Local Parks and Playgrounds

Cabin John Park

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7400 Tuckerman La, Rockville, MD. Also an entrance on Westlake Drive, near Montgomery Mall. (map)

This large regional park has a playground with lots of different things to play on, a picnic area with shelters you can reserve, and a minature train, that you can ride around the park on.

The play area is very popular and lots of kids go there on weekends. Most kids are in the 2-7 year range. There are 10 slides including three tall, fast ones, a spiral slide, and a coverd slide, as well as several small, short ones that are perfect for toddlers. There are at least a dozen pieces of equipment you can climb on, many are small and great for toddlers. The whole playground is shaded by large trees, so even if it is hot outside, it seems cooler there.

Another big draw is the small-scale train. It is about six feet tall and has five cars. The train goes around a wooded area of the park and runs every half hour or whenever it fills up. It runs 10am-4:30pm weather permitting, daily June through August and weekends in April, May, September, and October. It costs $2:50 per person age two and up. Near the train station is also a water fountain in the shape of a hippo head and a pig that eats your trash.

They have at least 10 pavilions that each have 6 picnic tables and a grill. They are available for rental through the Picnic Shelter Rental Center. Typical of government sites, they don't make it easy.

There are two large parking lots, one on Tuckerman lane that is right by the playground, and one on Westlake terrace that is convenient for the train rides and picnic pavilions.

The park has over five miles of hiking trails, some of which run along Cabin John creek.

Detailed park inventory

Playground Equipment

QuantityConditionDescription
Baby Swings5squeaky3 in main play area, 2 near the train station.
Standard Swings6good4 in main play area, 2 near the train station.
Straight slides10goodLots of different sizes
Spiral slides1good
Covered slides1good
Things to climb on10+Lots of variety
Bridges2goodThe large play structure has a couple.

Relaxing/Picnicing

QuantityConditionDescription
Benches10+goodscattered around the play area
Picnic Tables10+goodsome in the playground, some near the train station
Pavilions10+goodYou can reserve these.
Grills10+goodOne at each of the pavilions.

Environment

QuantityConditionDescription
Treesyesgoodlots, all over
Shadeyesgood

Other

QuantityConditionDescription
Bathrooms2
drinking fountains3One is shaped like a large hippo head
Parking lot2good
Trash cansyes

External links

Other nearby parks

Find other nearby parks.

Park entrance
(Large version)

Playground equipment
(Large version)

Climbing equipment
(Large version)

Cabin John Train
(Large version)

Picnic Pavilion
(Large version)

Hippo water fountain
(Large version)

Porky the litter eater
(Large version)

The Train
(Large version)