Meadow Ridge MetroPark — Attraction in Madison Township

Safe paved trails that wander around ponds surrounded by meadows. A good secluded place to have a difficult conversation: a slow talk on a long walk or vice versa. Seems like a great place to teach a kid to ride a bicycle. The trails connect for this east park to the west park at the northernmost point by a shortcut if you want to walk two parks, but it doesn't connect into a loop at the southernmost point so you'll have to walk all the way back to where you parked. If you don't live in Montgomery county it's $8 a day to be there apparently and a white maintenance truck was, like, driving around looking at the sticker on people's license plates to enforce this. At least I think that's what they were doing. Some unused and unmarked paved trails on the grounds that are dead ends. It seemed like the best trails through the woods are the horse trails on the west side, the Sebald Park side. The map and signs say horses only on those though. I saw hoof prints running alongside the trails through the meadow on the east side that are supposed to be walking or...

Walking the paths at Elk Creek is like stepping onto the pages of a watercolor. Fields of goldenrod and amber wheat taller than your head, butterflies and bees flitting around, a rustic barn, and several idyllic little ponds. I’m not sure it will be so pretty once everything begins to die off for the winter, but right now it is all rather dreamy.

Most of the paths are paved, which means easy walking with a stroller (yay!) and handicapped accessibility. The only things missing are some more signage on the trails—there were a couple of junctions where we weren’t sure which way to go—and maybe some grills near the picnic shelter. But this is definitely a park we will be...

One of my favorite hidden local gems. Beautiful scenery, paths long enough to pick and chose your distance. It used to be an old golf course so you’re walking along the golf cart path most of the time. A lot of wildlife and beautiful wildflowers, not much shade on super hot days.

Only complaint is to look at for people with their dogs off leash. It tends not to be very busy so people will let their dogs run, even ones who are not trained and don’t listen.

No restrooms but a porta potty...