Ambience: Downs Park is one of those hidden gems that feels…read morelike a deep breath. It's spacious, peaceful, and full of variety. Whether you want to walk along the waterfront, sit on a bench with a view, or just let the breeze hit your face while your kids play. It has a little bit of everything. I've been here at least 5-7 times and still haven't explored it all! Playground: There's something for every age group from a sweet tot lot for the little ones to a multi-level climbing structure with twisty slides that kept my oldest busy for a while. There are swings, a merry-go-round, and plenty of open space to run around or play. Scenic Walks & Waterfront: We usually park near the visitor center (convenient and close to everything!) and stroll down to the pier or relax on the benches with that peaceful waterfront view. You'll find grassy picnic spots, a pier with folks fishing, and even a small beach and separate dog beach. The trails are partly shaded and the breeze coming off the water makes it feel extra calming. Stroller-Friendly: Yes, it's stroller-friendly! The trails are paved, but heads-up: it's not totally flat there are some hills. Still, it's very walkable and manageable with a stroller. Great for littles who need a nap or just want a ride. Extras: Bathrooms are located inside the visitor center, and there's a quiet garden area called Mary's Garden if you need a tranquil reset. I've always had friendly experiences with the park staff when entering and asking questions. Parking is $6 per car and there's usually plenty of space, especially if you don't mind walking a bit. Why I Love It: This park has become one of my go-to spots when we need a peaceful outing. Between the water views, the open space, and the mix of kid-friendly and adult-friendly features, it's just easy to love. Perfect for picnics, gentle mornings, or letting your thoughts wander while the kids play.

This dog beach is smaller than the one in Annapolis, but still is nice. I came here on Memorial Day…read moreand there was quite a lot of dogs. The dog beach rules are pretty much the same as with any other dog beach. Children under six years old must be accompanied by an adult. No human or dog food allowed on the beach. Humans aren't allowed to swim in the water. And of course, no aggressive dogs. I do wish there was a wash station either at the beach or nearby, which would be very convenient to both human and dog.

We stopped by this park on a random day trip to Annapolis. Although we intended to mainly check out…read morethe trails at Quiet Waters, I decided to take a break from our walk and visit the dog park. First, I really appreciated that the park was separated with sections for large and small dogs. Second, the section for the large dogs is pretty large. Unfortunately during our visit, there were no other dogs at the park. While there was plenty of open space, I didn't notice too much shade, which is probably why there were not too many dogs during our early afternoon visit, but I guess that's a minor concern. Although we do not live in Annapolis, I can see us visiting again (even with the $9 entrance fee) as a means to tire out the pup before checking out a local restaurant.

This is a cute idea, a great quiet spot adjacent to the water in a beautiful park so your dogs can…read moreromp in the water off leash. I'm not sure if something has changed recently but I went there today and there are big gaps on both sides of the fence where a dog can easily escape, on both the gate and other side, and on the far side, the dog would get loose into the tall grass and wetlands where it would be impossible to chase them. If your dog won't go far and/or has good recall maybe not a problem but I was definitely not comfortable taking my dog off leash here.

This is a phenomenal dog park all the way at the end of the road. They have a small dog section,…read moreseparate from the large dog section. Most patrons are friendly and respectful of dog park etiquette. I have never encountered a reckless owner or aggressive dog. There are benches and chairs and lots of trees that provide shade from the sun. There is a concrete pad with dog bowls and kiddie pools. There is a water hose that you can use to replenish the water bowls and pools. The grass and dirt areas are maintained well. I really like this park!

This is my pups favorite dog park! There's lots of space, like it's massive!, and almost always a…read moregood amount of dogs for him to play with! The hose and small pool let's dogs cool off on hot days as well as shaded, grassy areas. I've seen nothing but respectful owners who are diligent about cleaning up their dogs waste and supervising their fur babies. On hot or dry days it can be a little dusty and if the hose and pool is full it can get a little muddy, so maybe bring a brush or towel if you don't want your seats dirty but I highly recommend it! Also it's usually best to wear shoes or pants that aren't your favorite as some dogs jump up to say hi with wet and dirty paws lol They even have a rack for you to hang your leash and things which is nice to be able to be hands free. It's a bit of a drive for us but with how exhausted he is when we go home it's so worth it!

I'm honestly confused by some of the reviews on here because I feel like people are comparing Sandy…read morePoint to Miami Beach . Sandy Point is a quick getaway from the city when you don't feel like driving all the way to Ocean City. It wasn't dirty, the water is basically the same as Ocean City, and there are public restrooms with showers. There aren't any attractions, but... that's not really the point? The $5 entrance fee isn't bad at all, and I'm sure some of that goes toward the employees who maintain the park. I grabbed my tent, cooler, and some good food and chilled out for the day. No complaints whatsoever. Sometimes all I want is some water, an ocean view, food, and somewhere to sit my ass down.

I hadn't been here in more than a decade. It sure has changed since then! It used to have nothing…read more No pathways, no food stands, real restrooms. It has such been upgraded. My husband and I went today and I was blown away by how much it's been upgraded. It really is family friendly now. The website states admission is $4/pp but we were charged $4.50/pp for some reason. A $.50 service charge seems a lot for a hidden charge, but I guess they need the money for upkeep. I don't know if they charge children or just adults. The restrooms were clean. The website stated they had lifeguards but they did not. They did have first aid but overhead that they could not give anyone meds for jellyfish stings. Not sure why they have first aid that can't do anything for you but don't have any lifeguards. The sand is more grainy than preferable but otherwise a pleasurable place to spend the day. They have a concession stand and a store that rents chairs and umbrellas and floaties. I had a hotdog for like $7 but it was actually pretty tasty. Very chill place to spend the day.

One of the nicest parks that I have been to since living in Maryland. Great for a bike ride a walk…read moreor even a run. This park runs along the Chesapeake Bay which is pretty cool and the views are pretty nice. I also like that there are various points of exiting and entering the park in case you want to do a long run and or bike ride. This place also looks wonderful for a nice picnic with the family or a loved one would definitely recommend.

The dog beach is closed and is being redone. The bathrooms were closed the day I went. I've been…read moreonce before and got ticks on one of the walking paths. The flies and mosquitos can get pretty nasty while walking as well, so I wish they would spray with non-toxic sprays to help reduce them.

Love how close this is to our house. It is in great location that is easy to get to. It is not very…read morecrowded and has a good amount of space for the dogs to run around. They have a few balls for dogs to play with, but recommend brining your own if your dog is particular about their toy. Also, bring water with you for the dogs. Their fountain not always works.

Good size for a dog to run. It's very clean, trash cans to throw away anything needed, seats to sit…read morewhile your dog plays. Only thing miss is no dog agility equipment

The good: Parking was spacious, free and had shaded spots…read more It was a short walk from the parking lot to the beach. The path was lined with tanbark. It's a small beach with a short shore and there is shallow water. I saw herons and folks using metal detectors. The sandy area had cool shells and some interesting bugs. I liked that there was a clean bathroom between the parking lot and the beach. There were picnic tables on the sand where we enjoyed snacks. They were shaded so it was nice. The bad: There are lots of jelly fish that can definitely sting so you basically cannot get into the water. No tents are allowed. The interesting: I saw lots of dogs here running around in the water. It looks very dog-friendly despite other reviews saying there are signs that don't allow dogs.

Quick note for potential beach goers: Only single-pole beach umbrellas are allowed on the beach. We…read morekind of learned the hard way that beach tents are not allowed. Originally, we were interested in Matapeake Beach because of the dog beach. However for our first visit (of hopefully many visits), we decided to leave the dog at home because it was super hot. But, I think in the future, we will take the dog if we can arrive to the beach around 8 am. The second reason we were interested in this beach: It is fairly close to Silver Spring, MD. With a departure of 9am, we arrived at the beach around 10 am on a summer weekday. For the most part, we did not experience too much traffic (on a weekday) in both directions Silver Spring-Matapeake-Silver Spring. Also, I think there were 1-2 tolls in each directions. Overall, I thought the beach/park was very clean and well-maintained. I'll note that there are not very many amenities (if any) on or near the beach the beach (e.g., food vendors), which necessarily was not a bad thing for me. Although parking is limited, it is free (a very pleasant surprise) as of June 2025. I'm not 100% sure, but I think there were like 50 (or less) parking spaces. Since we visited on a weekday, we did not have any trouble finding a spot in the parking lot. However, I can imagine that parking my be a bit of a nightmare on weekends and holidays. Also, the access to the beach was free (another pleasant surprise). The folks at the beach were pretty friendly and respectful of their surroundings -- for instance, I did not hear super loud music (just the soundtrack of waves, a few dogs barking, and a few kids playing); see people acting a plum fool; notice substantial litter (or other not so fun things) on the beach. Even though we were disappointed that we had to take down our beach tent, the park ranger was super nice about it. The water was a pretty smooth with little to no waves so it is nice for little humans and dogs. I think I had to walk about 0.25 miles to get to a point where the water was waist level to me, but that was a VERY minor inconvenience. Overall, I think this is a great beach for a quick day (or half a day) trip.

Parking is a bit slim. Dont park in the grass. Automatic $50 ticket…read more Overall great place to bring family. Very shallow and calm water since it's Bayside. Beach is roomy. Nice view of the Bay Bridge.

Visited on a Sunday, nice parking area with modern restrooms that were open. Plenty of maintained…read moretrails with different views of the water, woods, marsh areas. Only really issue was trail signage, did not have a map (should have took a picture at entrance) so trail signage was not the greatist. The Map Legend at entrance did not have a legend that we saw so distance was a guess. Overall, nice park, be back in the Summer.

Great little boat launch area, nicely built and landscaped. Short hike to the launch from the top…read moreentrance but you can drive to the launch. Don't want to hype it up too much since it's a hidden gem.

Bottom Line: A small Anne Arundel County park with views of and a kayak/canoe launch into the…read moreMagothy River. As the name implies, once a farm, Spriggs Farm Park is now a small park bordering the Magothy River. The amenities are very simple and limited to a porta potty, one or two picnic tables and a small sandy beach with a kayak/canoe launch. The park is gated but visitors can contact the county if they would like to be able to drive in and park. Otherwise, there is some street parking. Once inside the gate it is a bumpy ride down a gravel road past the porta potty. Before too long you arrive at a place where you can turn off to park in a grassy lot. If you go to the end of the road you can unload your kayak/canoe but you will then need to move your car to the parking lot. As far as the kayak/canoe launch goes, from the drop off point it is about 150 yards to the sandy launch. There is a little bit of a steep hill down to the launch but it as been stabilized with some railroad ties for steps. For those not in search of a small boat launch the best part of the park is probably views of the river including Dobbins Island and Gibson Island. But be aware, there is very little shade at this park.