This is a decent size park! You can rent a canoe, row boat or a motored one but those go very quick as there are not many! We saw a few people kayaking there. The lake is pretty huge for you to go around. It was well kept when we went during the fall! Such a pretty view and place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life if needed. Can go fising here and they give life vests for when you rent a boat if you dont have your own. But no littles under 3 can ride on their boats if you rent. Cant wait to go back when it is warmer. read more

A beautiful park my old church has been coming to for summer picnics for years! $12 admission for out of county residents, free for seniors. They only take card. You can reserve pavilions and they come by and help with trash. There is a dock where you can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats & row boats. Paddle boats are $30 an hour, the other ones are $17 I believe. Beautiful tucked away location. So soothing to sit near the water. I recommend letting a senior drive so you can get in free, or drive with a Carroll county resident. read more

See all

This trail was labeled as EASY, however the lake trail portion is definitely not an easy path especially for elders and younger kids, this part of the trail is filled with tree roots , please be aware. When rains, it gets very slippery. Otherwise, this is a fun trail to walk. There are many people here to fish, cookout, boating or canoeing as well. It's a spacious and fun park. Parking is relatively easy, since the park charges a fee so it doesn't get as crowded as the free parks. It is free to military and veterans read more

See all

Amazing spot for kayaking!! This appeared to be a hidden gem--it wasn't very crowded on a Saturday morning, and it was truly awesome for kayaking. My friend and I came here around 10AM. We had essentially zero kayaking experience, but made it across the lake just fine. The scenery was beautiful, and the lake wasn't rocky at all on our boat. We both agreed we'll come back multiple times. Super fun. There's a $10 entrance fee (per vehicle), and it's $10/hr for boat rentals. There's also hiking trails, picnic tables, and plenty of things to do here. You could really make a full day trip out of it. read more

See all

This place is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite parks to visit in Maryland. The hikes aren't too difficult and you get to experience some beautiful scenery along the ways. I bring my dog along with me and there's plenty for him to smell along the way. There's also a Nature Center where you can check out some beautiful birds. This would be a great place to have a kids birthday party. There's plenty of benches to set up and there's trails, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a lake where you can fish and kayak. Once the quarantine is over, I'll definitely be back to do some kayaking and hear more of that beautiful wildlife. read more

See all

It's been a long time, since I've seen such a beautiful, peaceful park like Piney Run Park. The Lake is gorgeous. The tpicnic tables with grills nearby, all underneath trees, the awesome hiking trails, the boats for rent.... This is a small slice of Heaven. read more

Everything is great about this park. First, it's huge. There's are numerous playgrounds and a plethora of trails. I recommend stopping by the nature center and seeing the owls. They are too cute. They are owls that can no longer survive in the wild on their own (one is missing a wing, another has bad eyesight) The facilities are exceptionally clean, which was a welcome surprise. We spent a few hours here and didn't run out of things to do. It's nice hat there's parking throughout. You don't have to park out front and walk a distance to your destination. They rent paddle boats as well (in-season) read more

Love this place! I invested in a season pass that's worth it for as often as I go to fish. I also got a small Intex boat with motor/mount from amazon $300 total. I take it there with no issues. read more

Piney Run Park - Piney Run - Parks Near Me - Sykesville, Maryland

I have not explored the trails on this park but the lake setting is beautiful. The area is well-maintained. I would come here more often if I didn't have to pay the $10.00 entrance fee (per vehicle). read more

Piney Run Park - Parks Near Me - Sykesville, Maryland

Always clean and safe. Nothing but positive reviews. I can't think of a more peaceful and clean hiking spot for individuals and/ or families. Honestly I have ran most trails at least once in the DCMetro area. This one is prefect for everyone bc you can have seclusion or company depending on the trail you choose...and if you venture from it you'll get more privacy. I have never seen a shady thing going I here. The creek water is cleaner than most. read more

Love it. There are two sides to the park (seperated by the lake) the "developed" side and the "undeveloped" side. The developed side has trails, a 300 acre lake, piers (which you can fish off of), a small (hidden) pond, an awesome Nature Center with live animals and other displays, boat rentals and it's a very dog friendly place, but they have to be on a leash on this side. It also has real bathrooms! Not those horrible spot-a-pots. They have 2 playgrounds, a tennis court and a basketball court. Lots of picnic tables and grills throughout the park. I really enjoy it! The undeveloped side is more my speed, not as many people on the weekends and there is really just trails and the lake. The thing I like about it is how peaceful it is and how you can let your dogs off leash. Of course that comes with some irresponsible owners doing so as well, but there are irresponsible dog owners everywhere. They allow horses on this side, which is cool except for when the horse riders leave the horse crap everywhere. The trails are a little more challenging on this side also. The undeveloped side also doesn't have an entrance fee, which is nice if you are just looking to enjoy nature and don't need all the bells and whistles that the other side has. I hope everyone gets to get out to enjoy the park! read more

See all

First visit here and it's very nice and clean. We came for the annual church picnic. Plenty of food and fun for everyone. The park has a Nature Visit for the young ones to learn more about the animals. Very interesting and nice. I would recommend this location for family gatherings or social gatherings. Located in Sykesville, Maryland. read more

See all

Love this place. Beautiful scenery. Lots of picnic tables. Ideal for a family cookout.

It's not a hike. Strangely, Piney Run came up during a Google search for great hiking spots in Maryland. I'm still confused as to why! On the plus side, it's a gorgeous park with stunning scenic views of the lake and lots of trees providing plenty of shade. We didn't pay the entrance fee so no worries there. This definitely makes a beautiful picnic spot or casual, nice stroll. Since we were already here, I was determined to make a workout out of if, and managed to hit 8 miles jogging, but that included a lot of looping the same trails. As far as hiking goes, don't be fooled like I was. This is not a good hiking spot, it's mostly flat and uneventful. Without our veterans pass that excludes us from parking fees, it's one of the more expensive parks to enter as well and I don't love it as much as some of the other ones. read more

Rented a pavilion for a baby shower... nice nice nice! We had pavilion 6, it was private, quiet and close enough to a bathroom. Really beautiful park! read more

Piney Run Park - Parks Near Me - Sykesville, Maryland

My family trip was ruined when we were looking to spend a nice day on water with our kayaks. Not more than 10 minutes after we had gotten 2 of our rentals for our out of town guests, we were not aware of the no swimming rule and was charged $60 for being waste deep in the water and had to return our rentals. The staff was far from friendly. With a selection of perks near by, this one I will not be bringing myself or guests back. The sign is at the boat launch that says no swimming which to us, indicates no swimming at the boat launch. Bare minimum the staff who is giving out the rentals could give a reminder of the rule. In total we spent $85 today and spent 10 minutes here. read more

Great place for a family day. We rented a row boat and spent t a couple of hours fishing on the lake. Even caught a fish! My 4 year old had a blast on the playground and made tons of new friends. I love that it wasn't packed and the scenery was beautiful even on an overcast day. read more

One drawback is the entrance fee. It's $10 for non-Carroll County residents and $5 for in county residents. The park is well kept with exception of the restrooms(not sure if there is a regular cleaning schedule..but, I am picky). Peddle boats are $8 for 1/2 hour and kayaks are $9 for an hour. pristine outdoor setting. Picnic tables and grills. A nice place for a picnic, party, or some outdoor recreation. There are also canoes and a nature trail read more

Beautiful park and lake. Overcharging locals for putting their kayaks in and use of the grounds.

Great place to take a stroll with the pups. Take a Baggie to clean up after your pup does its thing.

I think that not only is the $10.00 out of county fee a rip off(I live in Mt. Airy, right next door), but fishing doesn't start until 0700 hours. Way too late for serious fishermen. The staff is usually late in opening so the back up for the launching areas is normal. People fish off the launch docks so its not easy to put in and take out with folks' lines in the way. It is a beautiful lake, well maintained and plenty of fish species to go after. Boat ramps are well laid out but parking on a good weather day is limited for truck/trailer rigs. Drop the out of county fee and open up at 6:00 am and this would be a 5 star destination for anglers. read more

They need a tackle shop of sorts. There is good fishing there, I go at least 3 times a year. Sale of minnows would be great, and some other tackle as well. After July, the grass from the shore lines make it very difficult to fish, although ive had some luck during these times. Sale of worms is ok, but not for the experienced fisherman. Great for kids, and very scenic. read more