AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Lake needwood from dam rockville md 20200621 133125 1.jpg
G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
Rock Creek Regional Park

Lake Needwood–Westside Viewpoint, 5 sights

4.8 mi · ▲ 337 ft · 1 hr 46 min

Lake Needwood–Westside Viewpoint, 5 sights is a 4.8-mile out-and-back in Rock Creek Regional Park near Derwood, MD. The route passes Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Regional Park Beach and Westside Viewpoint before reaching Rock Creek Regional Park Beach at the turnaround, 2.2 miles in. It climbs 337 ft. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi341 – 472 ft5.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Shady Grove Access Path 39.12007, -77.15985
Nearest town Derwood, MD
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Needwood–Westside Viewpoint, 5 sights

4.8 mi · ▲ 337 ft · 1 hr 46 min

Elevation 342–474 ft

Out & Back · Rock Creek Regional Park

Trailhead: Shady Grove Access Path · 39.12007, -77.15985

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:09 PM

Transit-accessible: Shady Grove Metro stop 279 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 1.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  3. 0.2 miSharp right onto Blue Heron Trail, heading NE.
  4. 400 ftPass Lake Needwood.
  5. 0.3 miPass Rock Creek Regional Park Beach.
  6. 0.1 miTurn right onto Westside Trail, heading SW.
  7. 0.3 miPass Westside Viewpoint.
  8. 50 ftPass Rock Creek Regional Park Beach.
  9. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  10. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  11. 100 ftReach Lake Needwood, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  13. 0.5 miTurn left onto Blue Heron Trail, heading NW.
  14. 0.5 miSharp left, heading NW.
  15. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  16. 1.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/lake-needwood-rock-creek-regional-park-beach-out-back-4-sights-7-km

Trail surface

58% paved20% gravel19% dirt3% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:09 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.8 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 6:03 PM for the 7:09 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:11 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Shady Grove Metro stop 279 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Shady Grove Access Path Trailhead

Hikes near Derwood, Maryland