This is a beautiful state park. The 7.5 mile trail is flat, spacious and beautiful. Unfortunately,…read morewe only had time to do 1.5 miles round trip. We turned around 30 minutes in walking with our Aussie dog. But we got to the end of the dam and it was beautiful! We hiked the first weekend of January so some parts was a little muddy. But it wasn't too bad. The only thing I wished this park had was running toilets. I believe it was only an outdoor porta potty. But then again, we didn't do the entire trail, so I might be wrong. Parking is $3/car for in-state (Maryland) cars and $5/car for out-of-state.

Saint Mary's Lake Loop was awesome! This is a 7.2 mile loop trail that goes around a smaller, murky…read morebut very pretty lake. The trail is well-worn, gravel, mud, dirt, lots of tree roots, moss and great little foot bridges here there. The path peeks out of the woods for a view of the lake only two or three times. There isn't really any shoreline but I'm not sure I'd swim or wade in this lake. Anyways, I'm reviewing the trail here, since I'm not much of a watercraft or fishing person. We did see kayaks and canoes out on the lake. The small parking lot is new, and we assume so is the fully equipped washroom/toilet building. Fresh water is available from a dispenser there. Nice! Zero shade for parked cars though, which I've always thought was weird in any car park. There are extra long and easy park spots for trailering. There's a small boat launch and dock. Locals suggested we use the trail between May and October, but to beware of the usual forest nasties like ticks, horseflies, mozzys and other biting critters and snakes. We saw lots of tiny frogs, turtles, birds and squirrels. We went on a Sunday and crossed paths with 3 cyclists, 4 pedestrians, 2 dogs and horse prints along the trail. Dogs are allowed on leash. The trail was super clean, no litter or dog poop along the way. Loved the hike! Took us about 2h45min to complete the loop. Bring your debit/credit card for the automated entry gate: $5 out of state, and $3 in state. Worth it!!!

My wife and I enjoy walking and I also ride my bike in the park. It's well maintain and one of the…read moreonly black history parks in this country.

Lancaster Dog Park - I often bring my dog to the large dog side of the 2 dog parks. The large dog…read moreside is about a acre square, fenced in by a 6ft chain link. Both large and small dog parks are double gated so the dogs cant get out and run off. The area for the small dogs is maybe a third if the size of the large dog side. There is fresh water for your dog to get drinks and there's a poopie bag dispenser so you can clean your mess. Most of the people here pay attention to their dogs behavior and I personally haven't seen a blown out dog fight. Its a good social spot for you and your dog. Not much seating area but there are a few fixed benches in the fenced parks. Parking is usually available and near the park entrances. If your dog needs a energy release, give this place a try.

I cannot imagine there being a better Park in the area. My almost 2-year-old and I can spend hours…read morehere and she still enjoys running around and playing. There is a great toddler area next to a big kid space. A good amount of options for swings for different preferences. Really, just wish the park was bigger and was handicap accessible, otherwise, great park!

Really great place for a day trip with the family…read more The beach is nice and the water looked clean. There is a nice path about half mile to the beach. Go early as the parking lot can fill up.

Ok, the jellyfish were so bad this time that we couldn't even get in the water properly. I was…read morestung within a minute in not even ankle deep water (their stings are not terrible but not recommended). Minus one star, but I would still recommend it turning non-jellyfish season.

Shortly after getting onto the path, there was a sign that said 'Hear.' It was at that moment when…read moreone really starts to hear the birdsong. The path to the beach was so beautiful that I was looking at the surroundings more than I should have when I tripped and fell. My ankle was hurt and I couldn't put any weight on it. A big thank you the woman who helped me on one side while my husband was on my other side to the cart than could t make it to our location. A big shout out to the ranger who came in a cart that took us back to our car. Unfortunately, we didn't make it down to the beach, but looking forward to returning upon my healing. It's a sprain with a fracture.

Good trail mileage and interesting wetlands, but not my favorite MD State Park. The beach most…read morepeople go for is small with "muddy bay sand", and you're not supposed to go below (or above) the cliffs. That said: there's nice photo possibilities along the wetlands, and much more diverse topography than on the eastern shore. Near the parking lot are picnic areas and a playground, and there's a lot of trail mileage (better for runners than hikers IMO). Other than the boardwalk along the wetlands (final segment), try to skip the red trail - that's where all the families will be trudging, many whom haven't walked 4 miles RT in quite some time judging by the expressions I saw. You can easily combine trails for some variety or more distance. The trails are a mix of sandy-natural, gravel and boardwalk, grass, or natural dirt. Their design seems an after-thought (more for access, less for "enjoyable hiking"). Note the colocated hunting club at the north end of the park, and wear a safety vest hiking if it's hunting season. If I lived nearby, I'd be here regularly. Lots of parking. There's no gate, so no worry about being locked in at dusk. Places to go for dinner afterwards in Solomons. But as a destination, it was one-and-done.

Attended a family reunion at indoor facility. The indoor space was very nice. Holding many people…read more Bathrooms right at entrance. Sadly there are no playground areas in the park. We couldn't find picnic tables either. So for us with little ones in tow, being outdoors wasn't a good experience. It's such a beautiful park hopefully a playground area is in the works.

This is a great hidden park It's very quiet and clean and…read moreeveryone is very friendly. They have a peer that you can go fishing on as well as crabbing and they also have a kid friendly outdoor pool which is separate from where the pier is located. It's very inexpensive only three dollars to enter and everyone is nice. I've never had any problems and the kids are super friendly Cash Only (it's not posted on the web site) and be ready to have a lot of fun!!

Pretty little park! Nice to walk and see the well kept grounds and dedication the staff has put…read moreforward to keeping it so beautiful. Photographs also posted on Instagram @3spade7star_photography and Facebook ThreeSpade SevenStar

Green Springs Gardens is one of the most beautiful parks in Fairfax County and North Virginia that…read moreI have ever visited and definitely a hidden gem among all the parks here. The colorful flowers and unique park areas like the glass greenhouse, the secret garden, and the children's library were some of the spectacular highlights in Green Springs Gardens. Admission to this park is free as well. I was impressed by the manicured lawns for picnics, meditation, and community outdoor activities. We walked all of the trails there. I noticed the happy and musical chirping of many birds there. All the flowers were beautiful . I loved the delicate orchids the most in the glass greenhouse. Many nice sitting areas all over the garden to take small breaks from walking. This is one of the finest and a definite go see garden in the DMV area. I will visit this garden again & again.

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp State Preserve is located in Prince Frederick MD. Had an opportunity to…read moreenjoy the flora and fauna of the preserve, and an amazing Boardwalk trail over the swamp itself! This is a relatively short (only 0.90 miles of trails) but nonetheless a fascinating adventure!

A cypress swamp sounds like something you'd find in Belize or in Dinotopia, but in fact we have one…read moreright here in Maryland. It's free, and from the parking lot one finds a visitor center with several animals (including some disabled rescue raptors outside). Restrooms are the first thing you see upon walking in, a wise choice given that this place is a pretty decent drive from almost anywhere. It is, however, not far off Route 4, and a viable stop on the way to other things in the region. After the visitor center, a boardwalk leads out into the swamp, and make no mistake it is pretty swampy. The trees apparently put their roots out aboveground to stabilize themselves, leading to a bizarre aesthetic of knobby root bits sticking up everywhere. The area is quiet but for the slow flow of water, and you can almost feel nature renewing itself; wetlands are tremendously valuable. It isn't a large area; not something you'd spend a whole day at with just the boardwalk and a few other areas to walk through, but it makes for a nice diversion.

This little spot has a bit of beach territory which looks out across the Patuxent to the rather…read morespectacular bridge nearby, as well as some trails. The trails were thickly wooded and wide but unevenly surfaced. The beaches are pretty, but modest. It's nice that there's a public space here, but if you really want a beach, Elms Beach is better (no idea why my review for that place blew up). If you want a place to eat by the riverside, Greenwell is prettier. If you want to views of the river and the bridge, Solomons Island is better. So this place is fine to stop if you're around, but it's not great for anything. They charge admission only on peak days (weekends and holidays starting in May, according to the website), at which point they charge a lot. I wouldn't pay it, but if I was in the area I would stop by now and then.

Locked all visitors inside the park against our will over an hour before close & refused to unlock…read moreand let us leave. Still waiting now- going on two hours in a line of cars and calling the police. Park is supposed to close at 8. Completely irresponsible to lock the only entrance out at 6:45 when there are still nearly 30 people inside trying to get out. This is completely illegal and messed up. Loved how beautiful this park was but will never be back. Somebody else managed to get through to the police and they suggested leaving cars here and walking but couldn't guarantee our vehicles wouldn't be impounded. The walk home would be many hours on a dark highway at night- not an option, there are elderly people and a pregnant woman in the car ahead of me. Do not come here- you may be held against your will.

This place is a joke. Went there yesterday just to drive through the park so I could show it to my…read moregirlfriend and was told by the park ranger that I had to download the app and create an account before we were allowed to get in. They couldn't simply take the $10.00 entry fee let us in and create the account later. Instead they had to inconvenience us and tell me that I had to create an account first, Bottom line is that I will never come back to this dump again. Maryland sucks all around as they have some of the most outdated facilities at virtually all of their state parks. Typical democratic run state

Be aware, do not stay on campground: There are ticks everywhere, including playground. I have never…read moreseen that amount of ticks in my 50-years camping experience. It is difficult to avoid contact with poison ivy. Probably only if you stay on the main road. I reserved 2 campsite: one for 6 people, another was claimed as for 12 people. They are of the same size and advertisement still did not change. Comfortably you can set just one tent on the gravel surface.