Fishing at Three Lakes Park (Photo courtesy Henrico Recreation and Parks)
Three Lakes Park & Nature Center, located on 120 acres of woods and water near L. Douglas Wilder Middle School in Henrico County, is one of the county’s best kept secrets. Interlocked trails circle three lakes — as the name suggests — which bring in bikers, dog walkers and anglers alike. There’s also a nature center with a 50,000-gallon aquarium and exhibits about animals native to Virginia and natural history.
“Even with the popularity of it, there isn’t a day where someone doesn’t come in and say, ‘I live 5 miles from here and didn’t know you existed,’ ” says Thomas Thorp, recreation manager at Three Lakes Nature Center. “We’re really in a good sweet spot to where you just come in, see some things here, and then actually go out and see the wild ones,” he says.
They have more than a few of them at the park and the nature center, which sits on the bank of the middle lake, or “Lake Two,” as it’s also known on their map, available online. The center holds 40 amphibians and reptiles lounging in their terrariums. Thorp says that the nature center has all but one of the freshwater turtle species in Virginia, and most of the snakes native to the state — including the three venomous species. If you prefer to observe animals in their natural habitat, there’s an opportunity for that as well.
“A lot of the things we show in captivity here, if you’re out there at the right time of day, you can see it all out there,” he says.
The land for Three Lakes Park was purchased in the late 1980s. The nature center was first built in 1992 but flooded after Hurricane Gaston and was reconstructed in 2004. The three lakes and their accompanying trails are open every day from dawn until dusk. Visitors can fish in two of the three lakes. There are also two playgrounds and picnic areas, but it’s the nature center that remains the main attraction. In its first year, the center exceeded expectations and brought in 75,000 visitors. Today, the park and nature center bring in between 250,000 and 300,000 visitors every year.
“[The nature center] is equivalent to a lot of small zoos,” says David Hackney, recreation coordinator at Three Lakes Nature Center.
At the center, fish swim in a temperature-controlled aquarium, which contains species of fish that live in the lakes located at the park — carp, catfish, crappie and bluegill, to name a few. There’s a lifelike stuffed bear, a beaver dam reconstructed from an actual dam found in the park, large-scale models of insects — there’s even a model dinosaur hanging from the ceiling. Visitors can match paw prints and bird songs to native mammals and birds. There’s also an amateur naturalist exhibit that features taxidermied animals and other oddities circa the early 1900s.
Students view aquatic life at the nature center as part of a Summer Nature Series. (Photo courtesy Henrico Recreation and Parks)
During the school year, Thorp says the nature center holds programs for local students. In addition to two fee-based camps that the center puts on, it holds several programs aimed at children called the Summer Nature Series. The programs last an hour and focus on a single subject such as snakes, sharks, natural history or dinosaurs. The events are free and take place from 10 to 11 a.m., and no registration is required. Thorp says these programs are widely popular, drawing as many as 500 to one event. Dates for the 2019 programs can be found online.
There are programs that adults can enjoy as well. Next month, there’s one on Recreational Tree Climbing, for anyone who never learned the proper way to get high in the woods. The program, led by Riverside Outfitters, is full, but you can get on the waiting list at apm.activecommunities.com. In April, there’s a treasure hunt called “History Investigators” that will lead participants to historical sites around the county, including a stop back at the nature center to learn about its history.
Whether you come for the exhibits, the animals, the playgrounds or to stroll around the lakes, it’s all about nature at Three Lakes.
“We’re all connected to these electronic devices — I am, too — but it’s nice to have these areas … that you can get out into and really experience the wild, and nature, which is really important for people’s well-being,” Thorp says.
