The History of Silver Lake Regional Park

Silver Lake Regional Park
16198 Silver Lake Rd, Haymarket, VA 20169
[email protected]

In 1944, George and Mildred Gossom purchased 220 acres of farmland, off Antioch Road, in Haymarket, VA, for just $5.  The farmland had only Little Bull Run stream running through it, but the Gossoms envisioned so much more.  In the late 1950’s, the Gossoms dammed up the little stream, creating Silver Lake, and 24 years later – Silver Lake Campgrounds. 

The Gossoms owned the property until 1973, when they sold it to the Silver Lake Associates, a group of investors from Prince William and Fairfax counties. Although part of the land was leased in 1978 to the Culpeper Stone Company, which established a quarry, the rest remained a campground until its closure in 1991.

A 1995 Potomac News article reported Haymarket residents Doug and Terry Scott, and their business partner Larry Jager, planned to reopen the Silver Lake Campground in 1993.  However, Silver Lake Associates – owners of the property – had already entered into a contract with the Walt Disney Company.  Disney had plans to build a 3,006-acre history-centric theme park, which would have included the Silver Lake Campground.  Fierce local opposition derailed Disney’s plans in 1994, and the Haymarket partners reopened the campground the next year, calling it Mountain View Campground.  It offered campsites, a playground, a baseball field and even hayrides. Silver Lake Associates entered into an agreement in 2002 to sell the property to Toll Brothers, closing the campground in 2005.

In 2006, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved the Toll Brothers proposal to add 420 additional homes to the Dominion Valley subdivision, with the provision that Toll Brothers agreed to proffer
the 317-acre Silver Lake property to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors for recreational purposes. 

The 317-acre parcel was subdivided into three parcels, to provide Prince William County schools with a 42-acre school site and the Rainbow Riding Center with the use of 45 acres. The remaining 230 acres, including the 25-acre lake and seven-acre abandoned quarry, were intended for public open space and passive recreation uses and equine trails.

Three organizations, the former Prince William County Park Authority, the Bull Run Mountain Conservancy, and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority vied for control of the proffered land, over a two-year period.  Each presenting a proposal for redevelopment and/or programming for active or passive recreation.  The debate was at times difficult and strenuous pitting conservation groups, equine societies, sports leagues, and trails groups against one another.  The Park Authority steadfastly believed property should belong to the citizens and should therefore be open for their safe enjoyment. 

In September 2008, putting their disagreements aside, the local community groups and Prince William County government workers came together for one day to clean up the park site, which had been dormant for two years since the county acquired it.  The clean-up effort not only brought together all facets of the controversy over this land for a singular common cause: to restore this public land back to its original pristine glory, but garnered recognition from The Virginia Recreation & Park Society who awarded the restoration effort a 2009 “Best New Special Event Award – National Public Lands Day at Silver Lake.”   

Silver Lake Regional Park was officially opened on October 4, 2009.

Additional:

The 23-acre lake is fed by the Little Bull Run, is a fisherman’s delight with bluegill and largemouth bass.  The lake is open for bank fishing and non-motorized boats.  The park has 4 miles of multipurpose trails which are used with equal enthusiasm by equestrians and hikers alike.  There are two designated picnic areas with wooden tables, permanent grills (personal grills are not allowed) and restroom facilities.

The park has a “trash in, trash out” policy, which means whatever you bring into the park you are responsible for keeping the park clean and trash free.  Silver Lake Regional Park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset.

Recreation programs from Archery and Orienteering to Summer Camps are offered throughout the year.
A complete listing of current programs with registration details.

Property Information - 16198 Silver Lake Road, Haymarket, VA 20169

• Park Type – Regional (Passive Recreation Only)
• Acreage - 231.8893
• Magisterial District - Gainesville
• Fields # - no designated fields.  Passive recreation only.
• Courts Qty.- no courts.  Passive recreation only.
• Facilities and Amenities
  • Activity Center - 1
  • Boat Launch -1
  • Playground- 0
  • Pavilion -1
  • Trail 4.29 mi.1 natural surface
  • Restroom - 1 near activity center
  • Parking 2HC+ undefined .28 ac.