Do you need to find a happy place or do you need to unwind from electronics?! Look no further. One…read moreof the nicest trails in MOCO ... its a very easy path. Not that many steep hills. Depending on time of year, you can rent boat..or canoe. You can see different types of birds here if your a bird watcher. You can plan a nice picnic here too. There are a few different entrances. The most convenient one for me is off Needwood Rd or you can enter from Avery Rd.

First, if you need an address to find this park, you can use either 15700 Needwood Lake Circle,…read moreRockville, MD or 15700 Needwood Lake Circle, Derwood, MD. This park has two entrances - one on Avery Road and the other on Needwood Road. The one on Avery Road is closer to Go Ape Adventures which is located within the park (at a cost). As you enter this part of the park, and go down a hill, the road will eventually end at a stop sign. It is here you will see a sign that says, "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood". You then have to decide if you want to go right or go left. If you turn right, you will come across the Golf Course, Picnic Area, and Archery. If you turn left, you will come across the Boat Shop, Picnic Areas, and Hiker/Biker Trails. Going Right at the "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood" sign If you turn right, you will go over a few speed bumps. After you pass this area (and you will see Go Ape to your right), you will also see part of the lake to your left and a little crossing bridge (not for cars). On this side, I have seen people have picnics, go fishing, and hiking as well. If you continue on the road, you will come across a playground to your left and a parking lot - I guess there are more trails back there (I have not gone in the area beyond the playground). To the right of that lot is a place for archery. If you continue on this road, you will exit the park onto Needwood Road. Going Left at the "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood" sign If you turn left, you will see a parking lot on your immediate right. Next to this lot, is a volleyball court - I have seen folks play volleyball here. If you continue through a walking path in the trees, you will come across some covered picnic tables and more trails taking you closer to the lake. As you get back in your vehicle, past this parking lot and follow the road, it will steer you to the right and you go down towards the lake. In this area of the road, I have seen people park on the road whenever the park gets crowded (there are marked spaces). As you continue down, you will see a much smaller parking area which is next to the boat house. You can walk through the boat house to another part of the lake, but as far as renting boats, that is only available during the summer months. Most times, this lot is filled, but not to worry, because if you continue traveling just a few feet more, you will come across an even bigger parking lot. It is in this bigger lot, you will come across a map layout of the whole park - more of Lake Needwood. There are also a few porta-potties. Within the area is a huge grassy field that is perfect to just lay a blanket and chill, but you may have to complete with geese in the area. There are 2 trails on this side by the map - if you go to the left, the trail is on a very flat surface - be careful when walking as you will end up crossing a few roads like Southlawn Lane and Avery Road, to name a few. By that same map, if you take the trail to the right, you will go up a hill, cross over the lake and continue on even more trails in this park. I like coming to Lake Needwood. I have done walks here on a few of the different trails and have even gone off the beaten path. Had lunch on a picnic table or two and even did pedal boating, however you won't ever find me in a kayak. Overall, it is nice to come here to just chill and enjoy nature. To gather more info on your own, check out these links: Lake Needwood Trails: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-regional-park/rock-creek-trails/lake-needwood-trails Lake Needwood Boats: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-needwood-boats

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.

Dawson Farm Park is a great little local park with lots of amenities for locals. There is a…read moreplayground for children, a gazebo for cookouts, a creek to play in, and plenty of picnic tables. It is also nearby to the local high school, so there's plenty of space for pregame activities and summer fun in the sun. What really sets this park apart is the amount of shade received by the old growth trees. You can enjoy a summertime lunch in the shade without having to worry about the heat. It also has a close proximity to several other parks, making it a great waypoint for your bicycle or running trips, and also as a quick shortcut from the high school to the main neighborhoods. Stop on by and play around-this is a great local park. I especially love the historic nature and history of this park; this was the location of one of the first farms (or one of the oldest farms) that still relatable to Rockville today. You can read all about the Dawson family and their farm at some of the historic Education signs you'll find detailing the history around the park. So if you've got some time to kill and just want to relax, or if you want to learn a little bit about the history of the Rockville area, come on over to Dawson Farm Park and you'll get plenty of both.

This park was quite well manicured, and housed a picnic area on a hill as well as a playground…read more Well constructed bridges traversed a small stream. It offered no bathroom facilities that I could see and was not lit at night-time (for better or worse), but it is quite a pleasant little space in the daytime.

Really good place to go. For people with kids. Really clean place and nice people. Nice basketball…read morecourts outside.

This park is pretty great. For kids' playgrounds, it has two: one for 2-5 year olds and another for…read morethat and older kids. It also has picnic tables, tennis courts, basketball courts, and some sort of building/center. The sign on the building stated no public restrooms.

Love coming here and doing walks, plus the scenery is great - huge lake. On my recent visit I went…read morewalking with a friend - off the beaten path. Also, took a short visit through the Discovery Center (my first time inside) - will have to check it out another time. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to this park as it is one of my favorites in the county. Visited November 2024

Enjoyed a wonderful barbecue here. The park is large and it's beautiful. We had a picnic pavilion…read moreright next to a playground. The facilities are well maintained here.

Absolutely beautiful park, well maintained trails around the lake, ample parking, friendly ranger…read morestaff, and just a great place to be. Some friends and I went for a hike on a Sunday morning and while the website says they might charge you a few dollars for parking, we didn't see anyone at the gate house and no one asked us. At the Ranger station, the bathrooms were very clean, quite warm actually, and there was a couple of interesting habitat exhibits. Just a really well run state park with lots of activities. They even had a station where you can get free firewood, and build a little fire.

This review is for the Winter Lights Festival…read more This is a pre-ticket event so don't forget to buy your tickets before trying to enjoy the lights! As a drive thru only lights show, it was interactive with different "movement" lights like a gingerbread man doing cartwheels, fish jumping, or presents tossed by teddy bears and Santa. My toddler absolutely loved the lights and it was especially nice to still be in the warm comfort of your car. It was about a 15-20 minute slow ride around the venue, and most of the drivers kept their distance from each other so you didn't feel rushed. Pricing wasn't bad either - $15 for one car (unlimited occupancy) on a weeknight. I recommend going closer to the start of the event time, as by the time we were leaving, there were quite a line of cars coming in. There's also porta potties near the ticket check gate to pull off and use the restroom or stretch before heading in/out.

Loved this hike! Beautiful foliage and you can take the lake view hike…read more It's beautiful and not too strenuous. It's about 5 miles round trip. I was staying at Rio in Gaithersburg and it was only a 15 minute drive. Highly recommend. Great to be in nature and gorgeous this time of year.

This park is such a lovely place for all ages. Plenty of trails and along the water, it's very…read moretherapeutic and relaxing. I did 5 miles and I didn't even scratch the surface. Great for dogs too. As a dog owner, if you know that your dog does not understand your commands and you don't know how they will react with others, please do not approach other dogs. Please spread awareness about pets, some dogs do not like other dogs and you cannot force them to like them. Protect their boundaries because you are their only advocate.

Great playground with various stations for different age groups. It's about a 5min slow walk to…read morethe Cabin John mini train. Tickets are still $4/person and runs every 3min during season. There are many benches and shelters all over the park. Wonderful place to meet up for play dates when weather is good!

Juneteenth at Scotland --Historical African American Community in MoCo (Now Cabin John Park)…read more Now that it's been Federal Holiday for a few years, this past Juneteenth (June 19) we celebrated African American Freedom from enslavement on this occasion. There were food trucks, vendors and fireworks to help celebrate. It's bring your own chair and arrive early, or park at the mall or somewhere close by. So many people fought to enshrine and mark this special day, as an official holiday. I'm glad others are learning about the holiday. How we celebrate in MoCo County is unique, so incredibly special that people travel from all over the state and region to see our fireworks. Next June, you should consider coming out to celebrate with us.

New, clean, and well maintained park. Great place to shoot hoops or play tennis. Only a few…read morededicated parking spots but there is neighborhood street available. There is also a picnic shelter but there is only one table to use.

Lovely park. Ample parking, easy to navigate to. It has large playground. Outdoor ping pong table…read more No bathrooms. Pretty clean. It has a little free library. The people here are usually friendly and respectful.

My daughter's favorite playground! The equipment is starting to age but is still in great…read morecondition. The playground is huge, with a toddler area, bigger kid area, mini-house, and several structures, swings. Even has an outdoor exercise area for adults. There is also lots of green space, with picnic tables, grills, a ping pong table, and tennis courts nearby and walking paths. The King Farm neighborhood is also very safe and pleasant, the park very clean and well kept, and plenty of parking available for those driving in. My only other nitpick would be there is a lack of shade on the playground itself, so it can get hot and sunny mid day. Otherwise, tis is one of the best parks/playgrounds in the county!