Wheaton Regional Park and Brookside gardens – a 5 mile ramble
Details
Wheaton Regional park in Montgomery County, Maryland is comprised of 534 acres which includes Brookside nature center, Brookside Gardens, an equestrian area, a sports complex and a picnic area and playground. Although it is a suburban park it contains a wonderful combination of wooded areas and more developed sections. The main part of our hike will take us on trails through the wooded and less developed sections of the park and we will end with a short loop through the more manicured gardens. Hopefully we will still be able to catch some of the remaining fall colors. The trails are a mix of natural surface, gravel and pavement with some small hills. The hike also leads us past a number of ponds where you can often spot waterbirds and turtles. We end near the conservatory so those who wish can stay and explore the gardens on their own after the hike. There are benches and a few picnic tables near the nature center (our starting and ending point) for those who would like to bring a lunch.
We will meet in the Brookside Nature center lot (NOT the Visitor center) located at 1400 Glenallen Ave, Wheaton, MD 20902. Please arrive by 9:15. The hike will begin promptly at 9:30.
Bathrooms are available at the conservatory and the visitor center.
Hike length: approximately 5 miles Elevation gain: 275 feet
Pace: 2-2.5 mph. Rating: easy to moderate
Please note that pets are NOT allowed in Brookside gardens, although leashed dogs are welcome in the other park areas.
PLEASE RSVP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND.
DO NOT SHOW UP UNREGISTERED!
If your plans change, please update your RSVP by 6:00 pm the day before to allow sufficient time to fill your spot. Signing out later will be considered a "no show". Repeated “no shows” may result in being barred from participating in future hikes.
If you are on the waitlist, please check your status after 6:00 pm the day before to see if you have been moved to the "going" list. If you are on the waitlist and no longer wish to attend, it is important to sign out even if you are not yet confirmed, otherwise you may be marked as a no show.
-To find out more about PATC, click here.