Seneca Creek State Park: Clopper Lake Section

Seneca Creek State Park: Clopper Lake Section

What now keeps Gaithersburg and Germantown apart is the northern portion of Seneca Creek State Park. Starting in the 1950s, the state government slowly acquired 6,609 acres of old fields and woodlands along Seneca Creek. Opened in 1980, the ribbony, creek-valley park winds across the county for roughly 16 miles from north of Gaithersburg to the Potomac River at Seneca. Only the park’s northern section has been developed. Its centerpiece is woodland-enveloped, 90-acre Clopper Lake. During the warm-weather months, the lake area attracts boaters, anglers, picnickers, and strollers. Most of them head for the picnic areas and nearby boat center. This hike is a 6.1-mile, modestly hilly water-side excursion with about 550 feet of elevation change. It passes through oak and hickory woods that also harbor dogwoods, redbuds, pines, and mountain laurels. It offers lake and creek views, plus a multi-hued array of wildflowers and birds. Scenery: Woodlands, stream valley, lake views. Trail surface: Mostly hard-packed dirt; very rooty all around lake.

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