What a great spot! Plenty to do. Wasn't busy at all. Great hiking trails and fishing piers. I took…read moremy 8 year old daughter fishing and we caught 13 fish. We just used nightcrawlers with bobbers, and we caught several little bluegill. Be careful though... several of the spots we fished from had branches in the water or overhead so we got snagged and snapped our lines 3-4 times.

Very friendly helpful staff…read more Reasonable boat rental rates 2 mile hike around the lake Beautiful beaver dam at far end of the park's lake

My wife and I frequent this trail to ride our bicycles and enjoy it. The only trail head is…read moreactually at "John V. Baggett Park" in the parking lot near Three Notch Rd. The far end of the trail doesn't have anything, not even a bench or potty. The trail is always clean and has several locations with benches and Port-a potties. The only complaint I might have would be that there are no active watering stations. Bring your drink with you. All crossings with the roads are well marked. The crossing at Leonardtown Rd can get a little crazy as twice we waited for cars to pass and some cars would come to a screeching stop. Don't be too close to the street while waiting for cars to stop at this location. Some crossings have buttons to push so the crossing lights are activated which helps but you still need to be cautious. There are no sections of this trail as to where you have to share the road.. its a full trail. There are some spots on the trail that you might want to go see, like the Amish market at the library or the BBQ restaurant that you will eventually smell and see if you go far enough. There are a few sections of the trail that have rough surface, the Amish buggies are using the trail and you'll eventually see horse poop in the middle of the way while the ruts of the buggies are bumpy. Its a nice trail with farm, city, urban views. If you're looking for a place to exercise, or a relaxing place to ride or walk you should try this trail.

Really good trail for biking. 11 miles long and well marked. South end is Baggett Park, north end…read moreis in Hughesville. Mostly level or easy grades. Portapotties available as are benches. Winds thru fields and farms and Forest.

This is the perfect spot for locals and travelers. If you're looking for a place to take your young…read morekids to look at the boats, the marsh, and all of the unique little creatures around, this is the place that you need to head to! It's such a joy to walk around with family and loved ones learning history of the area along the way. Also the place is absolutely stunning!

The Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail was dedicated September 30, 2011. After more than 20 years of…read moreplanning the Railway Trail was officially opened for the enjoyment of us all. The boardwalk trail is accessed from behind the Chesapeake Beach Water Park where it then extends westward along the shore of Fishing Creek. Interpretative signs have been placed along the Trail to help point out the marsh plants, animals and other features of the adjacent water and marshland. Fully handicapped-accessible, the pet-friendly Trail is open from dawn until dusk for pedestrians and those on bicycles.

We randomly dropped by Calvert Cliffs park for an easy hike with our dog. The park is about…read more1.25-1.5 hours from the Silver Spring area...of course, this depends on DMV traffic, which is always unpredictable. The cost for entry for MD residents was five bucks per car. The park has free parking, but it appeared to be limited. For our trip, we managed to find a spot in the last parking area. So, I do not know if they close the park once the parking lots become full. We visited on a Sunday afternoon in early May, so I would imagine that the parking situation might be a bit more intense during the summer months. For our first visit, we hiked the easy Red trail, which is about 1.8 miles to the beach area. Also, the majority of the red trail was well-shaded so folks should not have too much of a problem with direct sun until hitting the beach. I thought this trail was pretty easy, and almost anyone from multiple age groups could complete this hike. The beach is a bit on the smaller side; however, we did not venture too far from the point where you complete the hike. So, maybe there are more spots on the beach. We though that the park was very dog-friendly. Although the park is dog-friendly, please keep your furry friends on a leash especially since families with young children use the Red trail. A couple of tips: -The park is trash-free so whatever you bring to park, you will have to dispose of it once you leave the park. I wished that the park had a few trash receptacles at the beginning and end of the trails. But I get that having these receptacles might result in visitors overfilling the receptacles with waste and/or the local wildlife eating things that they should not. -Although I'm not 100% sure, I think the entrance fee is cash only.

My son has been really into fossils lately so we went on a hike to the beach. Had a great time!…read more When you arrive, there will be a cash box to pay in. Parking wad easy! There are restrooms to use before going on your hike! Also a playground which was a huge bonus. We hiked the red trail which was 1.8 miles to the beach. Easy to find and walk! There were benches to sit and rest along the trail. I saw some families with strollers which was cool! Tons of wildlife on the walk! We saw snakes, bull frogs, turtles, cardinals, butterflies and eagles. When we arrived to the beach it was amazing! There was a big box with tons of toys to use to dig to find fossils. Loved all the educational information too. We laid down a blanket, pulled out the toys and had such a fun afternoon! Very very peaceful hike and location.

This little spot has a bit of beach territory which looks out across the Patuxent to the rather…read morespectacular bridge nearby, as well as some trails. The trails were thickly wooded and wide but unevenly surfaced. The beaches are pretty, but modest. It's nice that there's a public space here, but if you really want a beach, Elms Beach is better (no idea why my review for that place blew up). If you want a place to eat by the riverside, Greenwell is prettier. If you want to views of the river and the bridge, Solomons Island is better. So this place is fine to stop if you're around, but it's not great for anything. They charge admission only on peak days (weekends and holidays starting in May, according to the website), at which point they charge a lot. I wouldn't pay it, but if I was in the area I would stop by now and then.

Locked all visitors inside the park against our will over an hour before close & refused to unlock…read moreand let us leave. Still waiting now- going on two hours in a line of cars and calling the police. Park is supposed to close at 8. Completely irresponsible to lock the only entrance out at 6:45 when there are still nearly 30 people inside trying to get out. This is completely illegal and messed up. Loved how beautiful this park was but will never be back. Somebody else managed to get through to the police and they suggested leaving cars here and walking but couldn't guarantee our vehicles wouldn't be impounded. The walk home would be many hours on a dark highway at night- not an option, there are elderly people and a pregnant woman in the car ahead of me. Do not come here- you may be held against your will.

This is definitely a park for a more experienced hiker. The park is well maintained in some areas…read moreand not in others. Was quite difficult to consistently make out the trail markings and follow along with maps. It also feels quite isolated so would reccomend going with someone. The entry ride into the park is quite long, narrow and only accommodates one car at a time. It is also gravel so its important to drive at a moderate speed. Most of the trails are gravel/dirt and there is a lot of greenery to admire. They also have multiple docks available for fishing or to admire the water. I went in the month of May '25 and there were a lot of ticks around, so be mindful and be sure to check yourself after your walk/hike.

A beautiful place to see wildlife, and to recharge in nature. Open every day of the year, and free!read more

A fairly large park in northern St Mary's county, close to RT 235. Has ample parking and numerous…read moreplaying fields. Pickleball and basketball courts are available and a rest room. This park is also the south terminus of the 11 mile long three notch trail for biking and jogging. This trail is wonderful; nice and level and well marked. Winds thru forest and fields and farms.

This is probably my favorite park in St. Mary's County. It is family friendly with a lot of things…read moreto do. Not only is there a playground, but they have tennis courts, a basketball court, multiple baseball and soccer fields, and two trails (one that runs in the back of the park behind the fields, and the other is the entrance to the Three Notch Trail). The 10.6 mile trail is paved and is perfect for a family bike ride or a run. It stretches from Bagget Park up into Charlotte Hall. My only complaint is regarding the trail in the woods behind the athletic fields and playground - the trail loops around itself multiple times and it can be hard to follow where you are. I would recommend to Rec and Park to put in routes spray painted with different colors instead of just yellow, and a few more map stands (currently only one at the entrance).