Ox Hill Battlefield Park, Fairfax

26 May 2016

This is not the largest park you'll ever visit. In fact, it's likely the smallest, maybe 2 acres in size. But it couldn't be better maintained.

It's the site of the Battle of Ox Hill, a relatively important engagement in the American Civil War of which only this tiny scrap of land has been preserved.

Fortunately, it's ringed with trees, so once I stepped onto the wide, well-maintained path of pavers I actually felt like I was on a Civil War battlefield (as long as I mentally filtered out the sounds of traffic). A good dozen signs are scattered around the park, describing the engagement and its combatants in plenty of detail. It's a lovely park. Take your time and you might be able to stretch your walk to 10 minutes.