Five Richmond-area neighborhoods have a park or park facility with their name on it, and each one is documented on an official county or City page: Ettrick, Midlothian and Woodlake in Chesterfield County, and Forest Hill and Church Hill in the City of Richmond. This post puts the park, its address and what the official page lists next to the neighborhood, and says who each one does not suit.
Our sister roundup does the same job for Henrico, in Henrico neighborhoods that share a name with a county recreation area. Everything below was read on October 21, 2026 on chesterfield.gov and rva.gov. The order is Chesterfield first, then the City, and alphabetical within each. It is not a ranking, and this post makes no price or market claims.
Published October 22, 2026 · Park pages read October 21, 2026
How a park was matched to a neighborhood
No public dataset says which neighborhood a park belongs to. So we used a plain rule: the neighborhood has a page on our site, and an official page names the park or facility after it, or says outright that it serves it. Ettrick Park’s county page, for example, says the park serves the Ettrick community. The City’s Chimborazo page names a Church Hill Dog Park inside the park. Where an official page gives only a street address, we left the park out.
Two things to keep straight. Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond are separate governments with separate park systems, hours and rules, so the pages below follow different formats. And a park near a home is something to check on foot, not a feature of the house.
| Neighborhood | Park or facility named for it | Address on the official page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ettrick | Ettrick Park, Mayes-Colbert Ettrick Recreation Center, Appomattox River Trail Ettrick/VSU Trail Head | 20621 Woodpecker Rd; trail head 3801 Main St | Chesterfield County facility pages |
| Midlothian | Mid-Lothian Mines Park and Midlothian Village Park | 13301 N Woolridge Rd; 13801 Westfield Rd | Chesterfield County facility pages |
| Woodlake | Woodlake Athletic Complex | 5700 Woodlake Village Pkwy | Chesterfield County facility page |
| Forest Hill | Forest Hill Park | 4021 Forest Hill Ave, 23225 | City of Richmond park page |
| Church Hill | Church Hill Dog Park inside Chimborazo Park, plus Chimborazo Playground | 3201 E Broad St; playground at 29th and E Grace St | City of Richmond park page |
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Set up a saved search for Ettrick, Midlothian, Woodlake, Forest Hill and Church Hill, or for the two or three that fit your walk to the park, and new listings in those areas reach you as they appear.
Ettrick: a 28-acre park that says it serves the community
The Ettrick Park page says the park covers 28 acres in southeastern Chesterfield and serves the Ettrick community. It lists two lighted baseball and softball fields, two lighted basketball courts, three lighted tennis courts, two football fields (one lighted), playgrounds, restrooms and one mile of walking trails. The Mayes-Colbert Ettrick Recreation Center sits inside the park at the same address, 20621 Woodpecker Road. At 3801 Main Street, the county lists the Appomattox River Trail Ettrick/VSU Trail Head, which it describes as walking trails and bank fishing access; it says a fishing license is required. Our Ettrick community page describes a historic community near the campus of Virginia State University.
Wrong for you if: you want a quiet park after dark. The county lists lighted fields and courts, so evening activity is part of how the park is built.
Midlothian: a 44-acre preserve and a 6-acre village park
The Mid-Lothian Mines Park page says the park became a 44-acre preserve when it opened in 2004, lists free admission, and gives hours of 6:00 AM to 8:30 PM every day. Its listed features are fishing, historical sites, picnic areas and trails, at 13301 N Woolridge Road. The county’s directory also lists Midlothian Village Park at 13801 Westfield Road as a 6-acre park with 0.3 miles of unpaved trails. Our Midlothian community page describes historic roots alongside modern suburban development. Midlothian is a large area, so these two parks pin down two spots, not the whole community.
Wrong for you if: you need a paved loop or athletic fields. The village park offers 0.3 miles of unpaved trail, and the mines park is a preserve with ruins and trails, not a ballfield complex.
Woodlake: a 79-acre complex tied into neighborhood trails
The Woodlake Athletic Complex page describes a 79-acre complex at 5700 Woodlake Village Parkway with four rectangular fields, a concession stand and restrooms. It says the fields are linked by walking trails that connect into the trail system of the neighborhood around the complex. It also says public access is not permitted during school hours. Our Woodlake community page describes a master-planned community built around the Swift Creek Reservoir.
Wrong for you if: you want to use the fields on a weekday morning. The county page rules out public access during school hours, so the complex suits evenings and weekends.
Forest Hill: a historic park with a lake and a Saturday market
The City’s Forest Hill Park page puts the park at 4021 Forest Hill Avenue and says it is listed in Virginia’s Historic Register. It lists the Stone House, a restored lake, tennis courts, picnic shelters, a playground, paths and trails, and sloping hills. It says summer Sunday concerts are held in the park and that the South of the James Market has run on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., typically May through November. The park is open sunrise to sunset. Our Forest Hill community page describes a neighborhood south of the James River with mature trees.
Wrong for you if: you need flat ground. The City describes sloping hills, and the park is known for sledding when it snows. It is also wrong if you want a quiet Saturday morning or Sunday evening in summer, when the City says the market and concerts are held.
Church Hill: the park facility with the neighborhood in its name
The City’s Chimborazo Park and Playground page lists the park at 3201 East Broad Street and calls it a 30-acre park with a 180-foot view of the city. It names the Church Hill Dog Park on the eastern lower terrace, with separate areas for large and small dogs. The Chimborazo Playground, at 29th and East Grace Street, is one block from the park and was renovated in 2009. The park house on the eastern edge can be rented for small meetings or events. Our Church Hill community page describes historic homes, cobblestone streets and skyline views. For the community garden by the playground, see our community garden roundup.
Wrong for you if: you need the park after dark. The City says it is open from sunrise to sunset, and it is not a place to count on for evening use.
Chesterfield parks we left out, and why
The county’s facility directory lists 70 parks. Several have addresses but no neighborhood name in their title, including Bensley Park (2900 Drewry’s Bluff Road), Huguenot Park (10901 Robious Road), Robious Landing Park (3800 James River Road) and Rockwood Park (3401 Courthouse Road). The county pages do not say which community they serve, and our community index has no page that matches them by name, so we did not assign them. If a park on that list is on your shortlist, send us the park address and we will tell you which community page covers it. The Chesterfield County community index and the City of Richmond community index list every area we have a page for.
Before you tie a home search to a park
- Read the park page for the exact address, hours and what is listed. Pages change, and we read these on October 21, 2026.
- Walk or drive from the street you are considering to the entrance, at the hours you would go.
- Check events: Forest Hill lists summer concerts and a Saturday market, and the Woodlake page limits weekday access.
- Compare the park address with each listing address in our property search, and confirm lot size and parking on the listing.
For a broader look at living beside green space, see our roundup of neighborhoods next to a major park and our guide to neighborhoods near the James River parks. If financing shapes your shortlist, our preferred lenders can explain pre-approval, and buying with us walks through the process.
Ready to watch these neighborhoods?
Set up a saved search covering Ettrick, Midlothian, Woodlake, Forest Hill and Church Hill, or the two or three that pass your walk to the park entrance. New listings in those areas reach you as they appear.
Written by the Mission Realty Team. Real Broker LLC, 3701 Cox Rd, Richmond, VA 23233, (804) 601-4960. Meet the team.
Frequently asked questions
Why only five neighborhoods?
Each one has a community page on our site and a park or park facility whose name matches it on an official page we read on October 21, 2026. The Chesterfield facility directory lists 70 parks, and most of them, such as Bensley Park, Huguenot Park and Rockwood Park, have no matching community page. We did not guess which neighborhood those belong to.
What hours do these parks keep?
Hours differ. Chesterfield lists Mid-Lothian Mines Park as open 6:00 AM to 8:30 PM every day. The City says Forest Hill Park and Chimborazo Park are open from sunrise to sunset. The Woodlake Athletic Complex page says public access is not permitted during school hours. Check the park page before you plan around a time of day.
Do I need a fishing license at the Appomattox River Trail?
The county page for the Ettrick/VSU trail head says bank fishing access is available and that a fishing license is required to fish in Chesterfield County. Confirm current license rules with the state before you go.
Are dogs allowed in these City parks?
The City park rules list dogs as allowed only in four places: the Barker Field dog park, Byrd Park, the Chimborazo dog park and Forest Hill Park. Service dogs are allowed in every City park. Chesterfield pages we read did not state a dog rule, so check the specific park.
Can I rent space at Forest Hill Park or Chimborazo Park?
Both City pages say so. The Forest Hill Stone House can be rented for small meetings or events, and the Chimborazo park house on the eastern edge of the park can be rented the same way. The City lists Park Rentals at 804-646-0036 or 804-646-0761.
How big are the Chesterfield parks on this list?
Ettrick Park is 28 acres, Mid-Lothian Mines Park is a 44-acre preserve, Midlothian Village Park is 6 acres, and the Woodlake Athletic Complex is 79 acres, according to each county page. Chimborazo Park is described by the City as a 30-acre park. Forest Hill Park’s page gives no acreage, so we do not quote one.
Does a nearby park change what I should check on a listing?
Ask what you would ask about any home. Compare the listing address with the park address, walk the route at the hours you would use it, and confirm lot size and parking on the listing itself. A park page says nothing about a particular house, what it backs to or what may be built nearby.
