List of parks in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area explained

The list contains the largest contiguous public parks-preserves within 30miles of either Baltimore, Maryland or Washington, D.C., which is within the Baltimore metropolitan area or version=2010a}}

1. Prince William Forest - Locust Shade, Virginia; 18255acres - about one-third is closed to the public^[1]
2. Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge - Fran Uhler (Patuxent River Park), Maryland; 13300acres - about one-third is closed to the public
3. Seneca Creek - McKee-Beshers - C & O Canal - Germantown, Maryland / Algonkian, Virginia; 12435acres^[2]
4. Upper Patapsco, Maryland; 9575acres
5. Patuxent River Park - Merkle - Jug Bay Wetlands - House Creek, Maryland; 8759acres
6. Mason Neck - Accotink Bay - Pohick - Meadowwood - Gunston, Virginia; 7690acres
7. Patuxent River State Park, Maryland; 6650acres
8. Chapmans - Myrtle Grove - Mattawoman, Maryland; 6278acres
9. Sugarloaf Mountain - Monocacy River - C & O Canal, Maryland; 5790acres
10. Lower Gunpowder Falls, Maryland; 5325acres
11. Manassas Battlefield, Virginia; 4355acres
12. Little Bennett, Maryland

3700acres

1. Great Falls, Virginia - C & O Canal, Maryland - Riverbend, Virginia - Scott's Run, Virginia - Carderock, Maryland; 3440acres
2. Lower Patapsco - Rockburn Branch, Maryland; 3435acres
3. Cedarville, Maryland; 2848acres
4. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Maryland; 2800acres - limited public access
5. Upper Gunpowder Falls (Hereford), Maryland

2755acres

1. Rock Creek Regional (Lake Needwood - North Branch)

2670acres

1. Susquehanna State Park, Maryland; 2645acres
2. Fountainhead, Virginia; 2450acres
3. Nanjemoy Creek, Maryland; 2415acres - generally closed to the public
4. Mid-Gunpowder Falls (Baldwin-Fork), Maryland; 2300acres
5. Eastern Neck, Maryland; 2285acres
6. Douglas Point - Mallows Bay - Purse State Park (Nanjemoy Wildlife Area), Maryland; 1920acres
7. Soldiers Delight, Maryland; 1920acres
8. Rock Creek Park, D.C.; 1754acres

Notes

- only a portion of this park is publicly accessible

- This list does not include interrupted, scattered parts of administrative units, but rather entire, contiguous park-preserve tracts. Strip park area (<1000 foot (300 m) width for more than 1/2 mile (800 m)) and public utility land (reservoirs) are excluded. Much of the 72500acres Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. and 56000acres Quantico Marine Base, Virginia^[3] are undeveloped, and constitute the largest such areas within 30miles of either Baltimore or Washington. Neither is generally open to the public. Quantico is contiguous with Prince William Forest Park. Washington and Baltimore are 33miles apart.

External links

• The Nature Conservancy - Maryland/DC Areas We Protect

• Prince William Forest Park
• Locust Shade Park
• Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge
• Fran Uhler Natural Area
• Seneca Creek State Park
• McKee Beshers Wildlife Area
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
• South Germantown Park
• Algonkian Park
• Patapsco Valley State Park
• Patuxent River Park
• Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary
• Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
• Mason Neck
• Pohick Bay Park
• Gunston Hall
• Meadowood Recreation Area
• Patuxent River State Park
• Sugarloaf Mountain
• Monocacy Wildlife Area
• Gunpowder Falls State Park
• Chapman Forest (molehill.us)
• Chapman Forest (maryland.gov)
• Myrtle Grove Wildlife Area
• Mattawoman Natural Area
• Manassas Battlefield
• Little Bennett Regional Park
• Great Falls Park, Va.
• Riverbend Park
• Scotts Run Preserve
• Carderock Recreation Area
• Rockburn Branch Park
• Cedarville State Forest
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
• Rock Creek Regional Park, Md.
• Susquehanna State Park
• Fountainhead Park
• North Branch Park
• Nanjemoy Creek Preserve
• Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge
• Douglas Point/Nanjemoy Wildlife Area (blm.gov)
• Douglas Point/Nanjemoy Wildlife Area (state.md.us)
• Purse State Park
• Soldiers Delight Natural Area
• Rock Creek Park, D.C.
• Aberdeen Proving Grounds
• Quantico Marine Base

Notes and References

1. Web site: Prince William Forest Park (U.S. National Park Service).
2. Web site: FY2013 DNR Owned Lands Acreage Report . Maryland DNR . December 21, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151018234718/http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/land/stewardship/pdfs/CurrentAcreageReport.pdf . October 18, 2015 .
3. Web site: Virginia Landmarks Register. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 5 June 2013.