Charles County Focuses on Family Recreation
Want to get out without going too far? Need to wear out the wee ones without putting too much wear and tear on your wallet? From summertime swimming to ice hockey, Charles County offers family-friendly activities for every families of every size and situation.
“It’s our goal to keep all our programs as affordable as possible so everyone can participate,” says Tom Roland, chief of the Charles County Parks & and Recreation Division. “We’re seeing more people opting to stay in the area and take advantage of the local facilities and resources.”
Charles County has 26 parks with more than over 3,400 acres of park land, including Gilbert Run Park, which has 189 acres, a 69-acre freshwater lake, nature trail, boat rentals, freshwater fishing, a beaver colony observation deck and popular picnic pavilion rentals.
“It’s one of our premier parks,” Roland says.
Grab a swimsuit and check out Charles County’s diverse aquatics program, which consists of two indoor pools with year-round availability and three seasonal outdoor venues. The area also boasts nine recreation centers, the majority of which operate in school buildings.
“Once the school day is over, the county operates classes, workshops, sport leagues and drop-ins where kids can come in after school or in the evenings and participate in activities with kids their own age,” Roland says.
And there’s more, including a gymnastic center with programs from recreational to competitive level; tennis courts at White Plains Park and Southern Park; a concrete-based 15,000-square-foot skate park open to skateboarders and inline skaters; a regionally acclaimed municipal 18-hole golf course; two dog parks; 12 playgrounds; and 20 miles of equestrian trails in Maxwell Hall Park and Oak Ridge Park.
“These are designed for the equestrian community, but are open for hiking as well as bird watching and other passive activities,” Roland says.
At the end of 2009, construction was due to be completed on the Indian Head Rail Trail, a 13-mile bike trail connecting the towns of Indian Head and White Plains ion what was once an abandoned railroad corridor.
“This is one of our most undeveloped areas of the county and one of the most popular places for hikers, bikers and nature enthusiasts,” Roland says.
A large portion of the 1 million visitors per year to the county’s parks and recreation programs includes the sporting leagues, which encompasses basketball, soccer, tackle football, softball and baseball for tots through adults. Lacrosse is also becoming popular in the area, and lacrosse facilities are being planned for future parks.
Another great venue for expending energy is the Capital Clubhouse, an indoor recreational facility in the Waldorf area since 2005.
“We have an ice skating rink, rock climbing wall and sports court for volleyball, basketball, soccer, dodgeball and inline hockey leagues of all ages,” says manager Amanda Michael.
Can’t skate? Don’t worry. The Totsicles program invites kids ages 4 to 8 out on the ice in their tennis shoes for ice bowling and sledding, and learn-to-skate programs run from ages 4 to adult.
“We also have a new activity called Broom Ball we just started for families that’s played on the ice in your tennis shoes,” Michael says. “Instead of using a stick, like in hockey, it’s a broom and a rubber ball instead of a puck. Families love it.”
