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    Swain's Lock

    4.7 (7 reviews)

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    Swains Lock Winter 06
    Aaron F.

    Backround: Swains Lock was owned by the Swain family up untill about 3 years ago when the gov't took it over. From what i know it was because they were taking revenue away from Great Falls. HUGE mistake!!! Bubba Swain was like a father to my dad when he was younger... you could buy live bait and tackle, ice cream, rent canoes, kayaks, and rowboats here. every nice weekend the family would come down here and pick fresh produce from the garden that was in front of the lockhouse. It was neat to see the boat shoot under the walkway when i was younger. the little shop is now closed the docks above and below the lock have been washed away, the canal has beceom overgrown and its not the glory it used to be. I have ALOT of my favorite memories here. its still a great place to camp for free, enjoy the river and beautiful sights. Sometimes groups come and take over the camp sites with little regard for others but its usually a great place. If the area (up to WV) gets heavy snows then you'll see the river rise 5-20 feet. I've seen the rver wash over the trail many times (96 was the best after the blizzard) i don't see alot of the same faces down there that i use to but most people wil still say hi and smile at you if you boat bike walk or run past them. (isn't that how its supposed to be?) parking is scarce but if you want to park here and travel down to great falls its a beautiful trip.

    Kendra N.

    Great place that's not crowded, can hike around, run or bike on the path, take family pictures, decent fishing and camp ground.

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    Robert C McDonnell Campground - Random swamp within the highway loop trail.

    Robert C McDonnell Campground

    (2 reviews)

    This is a great place to not just camp but to go on a short walk around the woods…read more I love taking my dog through the 3 available trails that come in different inclines and declines for exercise. Each trails are about a mile each and the shades provided by the dense woodlands makes it pleasant even in the Summer heat. I also really like this side of the Cabin John Regional Park because of ease of access from Tuckerman Lane. There's extra parking closer to Cabin John Shopping Center side as well and and another trail.

    Tucked into Cabin John Park off Tuckerman, this place is a little hidden gem. It's an unstaffed…read morecampground made of 7 hike-in sites. Each site is very well maintained with 2-3 large camping platforms, a fire ring, water spigot and picnic tables. There was pre-chopped firewood available in the sites, which is nice. Easy access to the trails and Cabin John Creek. It makes for a perfect quick get-away for people needing a recharge or couples with young children. We took our infant daughter and it was the perfect way to get her toes wet in the world of camping. I would stay away from sites 3 & 4, they sit closer to the highway and noise would be an issue in the morning. We stayed in site 2 and didn't have any issues with traffic noise. There are porta-potties and trash bins close by. There's a large pavilion at the top of the campground if you need a central meeting place for a larger group. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that it's a bit of a rigamarole to actually rent a site. You have to pick up and drop off a key for the front gate in Silver Spring, which isn't the most convenient. Additionally, although the fee to rent the site is reasonable ($25), there is a very large deposit charged for the rental as well ($200). This wasn't a deal breaker for us, but it may cause pause for some. Overall, a great experience, and I expect that we'll be back.

    Shenandoah River Outfitters

    Shenandoah River Outfitters

    (102 reviews)

    Fun experience for floating down the river! Great service, chill vibes, great staff... I'd go back!read more

    Tubing Review: We had an amazing time. Was is exhausting,…read moreyes. Worth it, yes! Owen was great. He was a great driving the stick shift bus back to the outfitters. It was nice being dropped off and picked up. We did have issues with our card online, but when I called in to book, Nancy was helpful. She got us all situated and sent an email to confirm. We filled out waivers online which was a breeze. We watched a quick safety video, picked up our lifevest and were on our way. The water was the perfect temp, and it was clear. Tips: bring snacks and water. You are out there 4-5 or longer hours. Especially if the water is low, which ours was. We used a waterproof bag and had no issues. We used a tube with a cup holder which was nice. I wore my life vest out of precaution even though I can swim, plus it made it comfortable for my to use it as a neck rest. I've noticed people mention in previous reviews that the bus was dirty ect. Um, you're in the woods. If you get picked up after many other groups the bus will be dirty as everyone is wet coming out of the water no matter what activity you choose. I would not own a brand spanking new vehicle for this type of environment and job. Used is best and saves money I'm sure. Wear a hat and sunglasses, put in that sunscreen. Bring a waterproof phone case/bag. You will have no service out there so put it on airplane mode and use it as a camera.

    Rockville Swim & Fitness Center - Dry sauna

    Rockville Swim & Fitness Center

    (31 reviews)

    I would not recommend this place as a starting point for young children for the non-parental…read moreclasses. I tried out this place because two friends had brought their children for the parent/child swimming classes. Those book immediately because there's such high demand. I tried enrolling my 4 yo in the Fearful Swimmers class (supposed to be designed for kids afraid of the water but allows parents to be on the deck). I liked the graded pool with the kids and the inexpensive classes. However I was very disappointed because they started the class without him even though we were on time and showed up 5 mins early (and I had even introduced ourselves to the instructor). The instructor was young and seemed very inexperienced with children. She didn't know how to warm up to my son so he was really scared and shy. The other two kids had already done the class before so they seemed inappropriately advanced for the class at least based off the online description IMO. Basically she focused on the other kids while mostly ignoring my son who was playing on the side (my friend said that was her experience in the class as well- her daughter was ignored the entire time and basically ignore kids who can't keep up), and they told me to do the mommy and me class instead. I felt like I was being blamed or that it was my son's fault even though the class description is supposed to be for kids who are afraid. I was pretty disappointed with the whole experience, so I asked for a refund which they fortunately granted. The following week I took him to Goldfish Swim School even though it's more expensive and it was like night and day- WAY more kid friendly, instructors are trained to really play and work with children of all levels. He was just as afraid during his trial and refused to go in the water, but the deck supervisor at Goldfish jumped in and gave him a 1:1 introductory class instead. By the second session at Goldfish he was totally acclimated and following the teacher and having so much fun, and the time was split evenly among kids instead of just favoring the stronger/more advanced kids. Honestly you get what you pay for in a private facility vs public facility.

    Nice pool with indoor and outdoor pools. A large parking lot with plenty of parking. The indoor…read morepool is usually nice and warm. It also has a large seating area in the side of the pool. It's can be crowded during peak times. The only downside is that it only has 2 family bathrooms I wish they had more. Staff here are friendly and helpful.

    Adventure Links - Rock climbing

    Adventure Links

    (11 reviews)

    My daughter had an amazing time at one of Adventure Links' summer day camp weeks. She would get…read morepicked up at a spot in Vienna early in the morning then get outdoors-ed all day long. Sometimes they'd go to the park in Clifton (for a lot of the same team building exercises my wife's company had done there); on another day, the kids went caving; and on another day, they went canoeing and swimming. Every evening, she would come back exhausted and happy. What more can you ask for?

    Adventure Links has a talented, experienced crew with innovative ideas and a well-trained staff…read more I'm a fan! Most people know Adventure Links for their popular camp programs for children and teens. However, they also offer stellar corporate team building programs, which is how I got to know them. About five years ago, as the CEO of a growing company of 20 professionals, I was struggling with how to address some growing pains and spice up our upcoming quarterly retreat. A friend recommended Adventure Links, so I scheduled a meeting with Anna, the CEO. Anna came to my office and interviewed me to understand my business, our challenges, and what I hoped to accomplish. She asked many questions, listened, and took notes. The next week, we took our team of 20 to their retreat location. Anna and her team had put together an all-day agenda of activities that went way beyond simple ropes courses. What surprised and "sold" me on them was how she'd managed to incorporate our growing pains into her exercises in meaningful ways. Sure, we had fun and bonded, but more importantly most of us began to see certain everyday problems in meaningful new ways, with fresh solutions. To this day our team references those exercises like old Seinfeld episodes. After each exercise - some physically challenging and all mentally challenging - Anna would bring us together and help us draw correlations to some of our corporate issues. It helped that she has a sharp wit and great sense of humor. She and her team also knew when to push and put us on the spot to drive home a point. Six months later, we wanted to bring Adventure Links back for another quarterly retreat, but this time due to bad weather we had to do the exercises in our office. They totally pulled it off! The indoor exercises were unique and again gave us a fresh perspective on both issues and people. An example - during one intense exercise where we split into two teams, a junior staff person had a "eureka!" moment with a brilliant solution to a problem, and spontaneously took control of our team, which included several executives. I had no idea this young lady was so intellectually gifted and capable of leadership under pressure. How valuable is that information for an employer? My firm has engaged Adventure Links several times since then, all with success. When my children are old enough, I'll be sending them to the Adventure Links camps...I know they'll learn and have fun. Adventure Links rocks!

    Swain's Lock - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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