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.

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

New, clean, and well maintained park. Great place to shoot hoops or play tennis. Only a few…read morededicated parking spots but there is neighborhood street available. There is also a picnic shelter but there is only one table to use.

Absolutely gorgeous gardens and the best part is that admission is completely free…read more Rain or shine, the gardens were stunning and exceptionally well maintained. We were impressed by the variety of plant collections, some of which rivaled gardens we had previously paid admission to visit. Parking was free and we chose to park at the Visitor Center. However, those planning to visit the Butterfly Experience should park closer to the Conservatory, as the walk between the two was fairly substantial. The map was detailed and pathways were well maintained, making the grounds accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. We purchased tickets for the Butterfly Experience and check in was quick and seamless. I did find the additional $2 service charge unfortunate, especially since there was no option to purchase tickets in person. Thankfully, staff were flexible with entry timing. The volunteers were incredibly kind and guided visitors through the double door system efficiently. Inside, butterflies freely flew around the conservatory and many rested on the ground, so we had to stay mindful of where we stepped. I especially appreciated the bulletin board displaying all the butterfly species currently housed inside. The Children's Garden was relatively small but wonderfully colorful and dense with greenery. The vibrant artwork throughout added a whimsical charm that made the area feel playful and inviting. Nearby, the Winter Garden and Camellia Garden were similarly well maintained, though neither was particularly abundant in blooms during our visit. I still appreciated the many art installations scattered throughout the surrounding trails. The Fragrance Garden absolutely lived up to its name and ended up being one of my favorite sections. Beyond the floral aromas surrounding the garden, the entire area felt incredibly serene and the air itself felt remarkably fresh and crisp. The Japanese Tea House was beautifully simplistic, featuring plain wooden benches along the exterior while overlooking still water framed by lush Japanese trees. The Anderson Pavilion offered a similar tranquil atmosphere on the opposite side of the Visitor Center, though surrounded by a different collection of trees and landscaping. The Visitor Center contained a small gift shop, though I did not notice many customized or particularly memorable souvenirs. The building otherwise seemed primarily dedicated to educational programming and exhibits. The grounds were incredibly well maintained and there was an impressive variety of gardens to explore and interact with. While I found the Butterfly Experience somewhat expensive, it would absolutely be worthwhile for those who have never visited an active conservatory before. Otherwise, the free portions of Brookside Gardens alone make this an easy and worthwhile stop for anyone in the area.

This is a lovely park and served as a great alternative to going downtown to see the cherry…read moreblossoms. They have areas to sit with various views of the lake. Dogs are not allowed unless they are service animals. There are centers on the premises that have bathrooms in addition to events and programs they give yearly.

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.

What a diamond in the woods (see what I did there?). This place has quickly become a family…read morefavorite with our boys old enough to enjoy 4 & 2. The options of what they can do here is plentiful and it's all free. Want to hear more? Good I thought you would. First of all, the staff is great with the kids and want them to have an enjoyable time, so they do this by providing them with endless unique opportunities. What unique opportunities, great question, here are the opportunities provided. You've got the cave (kids get to crawl in a man made cave and escape via a slide). Legacy of the land to the play area in the Legacy of the people (see what life was like and play house from the time before electricity). Curiosity corner (games, books, replies & snakes all in a themed room) or the Raptor Walkway (see the bald eagle Orion, or a hawk, vulture or owl) to the really cool outdoor play area that is not your typical playground, but very nature minded. There are endless programs during the week, you even get a chance to feed the raptors every Saturday. look here: https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-regional-park/meadowside-nature-center/programs/, this place has so much more than you would ever expect. The boys can't stop talking about going back.

This place so such a treasure for kids. We really loved the outdoor play space, the indoor wildlife…read morehabitat exhibit complete with cave and slide, and the pioneer exhibit. My kids played for a long time with all the early American toys. I do wish they would keep things like the indoor wildlife exhibit up a bit more. I'm sad the turtle habitat has been abandoned for traditional aquaria. It added a real wow factor to that exhibit that complemented the taxidermy. Still they have some great terraria with reptiles. The bird feeders definitely needed filling up too, but we did get to see a beautiful Cooper's hawk perched in a tree while we checked out the raptor exhibit. This place is a bit of a hidden gem. If you have children between 2 and 10 you should definitely pay this place a visit. Older kids will love it too if they are into nature. Thanks Meadowside. We'll be back!

No parking directly at park. Park behind the park neighborhood. Opens for Dawn to Dusk. Directly on…read moreGeorgia Ave. Great place to take your kids as this playground is located next to the fire station. Great time to see live fire trucks when they leave the station. Plenty of space for kids to play and there are tables next to the playground for parents to relax. Free park. Worth checking out. Not too crowded compared to other playgrounds.

Really nice and educational nature center. Perfect when it's too hot to be outside. It's small and…read moreI loved that. You only need a couple of hours to explore everything. Highly recommended

Such a great spot for exploring! There are so many things for kids to do here! We met up for a play…read moredate and got a surprise turtle feeding session. The staff was super kind to the kids as they wanted to see up close. There is an owl here! Super cool! The outdoor playground is a nice transition to getting the kids out of the building. There's a large area downstairs where kids can do puzzles, read or just run. We're happy we got to visit Croydon and play around with friends.