Lake beaches and bay beaches with kids around Washington DC
DC has no ocean, but within an hour there are two kinds of beach: east to the Chesapeake Bay for shallow sand, bridge views and passing freighters in warm, murky water; northwest into the Catoctin and South Mountain parks for cool, clear lakes with shade and lifeguards. We picked the most toddler-friendly of each.
On the bay, Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis faces the Bay Bridge and has lifeguards and a playground, and the boardwalk town of North Beach lets you push a stroller all the way to the fishing pier with an ice cream shop across the street. For lakes, Greenbrier State Park is the local favorite for small kids, with a gentle sandy slope into clear water, and Cunningham Falls adds a 78-foot waterfall half a mile from the beach. Closer to home, Lake Needwood, Black Hill and Seneca Creek rent boats and have ducks to watch, but no swimming.
- 4 places
- 1 stroller-friendly
- closest is 60 min away
4 places
Drive times from Rockville
Greenbrier State Park lake beach
5.0Boonsboro · 65 min drive
4 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Lot inside the park, about $5 per person (MD residents) on summer weekends, often full and closed before noon
Sandy Point State Park bay beach
4.0Annapolis · 60 min drive
4 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Big lot inside the park, about $7 per person (MD residents) on summer weekends, entrance closes when full
Cunningham Falls State Park lake beach and falls
4.0Thurmont · 60 min drive
4 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: William Houck area lot, about $5 per person (MD residents) on summer weekends, closes when full
North Beach boardwalk and beach
4.0North Beach · 65 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Paid street spots and lots in town; summer beach admission for non-residents a few dollars per person (check the website)
💡 Good to know
- State parks charge $5–7 per person on summer weekends and close at capacity; be there before 10am. Jellyfish show up at Sandy Point from late July, so check the signs.
- Neither the lakes nor the bay beaches have much shade: bring a sun tent, and leave early enough to miss the Sunday-afternoon backups on the Bay Bridge and I-270.