The state parks are places of natural wonder that allow for the opportunity to connect with nature in a way that most DC-area residents don’t get to in their daily lives, whether they live in the district’s heart or its surrounding suburbs. As the weather gets warmer, why not take a family day trip out into one of these incredible parks? Unplug for a bit, remind yourself of the beauty this world has to offer and take a day to explore one of our favorite state parks.
Maryland State Parks
Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden
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Address: 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Md.
Key Features: A 5-acre public garden that serves as a microcosm of the diverse biomes of the state, including a western Maryland forest, a streamside environment and an Eastern Shore peninsula.
Fun Facts to Know: The garden is an urban oasis hidden in Annapolis, and befitting of its location in the state capital, is named after one of the state’s former first ladies. In 2021, its Master Gardeners received a grant that allowed them to refurbish its gorgeous plant mural, which remains an iconic piece of the garden to this day.
Merkle Natural Resources Management Area
Address: 11704 Fenno Rd., Upper Marlboro, Md.
Key Features: Encompassing 1,670 acres, this NRMA has hiker-only trails ranging from .75 to 3 miles in length. Its visitor center is currently closed.
Fun Facts to Know: Merkle NRMA is known for its diverse bird population, including hummingbirds, finches, purple martins, great blue herons and, in colder months, the largest population of wintering Canadian geese on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
Patapsco Valley State Park
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Address: 8020 Baltimore National Pk., Ellicott City, Md.
Key Features: This park stretches along a staggering 32 miles of the Patapsco River, covering over 16,000 acres. There are eight distinct developed recreation areas on the parks grounds and over 200 miles of trails, making a perfect repeat destination.
Fun Facts to Know: This is the oldest state park in Maryland and is the site of some of the state’s earliest mills and factories, America’s first common-carrier railroad and the world’s first underwater hydroelectric plant. Catastrophic floods have damaged or destroyed many of the valley’s historic structures and sites. As guests travel through the park they are encouraged to keep an eye out for wayside signs that help them interpret the area’s history.
Patuxent River State Park
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Address: 23222 Georgia Ave., Brookeville, Md.
Key Features: A 6,703-acre state park with trails for hiking, biking and equestrians, a designated hunting area and a catch-and-release trout stream.
Fun Facts to Know: Patuxent River has many “social trails” which have been created and maintained by the public over decades of using the park. These are not blazed and maintained by the park service but provide additional routes to explore the grounds of the park for those interested.
Rosaryville State Park
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Address: 7805 West Marlton Ave., Upper Marlboro, Md.
Key Features: 1,227 acres in size, with hiking, biking and equestrian day-use trails. The grounds also are home to the historic Mount Airy Mansion.
Fun Facts to Know: Mount Airy Mansion was originally built by the son of the fifth Baron Baltimore and was the site of the wedding of George Washington’s stepson. The mansion was restored after a fire in the 1930s by Cissy Patterson, one of the first women to ever be lead editor for a major daily newspaper, the Washington Times-Herald.
Seneca Creek State Park
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Address: 11950 Clopper Rd., Gaithersburg, Md.
Key Features: The park comprises 6,300 acres and extends along 14 miles of Seneca Creek. Its Clopper Day area includes trails, picnic areas and boat rentals for use on Clopper Lake.
Fun Facts to Know: Seneca Creek is home to three 9-hole disc golf courses, one of the largest in the mid-Atlantic. It also is home to multiple historic sites, including a mill, viaduct and peony garden.
State Parks in Virginia
Belle Island State Park
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Address: 1632 Belle Isle Rd., Lancaster, Va.
Key Features: An 892-acre state park with 7 miles of shoreline and eight different types of wetlands.
Fun Facts to Know: The wetlands of the park make it a thriving ecosystem where many predator birds can be seen, such as blue herons, osprey, hawks and even bald eagles. The diverse habitat also makes it a great location for outdoor environmental education.
Caledon State Park
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Address: 11617 Caledon Rd., King George, Va.
Key Features: 2,587 acres make up this park with its 10 hiking and four multiuse trails that wind through its marshlands. It also has a visitor’s center with bald eagle exhibits, four picnic areas, a picnic shelter and restrooms.
Fun Facts to Know: The marshlands are a national landmark, thanks to their old growth forests and role as a summer habitat for the bald eagle. The park’s most popular trail is Boyd’s Hole Trail, which leads to the Potomac River.
Raymond R. “Andy” Guest, Jr. Shenandoah River State Park
Address: 350 Daughter of Stars Dr., Bentonville, Va.
Key Features: Located on the south fork of the Shenandoah River and has more than 1,600 acres along 5.2 miles of shoreline. In addition to the meandering river frontage, the park offers scenic views of Massanutten Mountain to the west and Shenandoah National Park to the east.
Fun Facts to Know: Not only is it a gorgeous park in its own right, but it is also near several other attractions, including Luray Caverns, Skyline Caverns and Skyline Drive, a parkway that runs the length of the Shenandoah National Park along the Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect for scenic drives.
Seven Bends State Park
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Address: 1191 Lupton Rd. Woodstock, Va.
Key Features: A 1,052-acre day-use park with public access to the north fork of the Shenandoah, two places to launch hand-carried boats and 9 miles of trails.
Fun Facts to Know: Seven Bends is an incredibly young park, having only been open to the public since 2019, and only officially dedicated in 2022. It’s a rare opportunity nowadays to visit a state park younger than its visitors, one that might grow up alongside the children who visit it.
Sky Meadows State Park
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Address: 11012 Edmonds Ln., Delaplane, Va.
Key Features: This 1,860-acre park has scenic views, woodlands and the rolling pastures of a historic farm that captures the colonial through modern life of the Crooked Run Valley. Nature and history programs are offered year-round.
Fun Facts to Know: Visitors to this park interested in the area’s Civil War history are invited to pick up a map in the visitor center for Virginia Civil War Trails and the Mosby Heritage Area to discover the history of the region through physical exploration.
Sweet Run State Park
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Address: 11661 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro, Va.
Key Features: Bisected by the Sweet Run and Piney Run streams, this 884-acre park has mature forest, meadows and mountainside terrain.
Fun Facts to Know: The park has a children’s nature play center, which closed for improvements at the beginning of this year. However, it’s reopening before the end of spring, so keep an eye out and your child may be one of the first visitors to experience its revamped offerings.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is assistant editor at Washington Parent. He also works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
