Sitting in northern Montgomery County, MD, separating Germantown and Gaithersburg, is Seneca Creek State Park.
It has trails and streams pretty much throughout the northwest portion of the county, following the eponymous creek and its various branches, though the main park is off Clopper Road, at the center of which is Clopper Lake. In December, Winter Lights is held there, where you drive through the main park and look at a bunch of cool Christmas light displays. Which means in 2020, since we all had to be social distancing and for this thing you just stay in your car, it sold way the hell out fast, as it was about the only Christmas display that wasn’t canceled that year.
Anyway, I visited it quite a bit over the past few weeks.
I even started with it, in a brief and brisk visit to a short trail just past the entrance one afternoon.
Mud and snow make it kind of slick.
Didn’t have time to go much further. But I was back a couple days later way across the park, at the Mink Hollow Trail.
Closer to and on the lake, the snow and ice remains.
These February sunsets are a bit early to do the area much justice, but I did follow the trail a short way until it met the road. Where all the trees are pines. Adding pine needles on the ground to the mud and slush that make the path a bit slick.
A couple days after that, I managed to show up in the morning before work, parking at the Kingfisher Overlook and crossing the road to the trailhead.
It seems, two months after Christmas and New Year’s, they haven’t quite finished dismantling Winter Lights. Maybe the snowstorms in the previous weeks made it difficult to complete.
On that side, I got onto Long Draught Trail, plenty of snow around but the path itself was clear.
It’s a cold morning but the path beckons.
Uh oh. The path is blocked. I guess I’ll just step over it.
Blocked again?! By another tree I could step over easily? Fine. I’ll turn around and go to work.
The following week…
It’s winter again.
Ironically, it seemed they had finished dismantling Winter Lights by this point.
I was back a few days later near closing, parking by the boat launch area.
These trees are fenced and have right angles.
Ah, here’s where Lake Shore Trail picks up again, continuing its way all the way around the lake.
Yeah, that’s the direction I was going. Thanks, State of Maryland!
Nice wooded trail.
I think there’s a fishing line caught up there.
Then hurried back to my car as the park staff were chasing people out so they could close up. I’ll keep this spot in mind for later.
The next week, I returned to the Mink Hollow Trail.
With the lake in its usual liquid, reflective state this time.
With more time now, I followed the path again, through where it becomes all pines and then crossed the road to continue along it.
What is it about a path through the trees that beckons you forward?
I wonder what’s further up?
Wow, more trees!
The path led downward to a boardwalk. From here, above, I could see where Great Seneca Highway passes above this area. The path split here, leading to the right to a bridge.
Or not.
It crosses over the eponymous stream for which the park is named.
The path merged to a longer one, so I figured that’s it for today.
Last week I returned to the one I started with. No slippery mud and slush this time.
That’s a clear springtime path.
The creek!
Followed the path along the creek for a little while. There was a sort of split in the path. I saw something attached to a tree stump along the leafy lower path.
Oh.
This is a pretty trail.
On the way back, noticed this on one of the big rocks by the stream. Huh.
I came back out of the trail, but before I got in the car to leave, I went to check out this old cabin by the park office.
Then this past Sunday, returned here for one last big one. During these past many weeks, I came by the shore of lake briefly at different points. Now it’s time to go all the way around!
Which it seems they advise to do in a reasonable time or you’re spending the night inside the park.
Wow, got a perfect day to do this!
What’s that? Looks like a big log floating in the lake but it’s extra bumpy…?
Oh, it’s covered in turtles! Wild.
Do they just want to be in the sun or are they trying to stay out of the water for some reason? Hmm.
On and on along the path, passing some people, letting other faster ones pass me. Across a bridge, along the lake, over a waterway under Longdraft Road.
Hey, I’m directly across from the boat dock where I started!
Continuing on…
From along the park road…
From Kingfisher Overlook…
An open picnic area nearly back to the boat dock…
And done! All the way around the lake in *checks time* an hour and 55 minutes. Ha! Five minutes better than their estimate even with going at a leisurely stroll and stopping periodically to admire the water and look at weird log turtles.
A bunch of visits to this one in these past several weeks, a big one and still just one of many around here. Including a rather well-known big one a little further out…