Centennlal Park is a large free community park on a lake, with hiking, a playground, picnic tables,…read moretennis and racketball courts, baseball field, pavilions, restrooms, and fishing, with some rentable equipment like canoes and paddleboats and a food vendor during warmer seasons. Concerts, too. Plenty of parking off Clarksville Pike, and more off Centennial Lane, with a small area off Old Annapolis Rd. We took some visitors with kids to the North Centennial Park area off Old Annapolis Rd to play on the swings and climbers. And a drink from the water fountain. The simple pleasures :-). Great fun, not too crowded on a spring-like day during an otherwise cold March 2026. On the Howard County website, you have to dig around for activities and parks,. Then use the interactive parks link to find parks and specifically Centennial Park. There's a map-logo link that is a great way to see what's here and exactly where it is. And we noticed that the map app we all use claimed there is a $165 fee! No way! Totally free admission to the whole park. Maybe you can rent some of the facilities. That weird ticket link in the map app is actually the reason i decided to review the park. If anyone knows how to convince the map app to tell people that this park is free, please have at it. I could not find a way.

This area is another great part of this park. The playground is great for families with children…read more There is a skate park, courts, and a walking path. The exercise area is wonderful for those over 13. It is not a play area though. Exercising in the fresh air is great and people are considerate.

Been here a few times for tennis and just walking around. The park is usually fairly busy between…read morethe paths, the skate park, the kid's playground, the basketball courts and the tennis courts. It's a little distracting to play tennis there during peak times- there's a lot of activity between the planes, the highway, people smoking pot in the picnic areas, and once there were even kids on ATVs riding around loudly. Sometimes people blast music in the parking lot for absolutely no reason. For awhile there was a creepy old guy who lived in his truck in the parking lot and would make me super uncomfortable being there if alone, but he wasn't there the last two times I've been- maybe he has moved on. But overall, it is great that there is a place in the community for activities such as tennis and skating, and it seems to be well-maintained.

This was a nice park. I came here for an early evening walk with a friend. The walking trail…read moresurrounded the baseball fields and the basketball and tennis courts. It's not a very long walking trail. It was good enough for what we wanted, just to get a good few laps in for exercise. At the time, the park was busy with people playing tennis and basketball. There were a few little league baseball practices going on as well. The parking is another story. If you do not get there at a decent time, you could end up parking along the side of the playing fields or in the grass outside of the park. Thankfully, we were able to get a parking spot. If you live in the area, it's a nice park to visit. Just be aware that after work hours during the week, parking could be an issue. On top of that, the park could get really crowded.

Cedar Lane Park We…read morechecked out this park couple weeks ago while weather still sunny and wind was breezy. It was a nice outdoor break for us, the park was connected with sports and fitness equipment that works well for 14+ and above even my lil one enjoys the elliptical equipment so much. Some benches and indoor restrooms are around the corner, it's very convenient! 5081 Cedar Lane, Columbia MD 21044 Morning till dusk mulch playground surface ‍ ‍fitness equipment access next to playground Strollers and wheelchairs friendly access indoor restrooms Huge parking lot #cedarlanepark #columbiamd #hocomd #visithocomd #dmv #dmvplaygrounds #hocomom #momsofinstagram #marylandactivities #outdooractivities #exploremd #exploredmv #enjoyexploring #maryland #marylandplaygrounds #visitmaryland #visitmd #igmd #mdphotography #maryland #marylandphotography #theprettycities #wonderful_places #livelittlethings #inspiremyinstagram #preservefootprints #shotoniphone13promax

This Howard County park was definitely built with team sports in mind. There are plenty of…read moresoftball and soccer fields so you don't feel like you are in anybody's way. There are also a couple of volleyball courts near a very large covered pavilion that would fit the family bbq or the the office crab feast. There is also a decently sized playground for the kids, although it isn't nearly as good as the playgrounds offered at Centennial and Meadow Brook. I can imagine parking could be a pain as the fields fill up but there is street parking available.

This small community park has a playground, tennis courts and circular walking path. You'll rarely…read morefind it crowded, so it is a good spot to stop with young children & slide down the slides a few times or to take a walk once around the loop. I suppose tennis fans might appreciate the courts (generally open although sometimes I've seen groups in there). Other county parks offer larger playgrounds and longer, more interesting walking paths (Quiet Waters, for instance) but for a local park this has its place.

We've never actually been inside the center, but my kids absolutely love the mud kitchen and music…read moregarden, so we find ourselves frequenting the free outdoor grounds pretty often. It's such a fun little spot tucked away, and I love that we can easily pair some playtime with a quick lap around the nature path. The area is nicely shaded, which makes it a great option even when the weather is warmer. And I have to mention the tube slide, I love it just as much as the kids do! It's become one of our favorite little places to stop for some free outdoor fun.

This was a great nature center to find. We had wanted to go on a short hike, but because of the…read morerain, the trails were muddy. Luckily we could go explore the nature center. It's a beautiful center and has a gorgeous outdoor patio plus an outdoor playground as well. The exhibits inside are really cool, and I loved learning about the Chesapeake waterways and preservation of the bay. It was interesting to learn about all of the creatures that live in the second growth forest outside and even see some of them, such as turtles and snakes in their exhibits. They did a really good job with this nature center, and it was really fun. I'm glad we found it and I am looking forward to walking some of the trails next time we are in the area.

Love this area! Very beautiful lots of activities for all ages and places to eat. They have events…read moreincluding live bands on certain days.

Fun park with so many good restaurants all around it! It has an ice skating risk during the winter…read morewhich is good for the family.

No river was evident on my visit to this park. It was, however, sizable and offered multiple…read morefacilities, including a public pool that was well attended in the scorching heat, but also open and reasonably clean bathrooms and water fountains and some additional sports fields and green space. The actual views are of a freeway and not a river, but there is still plenty to draw one to this park.

Small but convenient park located in the Riverside/Fed Hill neighborhood. Is it my favorite park in…read moreBaltimore? No, but I can understand the draw if you have kids or a dog. There's about a one mile loop that circles the park along with a playground, swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a soccer field. It's actually quite impressive all they managed to fit into such a small space. Definitely a great spot for sports or a quick walk. When I come to a park, I'm usually hoping for a peaceful stroll but depending on the time of day you're at Riverside Park, it will likely be full of energy and excitable children hanging out after school. Will I be in a rush to come back? No, probably not but I'm glad to see such a useful, public green space in the community.

Only recently discovered this park so I wanted to share…read more I love living in this area. There's so many outdoor spots that you can try a new one just about every week if you wanted. Located in Laurel off main street, this park is parallel to the Patuxent River. They have some walking trails with a scenic option to enjoy the outdoors. There's a parking lot available. There's also a playground. Add this park to your list!

Out and back trail along the river with a playground , and plenty of benches along the way to sit…read moreand enjoy the nature. There's a small parking lot, and I believe I saw a single restroom stall. There's also a map of a 5k route that takes you out of the park and back.