At a Glance
Hours: Sunrise to sunset.
Cost: Free.
Tips: 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.
Best Seasons: Year round.
Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Urbana SE, Urbana SW, Germantown NE
Little Bennett Regional Park
23701 Frederick Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871
(301) 495-2595
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.
That’s a lot of territory to choose from; to help you make a choice, we suggest downloading a free copy of the publication A Birder’s Guide to Montgomery County, Maryland, available from the Montgomery Bird Club at https://www.montgomerybirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MoCoBirdersGuideScanReduced.pdf. This comprehensive, detailed book covers 17 major birding sites plus 18 “little treasures” in the county. .The chapter on Little Bennett has details on suggested birding routes.
Also see the interactive county park map available at https://mcatlas.org/parks/?find+G06. As you zoom in on this map, detailed features such as parking, picnic areas, trailheads, and restrooms will be displayed, as well as trails.
Birdlife:
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.
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.
Pet Policy:
Pets are permitted on a leash; pick up after your pet.
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.
- Montgomery Parks has an interactive map available at https://mcatlas.org/parks/?find+G06. As you zoom in on a county park, detailed features such as trails, parking, picnic areas, trailheads, and restrooms will be displayed.
Local MOS Chapter:
The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Montgomery Bird Club, which offers field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public.
The Montgomery Bird Club has published A Birder’s Guide to Montgomery County, Maryland (2008); this comprehensive, detailed book covers 17 major birding sites plus 18 “little treasures” in the county. The book is now out of print but is available as a free downloadable PDF, courtesy of the Montgomery Bird Club.
Parking:
Paved, gravel, or grass-surface lots throughout the park; see trail maps at links at left and the handy chart of parking areas.
Directions:
From I-495/DC Beltway: Take Exit 35 to go north on I-270 toward Frederick for about 18 miles. From I-270, take Exit 18 for MD Route121/Clarksburg Rd) towards Clarksburg. Clarksburg Road has been rerouted near I-270, so after exiting I-270, make a left onto Gateway Center Drive and then a right to continue north on MD Route 121/Clarksburg Road. You will enter the park in about 1.7 miles. Watch for signed parking areas and trail-heads on both sides along Clarksburg Road. To get to other access points for Little Bennett, use the trail map.
Nearby Sites:
Montgomery County: Black Hill Regional Park ■ Blue Mash Nature Trail ■ C&O Canal – Pennyfield, Violette’s & Riley’s Locks ■ Lois Y. Green Conservation Park ■ McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area (Hughes Hollow) ■ Rock Creek Regional Park – Lake Needwood ■ Rock Creek Regional Park – Meadowside Nature Center & Lake Frank ■ Seneca Creek State Park ■ Triadelphia Reservoir (Brighton Dam) ■Wheaton Regional Park – Brookside Gardens, Brookside Nature Center, Pine Lake Area
Habitats:
Bottomland DeciduousConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Suburban Neighborhood Old Fields, Shrubby Meadows Rivers & Streams
Features:
BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)CampingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesHorseback RidingOvernight Lodging or CabinsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaRestroomsWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / FamiliesType:
County Parks