a bit of exercise outdoors.

Dora Kelley Nature Park also hosts the Jerome "Buddie" Ford Nature Center, founded in 1978, where local school groups can learn about Alexandria’s local wildlife, including snakes and turtles.

Dora Kelley Nature Park
5750 Sanger Ave
Alexandria, VA 22311
(703) 746-5559
www.yelp.com/biz/dora-kelley-nature-park-alexandria

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr intoruth

Explore an array of distinct habitats at Dora Kelly Nature Park, a 50-acre space that's home to an eclectic population of wildlife. Oak and hickory trees grow thick in the forest, which is interwoven with meandering streams and waterlogged patches of marshland. Each of the habitats plays host to its own critters, and previous guests say it's not unusual to spot turtles.

At the designated Nature Center, which was opened in 1978, visitors learn more about the ecology of their community via exhibits that delve deep into the past of the park and the humans who once lived on its grounds. The Nature Center and park are the culmination of namesake Dora Kelley's dream that the woodlands surrounding Alexandria would outlive her and many generations to come. Her wish came true in the early '70s, and when she passed away in 2001, the community activist left a legacy behind in the form of the park.

Dora Kelley Nature Park
5750 Sanger Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22311
(703) 746-5559
alexandriava.gov/recreation/info/default.aspx?id=12284#Dora_Kelly
www.yelp.com/biz/dora-kelley-nature-park-alexandria

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Fyn Kynd