2 year in a row, we had as much fun as the kids. Great park!

We love the Water Mine and go often.

The toddler area is completely separate and gated. The lazy river is wonderful. We usually go in without tubes and let the kids doggy paddle around. They love it! The big pool has lots of slides, none of them too wild. There is a shaded area with a bench so you can sit in the water and relax. There is another roped area where the kids can climb and cross some neat water features.

Everything is always very clean. There are an impressive number of lifeguards on duty and even though they are young, they are always on point. I have never seen any of them goofing off or doing anything other than their job. Very impressive.

We love that the admission is good all day even if you leave and come back. We can get there in the morning, go home for naps, and head back in the late afternoon. Perfect for us since we have young toddlers.

We also love that we can bring food and drinks. They do have a snack bar and a pizza wagon but we've never taken advantage of them.

There are plenty of lounge chairs and about half of them are in the umbrella shade. We spend most of the time in the water so I don't mind if we don't get a chair in the shade. There is also plenty of grass area if you rather bring camping chairs or a picnic blanket. There is also plenty of room if you are bringing a stroller.

I have been stuck in a few long lines but if you get there early in the morning of after a rest break the line usually isn't too bad. At least during the week! Weekends are usually busy all day.

The admission fee is very reasonable considering the flexiblity you get. We are most definitely getting season passes next year. We've been looking for a public pool membership and the Water Mine season pass for a family of 4 will cost us HALF of any of the public pools! About halfway through the summer they put a $2 off coupon on the website so look for that!

The Water Mine is located within Lake Fairfax park which is located in a fairly ritzy area of Northern VA. If I was looking for a campground outside of DC, this is where I would come. The Water Mine is fairly cheap (print out the coupon on the FX Co website) and maintained by the county, which in Fairfax County means strictly following health and safety guidelines. Bathrooms are clean and the pools are nice and clean. There are lockers outside the bathroom which are handy. You will have to wait in line. I suggest getting there around 9:30 am if it's a nice day. Once you get in the park, do not dilly dally- go right for the lounge chairs under the umbrellas. Stake out your spot and then put your valuables in the locker and then have fun. There is a small pool for the little ones with a squirter and a zero entry area to the bigger pool with an umbrella feature spraying water. Can't comment on the food- we have always brought a picnic which saves some cash.

The Water Mine has a lazy river, a toddler pool area, and an area with slides for bigger kids. We have been to the Water Mine several times over the years because the kids have a great time there. However, each time we have gone the line to get into the Water Mine has been very long. On our most recent visit in July, we arrived right before the Water Mine opened at 10am and joined the long line of people who had arrived even earlier than that. Our wait time was about 40 minutes to get in as the Water Mine was already reaching capacity. On a prior visit we had arrived around 1pm in the afternoon and our wait time was over an hour. So it seems you can expect a wait on most days, but coming first thing in the morning works better. Also, if you are a season pass holder (which we are not) you can by-pass the regular line and get in much quicker.