Seneca Creek State Park (Clopper Lake)

Save

Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium

Similar · Gravelly Point plane watching

Black Hill Regional Park (Little Seneca Lake)

Similar · Black Hill Regional Park

Photo: Alan Kotok · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🥾 Hike · Gaithersburg

2 hours · $ · No reservation needed

age fit

0–1 yr

★ 4.0

1–3 yrs

★ 4.0

3–5 yrs

★ 4.0

5–10 yrs

★ 4.0

🚗
About 15 min drive
From Rockville · Parking: Clopper Rd entrance, about $3 per person (MD residents) on weekends and holidays April through October, parking itself free
🍼
Stroller-friendly
Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
🌳
Some shade
Great on sunny days · Good on cool days · Handles heat
⏱️
Typical visit: 2 hours
Best seasons: Spring · Summer · Fall

The 90-acre Clopper Lake on the edge of Rockville, with pedal boat and canoe rentals on summer weekends, a lakeside playground, and a 3.7-mile loop trail around the water; little ones can walk a short stretch of shore, watch the ducks (no feeding), and have a happy morning.

💡 Tips

The full Lakeshore Trail takes 2 hours and has ups and downs; with kids, just do the stretch from the Boat Center to the playground. The Winter Lights drive-through display from late November through December is here too.

What this place offers

✓lake

✓boating

✓playground

✓picnic shelter

✓forest trails

✓restrooms

✓disc golf

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Gaithersburg

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️

Sat 10/17

Drizzle · 41–57°F · 41% rain

☀️

Sun 10/18

Sunny · 38–60°F · 3% rain

Location

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Seneca Creek State Park (Clopper Lake)

🥾 Hike · Gaithersburg

What this place offers

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Gaithersburg

Location

More like this

Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium

Gravelly Point plane watching

Huntley Meadows Park wetland boardwalk

Black Hill Regional Park (Little Seneca Lake)