Gorgeous place to see the sunset!! Take photos, photos and…read moremore photos!! You can sit at this park for hours just admiring the view and peaceful waters. It's nice for a bike ride, walk or even paddling in the lake.

Incredible. Incredible. Incredible lakefront/bayfront park where everybody comes to take their…read morepictures of the sunset in the evenings or walk or run during the day. This park was recently redone and boy has it been a beautiful renovation. Many people just sit and stare out over beautiful sunset lake on the 40 or more benches from one end of the park to the other. Kids frolic. Seniors meet w friends. Surrounding and adorning the park are many memorials that you should take the time to view. Monuments to veterans and in a little tiny Grassy area on New Jersey Ave. you'll see a tiny memorial to a local resident who was lost on the 9/11 tragedy at WTC. Over the years this has become a photo op for people who are leaving Wildwood crest after their summer vacations. Memories are made here

(This is for the Speedwell Forge Lake which is right next door to the actual park itself.)…read more If you are so inclined for a little light reading and/or mapery, see the below for all of the technical necessaries regarding the lake. pfbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c3a9b1eef46b4ebe85bf2c883fa7f73e&center=-76.30666700%2c40.20333300&level=13 co.lancaster.pa.us/DocumentCenter/View/521/Speedwell-Forge-Park-Location-Map?bidId= www.fishandboat.com/About-Us/PFBC-by-Region/PFBC-Lakes/Pages/SpeedwellForgeLake.aspx Looking for a new place put the kayaks in the water is what led us here. Why? To me, the lake is big enough to give you some interesting things to see and explore, but not too big that you can't see it all in a few hours. There are two docks you can launch from - one on either side of Brubaker Valley Road. It was mid-morning on a weekday and there were seven or eight other kayaks out there (mostly people fishing) and a few small boats that were also fishing. Plenty of wildlife with a Bald Eagle, a deer, a few Blue Heron and fish constantly jumping out of the water. At the far west end of the lake, where it gets shallow and you come to where it gets fed by the Hammer Creek, you expect to see a lot of ducks, turtles, frogs and since you're at the side of the Speedwell Forge Wolf Sanctuary - you can hear some barking & howling and even catch a few glimpses through the trees of a few of the residents running around. Fwiw, I can imagine that on weekends, this place getting very crowded and while it does have some size to it, compared to some other county/state parks, it's not that big. But for a weekday, it was more than fine. Beautiful. Peaceful. What more could you want?

This is a great place to go kayaking and fishing. Looks easy enough to navigate putting in even if…read moreyou are a beginner. First time here, apparently it's been recently drained and restocked. Lots of kayaks and canoes laying in the grassy areas, leading to a sense of serenity and safety, which is refreshing. Beautiful views & lots of wildlife all leading to a peaceful relaxing experience.

very nice walking/running options. Its paved but still scenic with a lot of trees and foliage…read morearound the gated quarry. There is a good set of stairs as well to work out on. nice and quiet not on a main road so you can really zone out. Adding to my rotation of walks

This is not my first time here. However, its been a very long time since I came here. They have…read morepaved this and made it more scenic. Meaning it was more dirt paths and weeds/scrubs atleast 10+ years ago. However, they still seem to preserve the natural habits (forest) for the wildlife. This is very very clean.!!! There are benchs along the paths. They have iron fencing in place as well. Parking is not abundant but its in place. And last but not least I did not see any place to potty properly legally. One can run, stroll, bike, walk your pup or sit on the manicured lawn. Please pick your dog poop up and dispose of such. There are poop bag and disposal stations around the path!! One complete lap is 1miles.

A nice experience in nature yet not being far from civilization. There's something for everyone in…read morethe family to do, fish, play tennis, be on the playground & they have a covered area

Stopped by for the first time today to take a walk around the lake and get a little exercise. They…read morehave parking lots located at both ends. They have a nice water fall at one end and at the other there is a playground and sports field. There are plenty of benches and gazebos if you want to take a break and take in the scenery. They also have three nice fountains in the center of the lake. Only problem I had was avoiding lots of goose droppings and a hissing goose that wasn't happy to see me...lol Other then that plenty of people walking and enjoying the nice sunny day. I definitely plan to add this to my list of places for a nice walk....

I first learnt of this place through a coworker, someone who is from the area, went to school at…read moreUniversity of Maryland, and someone that has a little more knowledge of the history of the area as well. Also, I had not clue how extremely close I have been to this area on so many occasion and never discovered this until recently. Well hidden gem. If I hadn't done any type of research on this place, I would have assumed that this had always been here in the state that it is. When you see 'Natural Area' in the title of a place, you usually think that it was always wilderness. But not the case here. How Lake Artemesia is currently is due to the construction of the College Park and Greenbelt Metro stations. Locally sourcing materials from this area aiding in the construction. Once the metro stations were completed the lake as it is now was constructed. Fun fact: there are no naturally occurring lakes in Maryland, they are all manmade. But well before the Metro made its way through the area, the lake was created after stone was quarried in the area in the 1800s. Obviously a bit smaller than what you see today, but it was still there. Another fun fact, the smaller lake was originally used to raise goldfish. The history here also should be know that where the lake is was part of the Lakeland community. An African American community before being absorbed by College Park. This is the one thing I wish they focused on with the park. There are informative signs around the lake, touching on the wildlife you might stumble upon. I wish they would put some in with the history of the land. (I was also a little sad that I didn't get to see an otter) also, if there were some on the history, I just didn't see them or they were some that need some TLC)) This is a great park overall. It can be accessed by so many directions. I came in from the Berwyn Heights area, got a little dizzy on the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Green Line. The paths are ample for walking/bicycling. Sometimes, not everyone observes the fact that there are other people here and may take up the whole path, even though it is set up as a road essentially. Tons of seating throughout if you want to take a break. Great view of the ever changing skyline of College Park. I am sure this is better to visit when it is warmer, not on a cold, blustery winter day.

My thankful Thursday goes to Lake Artemisia. This place is beautiful. When they say some of the…read morebest things in life are free! I agree. The loop is roughly 2.4 miles, it's paved and clean; I've never seen litter or trash lying around. The lake was also home to a historical African American community called Lakeland established in 1890. Walking the park you'll see a few plaques and markers with brief history. Many years ago the citizens of this segregated society, developed their own institutions and cultural traditions, including the area's only high school for African Americans, built in 1928. There is a Lakeland Community Heritage Project that was created to preserve its history and the stories of its people through photographic archives and now the Lakeland College Park Community Center. Thankful that this is a peaceful place to run, walk, ride my bike, or simply sit and reflect. Greenery unique to the area is the mimosa trees that bloom in the summer and the giant reed grass surrounding the lake. Parks & Planning along with other organizations also hosts activities like birdwatching and community walks . In addition to this, there is a small playground and ergonomic gym. Lovely in every season and rich in American history, Lake Artemisia is the beating heart to lots of people in the Greenbelt community. Let's love, honor, and cherish Her for generations to come! #ThankfulThursdays

It's becoming increasingly harder to navigate around blue marsh, with the ever-growing numbers of…read morejet skis roaming the lake with abandoned. They have no common courtesy, nor do they have any sense for rules of boating. They seem to roam in packs and have no consideration for other than themselves! The other issue is the location of handicapped parking. The only parking place is designated for handicapped parking are located quite a distance from the docking area, and it makes it hard to get close without being dropped off and then going back to get the car later. There are however, handicap spaces marked for trucks or cars with trailers, which are located very close to the docking area, but none designated for just vehicles with handicapped placards.

Nice family area Playground,bathrooms,walking path and…read moreswimming area Can't ask for more

What a beautiful lake! Beautifully manicured grass, always…read more A beautiful place to bike, group exercise, catch up with a friend over a nice walk, yoga, anything. I've taken my VPN, packed a lunch and made Lake Montebello my office for the day. Dog friendly! Kid friendly! Family friendly! Catch the sunrise or the sunset. You'd love it! Check Eventbrite.com for free events held at Lake Montebello. Lots of yoga events!

One of the most beautiful lakes in Baltimore, MD. I had the pleasure of taking a walk with 200+…read morewomen on a Sunday morning and saw some of the most beautiful scenery ever. I was told that this lake had been closed for a while, so once it reopened, the community immediately came together to take a walk. Parking is somewhat easy, but I would recommend parking behind Lake Montebello Elementary School. The lake is patrolled all day, so if you were to walk solo, you would be in good hands. The track loops, but it is even, making it easy to walk, run, or bike. I will definitely be back at this beautiful lake.

Clean and quiet pond perfect for a post-dinner walk. Dog and kid friendly. -1 star because there is…read morea considerable amount of bird (maybe goose?) poop on the path and no shortage of gnats in the air along the loop.

Nice park in Ellicott City near Columbia mall. I love how expansive the park is with its long,…read morediverse paths. The park has different amenities such as tennis and basketball courts and picnic areas. There is an area to launch boats providing the park a nice waterfront edge to it. The park is peaceful and beautiful to take families. I took my mother here for Mother's Day and it was a peaceful and awesome experience to say the least. There is a ton of path to explore and the tree coverage is excellent in areas throughout the park that can help with the warmer and hotter seasons. A park that is too open with no tree coverage is beyond miserable even during warm but not too hot days. This is a nice outing to go to near Columbia mall. Columbia mall has its own park across it named Lake Kittamaqundi which is pretty, scenic, and nice, but this park is much bigger and tucked away from the mall area and Merriweather Post Pavillion.

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