SUNDAY: Azaleapalooza 2026! 🌺 (casual walk + BYO picnic)
Details
The blooms keep booming! 🌺💥 Join us Sunday for our annual azalea trek to Brookside Gardens in MoCo with an optional BYO picnic afterward. READ MORE below...
OVERVIEW
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton/Silver Spring is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, but truly spectacular during azalea season each spring. Those blooms are peaking this week, along with other floral delights. Your host (Carl, aka PapaDuck) will share insights and fun facts from a recent azalea tour led by a Brookside horticulturist. As in past years, we'll begin our casual stroll from Wheaton Regional Park, where parking is easier and picnicking is allowed. Please bring your own lunch, beverage, and chair if you'll be joining us for the post-hike powwow. (See details below.)
THE DETAILS
RSVPs:
This event is cross-posted. Please RSVP with only one group. Thank you.
Meeting Location:
Our hike will begin NOT at the gardens themselves, but rather at Wheaton Regional Park (2000 Shorefield Rd, Silver Spring, MD). Park in the lower lot (first right at the circle). We'll meet in front of the carousel/train station. Got a bladder full of morning coffee? No worries: Restrooms will be available at the start and at Brookside's visitors center during our walk.
The Hike:
From our start point, we'll wander down to the "back door" of Brookside, loop through the gardens, and return to Wheaton Park. The figure-8 route is less than 3 miles with about 150 feet of elevation. Pace will be a casual 2.5 mph, and even slower in the gardens, where you'll have ample "free time" to just wander and take photos. Surfaces include gravel, woodchips, and asphalt, but no mud, so sneakers are fine. Unfortunately, dogs are NOT allowed at Brookside.
The Picnic:
Upon our return to Wheaton Park, we'll celebrate spring and enjoy some camaraderie during an optional BYO post-hike picnic. Tables might not be available, so please bring a portable chair or blanket. As always, PapaDuck will provide an assortment of chips, but please bring your own lunch and beverage.
Thanks for your attention. We hope to see you Sunday! :)
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Please note: A "yes" RSVP is your digital signature attesting that you have read, understood, and agreed to the group's Liability Waiver and Release, located here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mD_vRF62MaCBUyVsx_qzi72hCpaZsqr_/view