This might be the best playground I've ever been to. Multiple layers to the playground with a…read morevariety of equipment that is age appropriate and safe. Tons of spaces to explore and play. I love the secured locked gate. I can't not wait to go back when the weather is nicer. We had the best time despite the foggy conditions!

This park is a ton of fun. Built within the past 5 years, this park has everything. It has swings,…read moremega slides, a spider web climber, and baby zones. It even has disability friendly options and party zones. I love taking my kids here to just run free. The only downfall I see is when some neighborhood teenagers come around and play aggressive tag games and curse. It is a place for smaller children and they are welcome, but bring inappropriate and unsafe behaviors.

This is the beat spot to take your hot girl wast in Howard County / Baltimore area. Adding more…read morephotos to the review

What a lovely free green space in Ellicott City! I am angry with myself for completely ignoring the…read morebeautiful parks near me in MD! 20-25 minutes away from where I live, Centennial Park has a variety of trails, fishing, spots to picnic, etc. The land is lush and green. Unfortunately the day I visited I did not take any pictures of the beauty around me, but I am determined to return again. Highly recommend.

I came to Patapsco after planning a hike here for my run/walk/hike club. We chose the Cascade Falls…read moreloop trail as it seemed easy for beginner hikers which were a lot of members of my group and like it would not require any extra supplies. We came on a Sunday morning, parking was $2 as our shuttle was an in state vehicle ($4 for out of state!) and when we arrived around 9:30, there was already a decent amount of people at the trailhead parking lot, but we were able to easily park. There is a bathroom located nearby that is clean and has running water. I do think it is relatively well maintained and looked after, though there was 1 stall missing toilet paper. The hike itself was lovely, with fall foliage still around in sight. We did not come across any big wildlife like deer but given the amount of people this made sense. We did use bug spray on our shoes and bottoms of our leggings / ankle area to prevent any ticks. The trail itself was beautiful, there are 2 water crossing areas where you could get by on rocks but I have waterproof hiking shoes and just walked straight through. I would recommend this trail to beginners!

My 8 year old daughter and I walked down to the water using the Union Dam Trail. Shallow water for…read morewading and a nice view of the bridge. The walk back up is a chore but not too bad.

My friend and I really enjoyed coming here for a good afternoon hike. The signs were clear and the…read morehike with the waterfall was really nice. There were restrooms by the parking lot and the park wasn't too crowded. We had a great time exploring this part of Patapsco!

This is a well-maintained state park that is suitable for folks of all ages. Great for relaxing…read morewalks with your pets and family, swimming, biking and solo trips. Although quite crowded during weekends, the trails are quiet for the most part. My husband & I took the Soapstone trail to the beautiful Cascade falls and it didn't disappoint. The path was clean & easily accessible. Although rocky at a few places and had a creek crossing, our 3-mile hike went by quickly. After the hike, we couldn't miss visiting the popular attraction - the Swinging Bridge. It did scare me a bit while walking on it lol but for the view and the cool breeze blowing, I'd definitely visit it again. Parking: $3 per vehicle Amenities: Picnic tables, kids playground, barbecue grill, swimming, camping etc

There's a resident Bald Eagle in the park now and I've seen him five times this spring. Saw him…read moreflying upstream with a fish in his talons today. Woodpeckers, blue jays, and nuthatches were there today.

Need a park to walk with great scenery bugs, water, innocent wild life? this is a great dot to come…read morewalk. just under a mile and a half, this gives you just enough walking experience to break a small sweat. coming back to check out the views again.

An update to my previous review. Still a beautiful trail for your hot girl/guy walk in…read moreColumbia/Howard County ‍

Another fun lake to walk around with family and dogs. No big hills here and about a mile around…read more This is a great walking spot. There are plenty of joggers and bikers here as well. Parking near Whole Foods and the fountain is a great place to start. There are often lake side concerts and activities in the summer as well

The Trolley Trail is one of my favorite local hiking and/or walking trails. I mentioned both hiking…read moreand walking because you can go off the walking path and into deeper forest trails. There are also a few streams that are not roped off and you can go off the walking path down to the water. This trail has a lot of wildlife, including snakes, bunnies, ducks and deer, therefore, it is best that you keep your pets on a leash. There is one spot of the trail that is underneath a bridge and a lot of the dogs and cats get spooked due to the loud shaking noises. I frequent this trail a lot with my cat, Rune and we have never had an issue. It is very quiet and most of the people coming and going are incredibly respectful. The trail is easy to get to, and there is a lot of free parking, especially if you come early! At the beginning of the trail there is a café which is the perfect spot to grab a coffee, tea or a breakfast sandwich to enjoy on your walk!

This is my favorite trail in Ellicott City. It's fairly easy, not too long and, surrounded by…read morebeauty. It's close to where I live so I often come here for a quick jog or hike. The difficulty level is very low; the trail is wide and most of it is paved. It's about three miles and there are markers every 1/2 mile. The view along the trail is absolutely beautiful during, it doesn't matter what time of the year you go. There's a stream which you easily can go down to. As for parking, there's a huge parking lot right at the start of the trail and since this trail isn't busy, it stays pretty empty. If you don't want a difficult hike and just want a relaxing walk, this is a great trail for that. Plus, it's great for kids and pets.

I love going to the Lakefront. They have different events there such as movie and music nights,…read morefestivals, etc. There are several restaurants where you can eat outdoors. There is a Whole Foods grocery store. Also there is a Pearl Spa. They have areas where you relax and chill by the water. Also it's very family oriented place and a place you can bring your children to play on the playground.

The Lakefront area surrounds LakeKittamaqundi. It is a large open space that includes a small…read moreamphitheater, a fountain, a pedestrian promenade, and several restaurants and retail establishments (including While Foods) overlooking the lake. It's such a pretty area to eat, gather, or just chill. It's also a great place to exercise. You can walk/run around the lake and there are several other trails in the area. I walked about 1.2 miles from Blandair Park and thoroughly enjoyed the trails. There was plenty of signage so I always knew where I was going. There was some nice foliage and even some hills. A nice change from the flat Florida terrain!

The Font Hill Wetland Park is a wooded area around ponds and a stream. There's a well-used…read moremostly-paved path about 1-mile-long, a small wooden boardwalk and two wooden bridges. What we like the most is that this park supports quite a variety of wildlife. On a recent visit (May 2026), we saw a deer, an egg-laying snapping-turtle, and even a hummingbird! It is said that on the summer it has the highest population of dragonflies in Howard County MD :-) Many folks walk here during open hours, between sunrise and sunset. Dogs on leashes are allowed (with cleanup). You'll see us here more than weekly! This is an active park with lots of watchful neighbors. You can enter from Centennial Lane, or Font Hill Drive where there's free on-street parking.

This is such a little hidden gem. a smart park with two body of waters, and sit on top of the…read morewetland as is named. Very quiet and peaceful . Many people come to walk their dogs and/or with strollers. If you walk a complete round from one entrance, go around the water one time and come back , it's about .9 miles and along the way you get to see all the vegetations, birds, turtles, ducks and more. Highly recommend by @winedinenvacay

I'm leaving in the place for the last twenty four years…read more Obviously I would not stay there for this long time if I wasn't be happy with this place

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.