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

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.

I've been to Lake Needwood twice and both times I've had a wonderful outdoor experience. The first…read moretime, my wife and I did the trail and it was not challenging but very relaxing. You're on the outskirts of the lake so it's always nice to see the water through the trees. We also went kayaking and it was a wonderful experience and fairly priced - we were on the water for about two hours. The second time we went we went with a group of friends and we rented a row boat for the whole day ($50). It was definitely worth it since we were on the water from 10:30 am - 5:30 pm. The staff was very nice as well because we were able to dock the boat to go to our car and get some things we forgot. You're also allowed to fish - on a boat or kayak or on land - and I would recommend to come in early in the day or late in the day to actually catch some fish. If you're in the DMV area and need an escape from DC, or just want to admire nature, come here - by yourself or with your friends/family. There's something for everyone.

Enjoyed kayaking at Lake Needwood. Easy to launch when you bring your own kayak. Make sure to…read morebring a hat if your staying out for a long time trail is also very good.

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.

Kyacking here over the summer was amazing. The water clear and clean. Never crowded and an…read moreenjoyable day with beautiful views!

This is the largest lake in Montgomery County. It is one of my favorite places to go out on my…read morekayak. Being as large as it is, there is quite a lot to see. There are two canoe trails (suitable for kayaks as well!). The shoreline is full of interesting birds. Down at the spot where Ten Mile Creek flows into the lake, I have floated right over the top of some enormous snapping turtles. During the summer, this is quite a popular place to be. There is a concession that rents boats for only $8 per hour. But the lake is big enough that it does not seem crowded. My boat is a bit tight for two people, so I often use this concession when I want to take a friend with me. Boaters should beware and make certain they have a permit attached to their boat. You can get a daily permit for $5 at either of the two boat launch sites. You can buy a seasonal pass at the visitor's center. Also beware if you own an inflatable boat (like I do). Your boat must have at least three separate air chambers or it is not allowed on the lake. This lake has probably become my favorite paddling spot. Unlike Clopper Lake, I have not yet found this lake's secret turtle hiding spot. But the sheer size of the lake makes it hard to get tired of Little Seneca Lake.

This a really nice park in the middle of a Rockville neighborhood, walking distance from College…read moreGardens Elementary School. Had my daughter's birthday party here a few weeks ago, the kids LOVED it! It also has a large covered pavilion with picnic tables and more uncovered picnic tables on the grass with some grills near-by. Lovely lake and walk-way around it, just watch your step (the geese like to mark their territory).

I've now gone a couple of times and I'd recommend anyone looking to do something fun to come here!…read moreI did the Treetop Adventure both times and was pleased with my experience. The entire experience probably took me 2 hours to get through both times. There are a total of 6 sites to go through filled with ziplines, ropes courses and obstacles. After going through the orientation and the first site walk through, you're pretty much on your own! There are instructors walking around monitoring from a distance but that's all. I like that there are water stations at the beginning of each site. The instructors are all friendly and helpful. Like I said, I had a great time and would recommend it to anyone interested in doing something fun!

Took my teenage son here for his birthday a few weeks ago. We had a lot of fun climbing through…read moreobstacles and zip lining. Friendly staff and well organized.

I have wonderful memories of this place. What not to love?!…read more Countless of BBQ with my family and friends. My littles would love coming here and love going on the trains or carousel or the picnics we would have when I was a sahm. So many nice comminuty events held here etc. The parks been through a lot of renovations. One section has really clean bathrooms and there's an exercise stations which is geared for most ages. There's a part here that will connect you to Brookside Gardens. The park is very well maintained.

This park was so much fun. Great play equipment, lot of pavilions, and plenty of places for adults…read moreto hang out in the shade. There was not a lot of shade on the actual park and my kids got hot, but Kona ice was in the parking lot so they were happy about it. We also rode the carousel which was fun. $4 a rider and adults have to pay to assist their little under the 42 inch height requirement. The train was the same, but it was closed for repair the day I was there. The biggest downfall was I could only find portapotties. However, this park was a lot of fun to visit for a day.

Had a great time attending our Grandson's Saturday Soccer game…read more The park was wonderful and even had RV camping sites and a water park!! Great fun!!

5 stars for ambiance 1 star for fishing no bites just tons of seaweed try somewhere else ‍read more