Piscataway Park is steeped in history and offers a unique connection to the past. The trails…read morethemselves are a bit limited (and don't forget insect repellent!), but the river view of Mount Vernon Estate across the Potomac was clear. The park has a working farm feel -- the livestock were out during my visit -- and the butterfly garden was a delightful surprise. The river trails don't offer much unless you're fishing, so this isn't really a hiking destination or photography in September. What makes it worthwhile is the history and atmosphere. It's a peaceful place to reflect, take in the landscape, and enjoy a slower pace just outside the bustle of DC.

On the Potomac River in Maryland, Piscataway Park showcases natural landscapes, cultural history,…read moreand views of the river and Mount Vernon. Established in 1961, the park preserves the historic view of George Washington's Mount Vernon and the surrounding area. Piscataway Park houses the National Colonial Farm, a recreation of a small 18th-century Maryland tobacco farm. Operated by the Accokeek Foundation, the farm includes historic buildings, heirloom crops, and livestock breeds typical of the colonial period. We visited Piscataway Park towards the end of the day. We walked the path through the farm and saw the Hog Island Sheep. This is a heritage breed the park seeks to preserve....there are less than 2000 of them left worldwide. The park is fairly small and there wasn't a ranger on site when we were there. The passport stamp is in the gift shop. The interpretive signs have seen better days, but still it was a lovely, albeit brief, visit.

Amazing experience. 5/5 Stars. $10 parking…read more I had a great time at Leesylvania State Park. They have paved roads in plenty of parking spaces. I experienced some of the most majestic birds. I seen my first great blue heron. Osprey and Turkey Vultures are also here and can be seen throughout the park. The trails were well-maintained and easy to navigate, offering beautiful views of the Potomac River. The fishing pier was a peaceful spot to relax and take in the scenery. I highly recommend this park for birdwatchers, nature lovers, and anyone looking to escape into a serene, well-kept natural space. I will definitely be coming back!

Costs to get into this one, but worth it for the picnic area options, playground, and somewhat of a…read more"beach" area in a way.

It's closed for months to repair a sewage siphon in spring, which is ridiculous. There's a sewage…read morepipe that empties into the waterfall area, but people don't seem to care and they swim, even though you can smell the sewage. The whole place and even the forest is littered with hard lemonade and beer bottles, babies diapers, dog poop and all kinds of food wrappers.

Amazing hiking trails! Trails are pretty accessible for all levels…read more The trail maps need updating as there are some new trails.

Since I have moved to the area I have been to Fort Washington Park at least once a year. Why…read morehaven't I reviewed it until now? Your guess is as good as mine. I can't speak for the whole park as I have only really seen one area of the park on each visit. Picnic area B and I are very familiar, and I have come to like this part of the park. Maybe one day I will make it back out here and explore more, but this review at this time is for what I have experienced thus far. Picnic area B is a set of areas sandwiched between Battery Meigs and Battery Humphreys. A great area to have a big gathering as both ends have bathroom facilities for use and those can be very useful. The one thing that you do not realize is how close you are to the water. No matter where you are in this park you are a very short walk to the water. Picnic area B is fairly close to both the Potomac River and Piscataway Creek. There are also trails that will connect areas and take you along the waterways. Specifically for Area B, there is ample parking for any amount of people you may invite to an event. It is shaded, but not as shaded as you would think. Throughout the day, if you want to be in the shade you will either have to move or bring a way to keep the sun away. If you do plan an event here, be sure to clean up after yourself. Do not leave anything behind as this is a park that is patrolled and it is your duty to pick up after yourself.

I really enjoy going to this park, however there isn't any upkeep to the historic buildings at this…read morepark and it's sad to see the buildings in disrepair. Trash cans are overflowed no security or Park Rangers insight, when there are multiple spots where anything could happen. It doesn't feel safe and given the recent news it makes sense it happened here.

So cute! A darling little beach with good nature trails just an hour from DC. Make sure that you…read morereserve your day pass in advance as you can't get in without one on busy weekends. It's free right now but the gate attendant said eventually it will be $6. They are currently building bathrooms and a rinse-off station, but they have porta potties for now. Nicely paved roads to get there, a Safeway en route (coming from DC), and an easy walk to the beach from the parking lot. Entering the park via the gatehouse, the beach is to the right. Follow the trail and signs past the small playground on the right and past the pond on the left. I recommend going to the right once you get to the beach itself as it was less crowded the day I was there. A couple rules important to know before you go. You can drive up closer to the beach to unload, but no parking there unless you have a handicapped sticker/plate. Also, no dogs on the beach unless it's a service dog. There is a ranger walking around so don't try it as you'll be disappointed (as I saw two families have to leave). And no climbing on the break wall rocks. Seems fun, so why not? The ranger said that very aggressive (but non-poisonous) water snakes live there, eek! Also, since I went in August, beware of the jellyfish--they were everywhere. But I also saw huge schools of tiny fish and lots of birds (seagulls, pelican, etc). The beach does not have any natural shade. I had read on the website no umbrellas or tents but I saw tons of families with them and they didn't get in trouble. Bring your snacks and drinks and beach comforts as there are no concessions, just the beach! And the water itself was clear to start but then got more cloudy and had seaweed as the day went on. It's nice and shallow, so I think we will come back when the jellyfish aren't so numerous.

45-minutes from Washington, D.C. Beverly Triton Nature Park is one of the closest beaches to the…read morecity. On top of that, it's a protected park with trails and views. Here's why you should visit: 1) Parking: There's a small lot that fills up fast during the summer. My daughter and I went on an August Friday morning and had to wait a few minutes for someone to leave. There is a lot across the street, but it also fills up too. Parking is free. 2) Trails: There are several short hikes perfect for toddlers. My four-year-old daughter was able to hike the Triton Trail on her own without a stroller or asking to be carried. 3) Beach: The fastest way to the beach is down the paved trail by the main parking lot. It takes 1-2 minutes to walk to the long, but narrow public beach. Bring sunscreen and bug spray. There's no shade at all. 4) Outhouses: There are two outhouses at the main parking lot AND another one at the beach entrance. Unless you want to change in a dirty outhouse, put on your swimsuit before you arrive.

Absolutely worth the visit! I was looking up nearby beaches to DC for a day trip, and this one…read morepopped up. Who wants to cross the Bay Bridge in traffic? (No one.) You won't have to with this find! 1000% better than Calvert Cliffs Park. 2025 rates: $20/car for non-county residents on weekends. Parking is easy if you get there early, and there are real bathrooms at the visitor center. It's still a .5 mile hike to the beach, but it's mostly a firm gravel path with more sand as you get to the beach. Lots of other hiking trails that I didn't try on this visit. Signs help you navigate your way to the beach. There are restrooms and a rinse off station prior to the boardwalk onto the sand. Once to the beach, it's a pretty narrow strip of sand, but off to the right of the main path there is more space. Bring your own everything--shade, seats, snacks, and any digging/sifting equipment for finding fossils! Pack lightly. I saw some people with big beach carts and I'd not recommend it as coming back from the beach it's mostly uphill! Signs at the entrance indicate jellyfish may be present but I didn't see any for the 3 hours I was there. The waves are not very rough and the water is clear out to about 3 feet. I'd recommend water shoes as there are lots of shells/rocks at the shore. I hiked in Teva sandals and it was the perfect shoe for me hiking and on the beach and in the water. Because parking is limited, the beach was not too crowded. It was fun watching other people find fossils as I relaxed in the sun and enjoyed the peace of the sand and surf!

What a total gem of a park- obviously our first time there and it was just a gorgeous Fall day!…read moreApparently this spot is "lesser known" or less visited than the nearby Calvert Cliffs but offers a lot of the same views and perks like finding fossils and shark teeth. Part of the beach have a very small shoreline but around the corner it opens up to this huge wide beach area with a little look out deck. We walked along some of the other pond trails and they were just beautiful. Saw tons of birds and turtles. A lot of the paths are maintained by boardwalks, and sometimes you're just walking along the dirt/sand mix but it's very peaceful and picturesque! We brought our dog and she loved it too! Being that it was November, it felt like a very few amount of people around- I imagine its much busier when it's warm out- but if you're looking for a day on the water- this is a very accessible and fun spot! I would imagine you'd want a wagon or something to carry chairs or anything that you were planning on bringing to the beach as it's a bit of a walk from the parking areas. They do have a handicap accessible lot close to the shore for those that can't do the walk.

We randomly dropped by Calvert Cliffs park for an easy hike with our dog. The park is about…read more1.25-1.5 hours from the Silver Spring area...of course, this depends on DMV traffic, which is always unpredictable. The cost for entry for MD residents was five bucks per car. The park has free parking, but it appeared to be limited. For our trip, we managed to find a spot in the last parking area. So, I do not know if they close the park once the parking lots become full. We visited on a Sunday afternoon in early May, so I would imagine that the parking situation might be a bit more intense during the summer months. For our first visit, we hiked the easy Red trail, which is about 1.8 miles to the beach area. Also, the majority of the red trail was well-shaded so folks should not have too much of a problem with direct sun until hitting the beach. I thought this trail was pretty easy, and almost anyone from multiple age groups could complete this hike. The beach is a bit on the smaller side; however, we did not venture too far from the point where you complete the hike. So, maybe there are more spots on the beach. We though that the park was very dog-friendly. Although the park is dog-friendly, please keep your furry friends on a leash especially since families with young children use the Red trail. A couple of tips: -The park is trash-free so whatever you bring to park, you will have to dispose of it once you leave the park. I wished that the park had a few trash receptacles at the beginning and end of the trails. But I get that having these receptacles might result in visitors overfilling the receptacles with waste and/or the local wildlife eating things that they should not. -Although I'm not 100% sure, I think the entrance fee is cash only.

My son has been really into fossils lately so we went on a hike to the beach. Had a great time!…read more When you arrive, there will be a cash box to pay in. Parking wad easy! There are restrooms to use before going on your hike! Also a playground which was a huge bonus. We hiked the red trail which was 1.8 miles to the beach. Easy to find and walk! There were benches to sit and rest along the trail. I saw some families with strollers which was cool! Tons of wildlife on the walk! We saw snakes, bull frogs, turtles, cardinals, butterflies and eagles. When we arrived to the beach it was amazing! There was a big box with tons of toys to use to dig to find fossils. Loved all the educational information too. We laid down a blanket, pulled out the toys and had such a fun afternoon! Very very peaceful hike and location.

Awesome trails that are well marked and we'll maintained. Don't get confused with Annapolis Rock…read morebeing down near Annapolis, MD and don't get confused over the Washington Monument that's out here too - we're in Myersville haha. Seriously my current favorite stretch of trails in the state of Maryland, you have the option of going to either vista(we did both when we were out there and added a few miles on another trail) and both views are awesome. Be prepared for some good elevation climb, I clocked our highest gain of being 1800 feet - felt hard core. Just doing either one of the trails will be a good trek and not overwhelming for any novice hiker. Doing both might be a bit much for those not well versed in walking for really long periods of time. Dog friendly, but please leash your creatures. All it takes is one friendly unleashed dog to run up to a not friendly leashed dog and then everyone's trail experience is ruined. We finished just shy of 15 miles for our day, and felt great! Annapolis Rock is the steeper climb albeit shorter at around 2.2 miles out then 2.2 miles back(4.4 mile hike). Washington Monument is an easier trail though it's a bit longer and around 3.5 miles out then 3.5 back. Highly recommend, super easy to find with the parking strip right off the road!

I'm so glad to finally be able to write a review on this place. It was so hard to find for me. But…read moreit was totally worth the trouble. It was an amazing hike. The right amount of hard work and great view The actual address for the trail head to Annapolis Rock from Maryland is 11142-11150 Baltimore National Pike Myersville MD 21773

This park is in Clifton. It's at the end of a dead end road next to a winery…read more It is a beautiful park with many trails . It's very quiet , lots of birds .

Beautiful park! Smells great. I was here for a camp for only a day but it seemed like a great placeread more