Wheaton Regional Park
Managed by Montgomery Parks
536 acres6.8 mi of trail
Little Bit Loop TrailRaven's RunPine Lake TrailTimberdoodle Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Wheaton
22% of Wheaton’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
12 miles of mapped trail cross Wheaton, 1.7 per square mile of land. 22% of Wheaton’s land is conserved, about 968 acres. The biggest trail networks: Wheaton Regional Park (6.8 mi), Rock Creek Stream Valley Park (1.5 mi), Brookside Gardens (0.7 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #23 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
968 acres · of 6.9 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
703 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
9.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Wheaton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wheaton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wheaton is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #23 of 261 in Maryland. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wheaton’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical MD town 9% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · MD 0.5 · U.S. 0.4APark land13 acres of park per 1,000 residents (703 acres) · MD 9 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · MD 87% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Maryland towns of 2,500+ (261)Ahead of 92%
Maryland towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 9%; the U.S., 4%), so Wheaton’s 22% is ahead of 90% of Maryland towns, while its trails per square mile lead 85% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Wheaton Regional Park, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rock Creek Stream Valley Park
Managed by Montgomery Parks
138 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Brookside Gardens
Managed by Montgomery County Parks
27 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Capitol View – Homewood Park
Managed by Montgomery Parks
17 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Veirs Mill Park
Managed by Montgomery Parks
17 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 21 parks & preserves
Wheaton Regional Park536 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsRock Creek Stream Valley Park138 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsBrookside Gardens27 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Montgomery County Parks
DirectionsCapitol View – Homewood Park17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsVeirs Mill Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsSligo Creek Stream Valley Park124 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsMatthew Henson State Park60 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Maryland Departement of Recreation, Maryland Park Service
DirectionsWheaton-Claridge Local Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsGlenmont Local Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlen Haven Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsCarroll Knolls Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsWinding Creek Local Park11 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsStoneybrook10 acres
DirectionsNorthwest Branch Stream Valley Park9 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsDewey Park9 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsEvans Parkway Park8 acres · Montgomery County Parks (M-NCPPC)
DirectionsWheaton Forest Park7 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsArcola Local Park6 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsSligo-Dennis Avenue Local Park3 acres · Montgomery Parks
DirectionsColt Terrace Neighborhood Park3 acres · Montgomery Parks
Wheaton Veteran's Urban Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
968 conserved acres
22% of Wheaton’s land. Who manages Wheaton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency93 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government53 ac
County3 ac
Not recorded879 ac
State Other or Unknown · 769 acLocal Park · 156 acLocal Other or Unknown · 93 acConservation Easement · 6 acState Park · 5 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 6 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 12 of 31 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Branch Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 546 | Unknown |
| Sligo Creek Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 134 | Unknown |
| Rock Creek Stream Valley Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 92 | Open |
| Rock Creek Stream Valley Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 89 | Unknown |
| Wheaton-Claridge Lp Local Park | Regional agency | 21 | Open |
| Glenmont Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 18 | Open |
| Veirs Mill Lp Local Park | Regional agency | 17 | Open |
| Capitol View-Homewood Lp Local Park | Regional agency | 15 | Open |
| Stoneybrook Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 11 | Open |
| Winding Creek Lp Local Park | Regional agency | 11 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
62 places to go in Wheaton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Wheaton
Kenmont Swimming Pool
DirectionsPool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Wheaton
44 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Wheaton
Wheaton Dog ParkIn Wheaton Regional Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Wheaton
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Wheaton
South TerraceIn Brookside Gardens
DirectionsSpectator AreaIn Wheaton Regional Park
DirectionsWoodland Picnic / Campfire AreaIn Wheaton Regional Park
DirectionsPlus 9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
8 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.6 miHorses · 4.5 miUnpaved · 10.7 mi
Little Bit Loop Trail1.4 mi
Raven's Run0.6 mi
Pine Lake Trail0.4 mi
Timberdoodle Trail0.3 mi
Spicebush Trail0.2 mi
Harper's Cabin Trail0.1 mi
Oak Ridge Trail0.1 mi
Wheaton Way-Brookside0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.0 mi
off-road bike paths
5.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
33Tennis
26Basketball
17Baseball
15Soccer
2Equestrian
1Volleyball
1Multi-sport
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wheaton: April to June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 46 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Wheaton →
Next door
Wheaton and its neighbors
Wheaton has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Aspen Hill13 miWheaton12 miKemp Mill6.7 miForest Glen2.9 miNorth Bethesda2.5 miSouth Kensington1.9 miGlenmont1.1 miNorth Kensington0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | 22% | 1.7 | 13 | 99% | A |
| Glenmont | 14% | 0.4 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| North Bethesda | 7% | 0.3 | 3 | 97% | B |
| Kemp Mill | 18% | 2.7 | 3 | 96% | A− |
| Aspen Hill | 13% | 1.3 | 11 | 89% | A− |
| North Kensington | 11% | 0.4 | 5 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Forest Glen | 14% | 2.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
| South Kensington | 20% | 0.9 | 3 | 85% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wheaton
Where can I hike in Wheaton?
The longest trail networks: Wheaton Regional Park, 6.8 miles; Rock Creek Stream Valley Park, 1.5 miles; Brookside Gardens, 0.7 miles; Capitol View – Homewood Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wheaton is conserved land?
22% of its land, against a typical 9% for a Maryland town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Wheaton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Capitol View – Homewood Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wheaton?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.0 of off-road paths and 5.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wheaton?
23,021 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wheaton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 703 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wheaton have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #23 of 261 in Maryland. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wheaton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →