In the heart of the West End, nestled between I-395 and an apartment complex, is a 44-acre park described by NOVA Parks as an “oasis of nature and beauty” — but it’s also a spot Alexandrians may not know exists, let alone have visited.
The Winkler Botanical Preserve (5400 Roanoke Avenue) was created in 1981 to preserve a section of green open space in the middle of the Mark Center development. The park features multiple trails, streams, a private lodge and a waterfall.
With sections of the Mark Center undergoing some redevelopment that aims to make them more publicly accessible, Maya Contreras, principal planner for Alexandria, said in a recent meeting of the Beauregard Design Advisory Committee that one of the aims of redevelopment is to make the park more accessible to the public.
Photo via NOVA Parks/Facebook
