Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Regional Park 

Fishing is popular at both Lake Needwood and neighboring Lake Frank, where you can cast largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and trout year-round. A boat house offers kayak and canoe rentals. Click here for more info.

Hiking Trails

Lake Needwood Rock Creek Regional Park is home to a variety of recreational activities. Besides RV camping, it offers hiking and biking trails, a rowboat, canoe, and pedal boat rentals, a 20-minute pontoon boat tour aboard the Needwood Queen, and golf. Located east of Rockville, Maryland, the 75-acre lake was built to provide flood control and reduce soil erosion.

For a low-intensity cycle, bike the four-mile-long crushed stone path of the Capital Crescent Trail. The trail traverses neighborhoods, rivers, and parklands and connects to many other trails in Montgomery County.

Hikers and equestrians can explore the area’s flora and fauna along the numerous hiking trails. The Matthew Henson Trail runs along Turkey Branch Stream, a tributary of Rock Creek, while the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail extends to the District boundary. In addition, the Klingle Valley Trail and the Turkey Branch Valley Trail can be found within the park. The Meadowside Nature Center also offers exhibits, naturalist-led programs, and talks.

Picnicking

Whether you want to hike the 13 miles of trails that wind through woodlands and along the lake shores or picnic in the scenic gazebo, this 1,800-acre park has something for everyone. Other recreational activities include golfing, fishing, boating, and viewing many species of resident wildlife. There are also ball fields, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, an ice skating rink, a nature center, and camping.

The lake is a good spot for kayaks, canoes, rowboats, pedal boats, and pontoon boats, which are available for rent at the Lake Needwood Boat House. Kids can enjoy a variety of fun activities and games including the Needwood Queen pontoon tour or a scavenger hunt.

The area around the lake is a birdwatcher’s paradise with a wide diversity of birds and other wildlife, especially in fall and early summer. However, non-migratory Canada geese have impacted shoreline vegetation and soil integrity prompting efforts to control their population. The lake’s waters are inhabited by largemouth bass, catfish, and bluegill. Fishing is permitted with a valid Maryland state license. More places to also visit by clicking here.

Boating

The 75-acre Lake Needwood offers boating and fishing opportunities in a scenic setting. Rowboats, canoes, and pedal boats are available to rent. Private boats can be launched during the rental season with a permit (daily and seasonal passes are available).

The lake offers quiet, flatwater boating and is rarely crowded. Its rocky shorelines are a prime spot for wildlife viewing; we saw geese, turtles, blue herons, and deer along the trails around the lake.

The paved Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail at Lake Needwood is wheelchair accessible and provides access to lake views, including the boating area. The park also has a playground, a picnic shelter, a sand beach, a Go-Ape Ropes Course, and 13 miles of hiking trails.

Fishing

This stunning 1,800-acre park stretches across verdant woodlands and two beautiful lakes. Park visitors can hike 13 miles of trails through the lakes and woodlands, go swimming and boating, and view a wide array of resident wildlife.

Lake Needwood and its tamer kin, Lake Frank, provide fishing opportunities with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and trout among the possibilities. Fishing is allowed at both lakes year-round; however, anglers must have a Maryland state fishing license.

The lake is also a good place to observe waterfowl including Ring-necked ducks in winter and Wood Ducks breeding throughout the spring. Birders can also spot Horned and Pied-billed Grebes from fall through spring as well as a number of shorebird species in migration and on mudflats in summer. Browse the next article.

 

 

Driving directions from Rebecca Munster Designs to Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Regional Park

Driving directions from Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Regional Park to Falls Rd Park