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Ellicott City, MD

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Centennial Park

4.5 (98 reviews)
Open • 6:30 am - 8:30 pm

Centennial Park Photos

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Bunny on a hop
TaNeisha J.

Centennial Park has become my go-to park for a good 45 minutes, 2.5 mile walk (approximate). The scenery is gorgeous. Lots of seemingly friendly walkers, joggers, and furry four-legged friends. The wildlife is plentiful; you may run into rabbits, ducks, woodpeckers, geese, and more! There's areas to grill and have gatherings -- not sure how that works (e.g., renting). Centennial Park is truly a beautiful park in Howard County.

More of the playground
Alexandra M.

Centennial Park is a Howard County staple. There are beautiful long trails surrounding the lake that are perfect for walking, running, and bringing the kids on the stroller. The park is huge and has multiple "parts". We've enjoyed their playgrounds, pavilions for events, and boat rentals. They have an outdoor amphitheater for small concerts. The park is perfect for family time, group outings, a walk with a friend, or a romantic date. Today I got to try out Centennial Park North Playground off Old Annapolis Road for the first time, and was amazed. This part of the park has a large fenced in playground complete with swings and a seesaw! It also has a skatepark, baseball field, tennis/racquetball court, bathrooms, and an outdoor gym. I will definitely be back and will continue to use this amazing park! Thank you Howard County Parks & Rec!

Starr D.

This is Centennial Park after snow, the frozen park A lot less people in the park during this season and quieter as well. But no shortage of fur babies strolling along side of their humans.

Lake view 1.28.23
Gail R.

Signage for walking around the lake says it is 2.4 miles. When I started, I thought I would not be able to hang, but somehow, I made it all the way around and only felt tired at the end. This is from someone who is trying to get back into walking more. As I arrived, I found several places to park, but as I was meeting someone here who had been there before, it was the only way I kind of knew where to go. The area around the lake is not fully flat - there are two or three mini hills but noting too hard to manage. You also cross over two foot bridges where you can take some nice pictures of the view. I enjoyed the walk and will certainly do it again.

Thuong N.

This is one of the best park I like to visit when I have time or when I'm in the area. This park is huge which takes like 1hour walking one big loop. My pup loves to come here so he can meet his doggies friends. There are baby / tiny snakes in the summer time so watch out the steps when you walk in summer time.

Centennial Park is so relaxing and peaceful
Summer B.

I absolutely love visiting Centennial Park. The park is so relaxing and peaceful you can just grab a good book and read peacefully. Always a wonderful experience never crowded or noisy. You can also walk along the water when it's not too chilly.

Donyiel C.

I've been sleeping on this park! It's gorgeous and apparently, very popular! Came on a Sunday morning to get my exercise in. I wasn't familiar where to park, etc but drove down to the boating area and there were plenty of spaces! There were alot of folks out. I mean it was an early Sunday morning so I didn't expect that. I reallyh enjoyed my walk here and can't wait to come back again soon. It's getting colder out so maybe less people will be around - more room for me!

Crane??
Dominique T.

OMG! To say this park surprised me would be an understatement. Maybe it was also because it's fall and the leaves were turning or just because it was serene on a fall morning. Nonetheless beautiful, clean park. Lots of rentable pavilions and it seems as if they rent out kayaks in the summer! If your an avid walker or just enjoy nature make this an option. It seems as if the park had a recent "face lift" and worth revisiting if you haven't been in a while.

John B.

This is an impressively large outdoor space. Lots of parking, lots of picnic tables, lots of distance between them. There is a lake (not overly impressive, bearing in mind that Maryland has no natural lakes). It's pretty easy to get to and close to a lot of things. I used it for a picnic spot, and during good weather it works very well for that.

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A lovely walking trail, plenty of parking, everything you'd want out of a local park.

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Ask the Community - Centennial Park

Are dogs allowed there?

Dogs are allowed in Centennial Park on leash only.

What day canoes are available?

Good day. Canoes are available from April to October. If you're interested in a particular day, you can contact the Adventure Shack & Rentals office at 410.313.7303 to get the availability status. Hope that helps.

Are these adult basketball courts? Many of the parks don't have 10' goals.

They gave basketball courts for everyone

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Review Highlights - Centennial Park

“Beautiful place for a run (about a 2 mile loop around the lake).”

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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Patapsco Valley State Park

Patapsco Valley State Park

4.2(87 reviews)
5.4 mi

There is a free entrance off of Landing Rd. A month ago I started a walk at the Landing Rd. I…read morewalked to the Avalon area (3 miles). I walked north on the ridge trail 6 miles. I turned around and walked 6 miles back to Avalon. Then walked 3 miles to the landing road starting point. It was 97 degrees. Brought 7 liters of water and about 30% of it was electrolytes. brought some snacks. overall it was a good solid hike of 6 hours. I rested a bit at cascade falls (CF) CF parking lot, Avalon (in both directions) Total mileage was around 18 miles. Trail reference: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-at-a-long-but-exciting-walk-65af16a

I came to Patapsco after planning a hike here for my run/walk/hike club. We chose the Cascade Falls…read moreloop trail as it seemed easy for beginner hikers which were a lot of members of my group and like it would not require any extra supplies. We came on a Sunday morning, parking was $2 as our shuttle was an in state vehicle ($4 for out of state!) and when we arrived around 9:30, there was already a decent amount of people at the trailhead parking lot, but we were able to easily park. There is a bathroom located nearby that is clean and has running water. I do think it is relatively well maintained and looked after, though there was 1 stall missing toilet paper. The hike itself was lovely, with fall foliage still around in sight. We did not come across any big wildlife like deer but given the amount of people this made sense. We did use bug spray on our shoes and bottoms of our leggings / ankle area to prevent any ticks. The trail itself was beautiful, there are 2 water crossing areas where you could get by on rocks but I have waterproof hiking shoes and just walked straight through. I would recommend this trail to beginners!

Photos
Patapsco Valley State Park
Patapsco Valley State Park
Patapsco Valley State Park

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Patapsco Valley State Park - Hilton Area - Flowers along the trail

Patapsco Valley State Park - Hilton Area

4.5(22 reviews)
6.1 mi

A very easy-access section of the Patapsco Valley State Park- you can drive right into the middle…read more I'd rank it as perfect for introducing people to a "natural" state park without the distractions of overly developed amenities. Great trails, enough elevation change for solid workouts, some sections with lovely old trees. There's a long stretch of a beautiful stream (Saw Mill Branch) and some areas that give you that lovely isolated feeling of being in the woods. There's campgrounds (way better than "backyard camping") and driving in from the gate on Hilton Ave puts you in a good spot to immediately start hiking. There's also trails leading in from a number of the surrounding neighborhoods. The paved path by the river is pedestrian and disabled friendly. A historic rail route runs parallel to the river and train spotters can get some unique views as well as see the famous Ilchester Tunnel. PVSP is one of my favorite things about living in central MD, and each section has some unique things. Explore them all - but this (Hilton) area is particularly accessible for beginners who want the full experience.

This is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Maryland. I had a marvelous hike there on my…read morelast trip by Cascade Falls. It was beautiful! The waterfall isn't that big but it was still enjoyable to see. There are some rough spots to navigate if you're expecting an easy hike. But overall, it is definitely worth the trip!

Photos
Patapsco Valley State Park - Hilton Area
Patapsco Valley State Park - Hilton Area - Saw Mill Branch

Saw Mill Branch

Patapsco Valley State Park - Hilton Area

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Patapsco State Park - Avalon Area - Look what we found! A millipede!

Patapsco State Park - Avalon Area

4.7(60 reviews)
7.6 mi

Patapsco State Park is a huge, beautiful plot of land accessible from multiple areas of MD…read more For only $2 car, collected in an unattended Honor Box, you get access to acres and acres of nature's finest greenery scattered among hills and rocks and boulders to hike through trails of trees, streams, waterfalls, and more. Because of the tall trees, you get plenty of shade while walking through the woods. I take my young children who can effortlessly conquer 3 miles of the trail without hesitation. It's an awesome nature experience hearing the birds chirp & insects buzz, seeing the small schools of fish being carried down the stream, the crawling creatures perfectly positioned for nature enthusiasts capturing photos. The park entry also allows you to use the open grass areas to picnic or grab a grill. The water is practically a beach area as I've seen multiple families lined up on both sides of the bridge enjoying the cool water. As well as my children and I. There's plenty of parking. The bridge is a highlight boasting wonderful opportunities for pictures with beautiful natural lighting. There's also some train tracks on the other side of the bridge perfect for photo ops but BEWARE! it is a functional and operating train track! My family and I can't get enough of this park. Definitely experience it for yourself.

There's a resident Bald Eagle in the park now and I've seen him five times this spring. Saw him…read moreflying upstream with a fish in his talons today. Woodpeckers, blue jays, and nuthatches were there today.

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Patapsco State Park - Avalon Area
Patapsco State Park - Avalon Area
Patapsco State Park - Avalon Area

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Trolley Trail - Fall colors

Trolley Trail

4.9(14 reviews)
5.3 mi

The Trolley Trail is one of my favorite local hiking and/or walking trails. I mentioned both hiking…read moreand walking because you can go off the walking path and into deeper forest trails. There are also a few streams that are not roped off and you can go off the walking path down to the water. This trail has a lot of wildlife, including snakes, bunnies, ducks and deer, therefore, it is best that you keep your pets on a leash. There is one spot of the trail that is underneath a bridge and a lot of the dogs and cats get spooked due to the loud shaking noises. I frequent this trail a lot with my cat, Rune and we have never had an issue. It is very quiet and most of the people coming and going are incredibly respectful. The trail is easy to get to, and there is a lot of free parking, especially if you come early! At the beginning of the trail there is a café which is the perfect spot to grab a coffee, tea or a breakfast sandwich to enjoy on your walk!

This is my favorite trail in Ellicott City. It's fairly easy, not too long and, surrounded by…read morebeauty. It's close to where I live so I often come here for a quick jog or hike. The difficulty level is very low; the trail is wide and most of it is paved. It's about three miles and there are markers every 1/2 mile. The view along the trail is absolutely beautiful during, it doesn't matter what time of the year you go. There's a stream which you easily can go down to. As for parking, there's a huge parking lot right at the start of the trail and since this trail isn't busy, it stays pretty empty. If you don't want a difficult hike and just want a relaxing walk, this is a great trail for that. Plus, it's great for kids and pets.

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Trolley Trail - So nice and shady but this Day was not humid just a beautiful day out!

So nice and shady but this Day was not humid just a beautiful day out!

Trolley Trail
Trolley Trail - My little hiker!

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My little hiker!

Hell House - Fragments.

Hell House

4.2(13 reviews)
5.1 mi

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

Photos
Hell House - Grateful.

Grateful.

Hell House - Planting.

Planting.

Hell House - Shadows cast the darndest things.

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Shadows cast the darndest things.

Centennial Park - parks - Updated October 2026

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