Lake Needwood Boats

Major fun at a lovely space… good for family picnics, walking, and enjoying the summer, spring or fall.

Lake Needwood is a great place to come rent a boat, go fishing, or have a picnic. The rental rates are reasonable and the staff is friendly at this boat house. They take credit cards which is a plus for me! Don’t forget to ask for a Captain’s Club card so you can rent four times and get one free! Kayaks, rowboats, and canoes are $ 10 per hour, and peddle boats are $ 8 per half hour. Check their website or call for up-​to-​date information and rental rates!

What a great, inexpensive relaxing way to spend an hour. Canoes, single and double kayaks, and paddle boats available by the hour. If you follow the along the edges of the lake or the island in the middle, you’re likely to see some turtles or other wildlife. Really nice place.

This was my safe haven in MD. It’s one of the places in Rockville, MD I truly miss. I absolutely loved it here. I had many moments of peaceful reflection at this place, as well as epiphanies in solitude. Having lived less than a 5 minute drive away from here previously, I used to frequently come here to jog along Needwood Park’s trail. The trail actually starts at Lake Needwood (otherwise known as Rock Creek Park) and extends 20 miles all the way to Washington, D.C. I absolutely loved jogging alongside the creek with its whimsical sounds, nature all around me with abundant trees, and the sunshine peaking down through the leaves. There was one portion of the path that had a large enough rock alongside the creek to lay down upon. I would often lay down on this rock and rest here, contemplating the world, sometimes closing my eyes and letting the sun drench me with its rays (where I often felt like a mermaid swept to shore). Being at Lake Needwood was filled with moments of pure serenity and even the worst of life’s stressors could easily be paved down into the pavement while pounding my feet through its trail with whatever running sneakers I had at the time, from variations of Merino to Asics to Saucony, but even as my running shoes changed, Needwood Park ever stayed the same and true throughout the years.
Besides the trail, they also have picnic tables here and places to grill, boats to rent, a large lawn for all sorts of purposes like laying around, reading a book, bringing your dog to frollick around, playing games, what have you.
Truly a beautiful place.

I used to come here all the time as a kid. My parents’ backyard over looks the Lake Needwood park. And while my mom was *staunchly* against us ever being outdoors (we seriously thought she was a vampire when we were kids), even she was OK with our occasional visits to Needwood.
My dad however, looooved Needwood. He would grill up chicken (using two bottles of lighter fluid per pound of chicken… heh), and then, take us out on the lake in one of the boats/​canoes to do a little fishing.
We never really caught anything more exciting then sunfish (although I think we once caught a bass, but it was too small to keep), but everytime I think of Needwood, I get a warm fuzzy glow.
Now that I’m an adult, the feeling still hasn’t gone away. I love hosting cookouts here, and I love that the picnic pavilions are all in good repair, and far apart from each other to afford a certain amount of privacy. And it’s very rarely crowded!
And the best part? The boats are still here! I had worried that with all the budget cuts to all the parks that the boat rental would be closed, but nope! Still here, and still pretty awesome.
Yes, I’m actually saying that something outdoorsy and requiring physical activity to be *awesome*.

Who knew there was a lake in Rockville!!!
A small gem of a park at the north end of the Rock Creek Park hiker/​biker trails is tucked away and surrounded by suburbia. Lake Needwood is a 75 acre body of water surrounded by parkland with both open and tree covered areas. The land surrounding the lake is pretty hilly, and perfect for snowshoe adventures this time of year! During the warmer months, you can run around the lake for a nice 2.5 miles on unpaved trails and gravel roads.
Canoe, pedal and rowboat rentals, boating, and fishing are all available during the spring and summer months as well. Every 5^th boat rental is free with their Captain’s Club card. During their regular season, the Boat House offers snacks, water and soda.
A great place to spend a day outdoors with out feeling overcrowded at other popular park destinations.