Comfort stations are located in the camping area and at several other locations in the park; see “alternate trail map” at link below. ■  Sturdy waterproof boots are recommended for the wet areas and more rugged trails. ■ Be prepared for ticks and chiggers. ■ Try to avoid weekends in summer because of crowds. ■ No alcohol is allowed in the park.

An aggregate total of over 182 bird species have been reported on eBird at the six eBird hotspots within Little Bennett Regional Park:

• Little Bennett Regional Park overall – 176+ species
• Little Bennett–Browning Run area – 113+ species
• Little Bennett RP–Froggy Hollow Trail – 86+ species
• Little Bennett RP–Kingsley Trail – 143+ species
• Little Bennett RP–Western Piedmont Trail – 123+ species
• Little Bennett RP–Wilson Mill Trail – 158+ species

Breeding warbler species include Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Prairie Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Northern Parula, Pine Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Ovenbird.

Other notable breeding species include Wood Thrush and Veery; Yellow-breasted Chat; Scarlet Tanager; Yellow-billed Cuckoo; Acadian, Great Crested, and Willow Flycatchers; Wild Turkey; Yellow-throated, White-eyed, and Red-eyed Vireos; Indigo Bunting; and Blue Grosbeak. Barred, Great Horned, and Eastern Screech Owls all breed in the park; Barn Owl has bred within the vicinity. Pineland areas of the park may still harbor Whip-poor-wills. Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, and Cooper’s Hawks breed in the park.

Long-eared Owls have been present in winter. Red-breasted Nuthatches can sometimes be seen in winter in the areas of the park with Virginia pine.

The park can be fantastic in migration: all the East Coast warbler species have been seen here, and a super-rarity was a Black-throated Gray Warbler.

Bluebird nest boxes at Little Bennett have consistently fledged high numbers of Eastern Bluebirds. Large flocks of bluebirds may be seen during winter foraging on the fruits and berries of abundant food sources, including Eastern red-cedar, Viburnum prunifolium, and winterberry holly.

Hours

Sunrise to sunset, year round.
Operational hours of other facilities within the park will vary; please check listings for each facility.

There is nothing “little” about Little Bennett Regional Park. At 3,700 acres, it is the largest of Montgomery’s county-owned parks. The park is located in northern Montgomery County, abutting the border with Frederick County, in the valley of Little Bennett Creek and numerous tributary streams. Little Bennett Regional Park features a wide variety of habitats, including riparian woodlands, ridge-top forest, open fields, hedgerows, and wetlands. There is an alder shrub swamp that holds alder thickets, black willow, white turtlehead, cardinal flower, and native orchids; numerous natural and man-made vernal pools with a full complement of breeding amphibians; dry herb-dominated open canopy uplands; pristine skunk cabbage seeps; and extensive areas of rich floodplain. The park has some of the highest quality streams in the county.

With its diverse habitats, Little Bennett has hosted over 175 species of birds. The park is also home to a wide variety of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, amphibians, and reptiles. There are more than a dozen historic sites and points of interest within the park. A campground for RVers and tent campers operates year-round.

There is an extensive trail system, with over 20 miles of natural surface trails. There are also multiple parking areas, making it possible to drive close to a spot you want to explore on foot.

Clarksburg Road goes through the park, running roughly north-south, and provides access to a picnic area as well several parking areas for trailheads (see trail map or alternate trail map at link at left). Along the edges of the park, there are other trailhead access points with day-use parking; going counterclockwise starting at the northwest corner of the park, these include: Hyattstown Mill Road, off MD Route 355/Frederick Road; Sopers Branch Day Use Parking, also located off MD Route 355/Frederick Road; the campground area, accessed from Hammond Road off MD Route 355/Frederick Road (parking here provides access to a nature trail); Stoneybrook Maintenance Yard just south of the campground entrance; Burnt Hills Parking Area, off Burnt Hill Road, at the northeast corner of the park; Lewisdale Road parking area, just east of Clarksburg Road along the northern border of the park; and the Prescott Road parking and picnic area, adjacent to the Little Bennett Golf Course. Download a handy chart of parking areas complete with street addresses, GPS coordinates, and Google Map links.

Little Bennett Regional Park is the largest natural gem of Montgomery County. It lies just a few miles from Interstate 270. Spread over 3,700 acres, the park offers beautiful scenery,  a large campground, a small playground, more than a dozen historic sites and over 25 miles of scenic natural surface trails. Little Bennett Regional Park also features an 18-hole golf course, MCG.

Explore the park’s many natural wonders by foot, mountain bike, or horseback on over 25 miles of natural surface trails. Be sure to be on the lookout for the eastern bluebird and timberdoodle if your journey through our forests, meadows, and streams takes you through the wetland area on the Western Piedmont Trail.

In addition to an abundance of native plants and animals, this park features 14 historical sites and points of interest – including the Hyattstown Mill and the one-room Kingsley School House – which preserve the memories of rural life in Montgomery County through the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

Parking to access the trails and historic sites are located in the following places.  Parking areas vary in size, and the smaller lots may fill to capacity on busy days.  Please select an alternate parking lot in this event, to avoid illegal parking.

• Kingsley Parking Area on Kingsley Road off Clarksburg Road (16-vehicle gravel lot)  Trailheads:  Kingsley Trail, Logger’s Trail, Western Piedmont Trail, and Hard Cider Trail
• Froggy Hollow Trailhead Parking on Clarksburg Road, just south of Kingsley Road (6-vehicle gravel lot)  Trailhead:  Froggy Hollow Trail
• Little Bennett Employee Parking Lot off Route 355, just outside the gates of the maintenance facility (20-vehicle asphalt lot)  Trailhead: Stoneybrook Trail
• Hyattstown Mill Road off Route 355, near the Hyattstown Mill (6-vehicle gravel lot)  Trailheads:  Hyattstown Mill Road, Play lot, Western Piedmont Trail.
• Prescott Road Horse Trailer Parking off Lewisdale Road (vehicle and horse trailer parking in meadow)   Trailheads:  Timber Ridge Trail, Dark Branch Trail, and Pine Grove Trail
• Wilson’s Mill Parking Area & Trail off Clarksburg Road (12-vehicle lot) Trailheads: Wilson’s Mill Trail
• Burnt Hill Parking Area off of Burnt Hill Road (6-vehicle lot). Trailheads: Purdum Trail
• Browning Run Trail Parking Area off of Clarksburg Road. Trailheads: Lewisdale Trail and Browning Run Trail.
• Lewisdale Horse Trailer Parking Area off of Lewisdale Road (grassy parking lot for vehicles and horse trailers).
• Little Bennett Day Use Area off of 355, north of Little Bennett Campground (12-vehicle parking lot). Trailheads: Sopers Branch Trail
• The park has multiple entrances. Please check which entrance will take you to the area of the park you plan to visit.
• Pets must be kept on a leash at all times.

Wheelchair Access:

Mobility-impaired birders can bird the park by driving to the wide assortment of parking and picnic areas; this technique will allow sampling of Little Bennett’s various habitats, from or near the car.  See the handy chart of parking areas.

Special Features:

• Butterflies found at Little Bennett Regional Park include Maryland’s state insect, the Baltimore Checkerspot; Olive Juniper Hairstreak; Appalachian Brown; Coral Hairstreak; Striped Hairstreak; and Harvester; among many others.
• Wetland areas at Little Bennett are good for dragonflies and damselflies, with vernal pools, swamps, streams, springs, and seeps each supporting different species.
• Notable reptiles found at Little Bennett include Copperhead, Northern Ring-necked Snake, Corn Snake, Eastern King Snake, Eastern Milk Snake, Queen Snake, and Eastern Ribbon Snake.
• Notable native plants include white turtlehead (the host plant for Baltimore Checkerspot), birdsfoot violet, Eastern red columbine, green milkweed, whorled milkweed, several orchid species, Virginia snakeroot, Small’s ragwort, and maidenhair fern.