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If golf’s not your thing, no worries. In Columbia,
nearly a quarter of the land—more than 3,600
acres—is protected as
open space
. This
includes more than 100 miles of pathways
and sidewalks for walking, biking, and
jogging, as well as basketball courts, public
tennis courts, and lakes perfect for fishing.
Wilde Lake
is a 22-acre, man-made lake
built by the Columbia Association in 1967. It
offers boating and fishing options as well as
a nearly 1.5-mile path around the lake.
Lake
Elkhorn
is stocked with trout each spring
and also features a convenient boat dock.
Sewells Orchard Park
in Columbia offers fishing
programs such as the Nite Bite
Fishing Tournament Series and
clinics for adults and children.
You can angle for bass, trout, sunfish,
and tiger muskies at
Centennial
Lake
in Ellicott City, or head toward
Brookeville and cast a line at the 800-
acre
Triadelphia Reservoir
.
ROCKBURN BRANCH
PARK
in Elkridge offers
nine miles of pathways and
trails that wind through
scenic woodlands, freshwater
marshes, and stream valleys.
The 415-acre park also features
multi-purpose fields, basketball
courts, tennis courts, an
eighteen-hole disc golf course,
a playground, and more.
The East Area of the park
is highlighted by a biking
skills track where all levels of
pedalers can hone their skills.
Howard County Recreation
and Parks partnered with
the International Mountain
Biking Association to design
the facility, which includes a
pump track and three downhill
lines: one for beginners, one
for intermediate riders, and
one for more advanced riders.
To learn more
about this park
and others
operated by the
department,
download the free
HoCo Parks app
for
directions, maps, and
to see which amenities
each park offers.
OUTDOOR LIVING
PHOTOGRAPH OF TENNIS PLAYER BY JANPIETRUSZKA/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK; BICYCLIST COURTESY OF HOWARD COUNT Y RECREATION & PARKS
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