Centennial Park

Table of Contents

Centennial Park is a public park in Ellicott City, Maryland, managed by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. It is a 337-acre park that surrounds Centennial Lake.
A 2.4-mile asphalt trail loop loops around the lake. During certain months of the year, boat rentals are available, as well as a public boat ramp. Hunting, guns, swimming, sailboarding, wind surfing, stand up paddle-boarding, and inner tubing are all illegal in the lake. Except in picnic pavilions, playgrounds, and sports areas, pets are allowed in the park. Pet owners are compelled by Howard County legislation to pick up any and all waste that their pets make. Plastic bag dispensers are strategically placed throughout the park to help maintain it tidy. The leash law in Howard County is strictly enforced.
Centennial Park’s lake, field, forested areas, and wetlands are home to a diverse range of species. A buoy line prevents entry to a Wildlife Region on the lake, which provides a safe spawning area for fish and nesting grounds for birds.
Running, walking, and biking are all permitted on the loop around the lake. There are a number of benches along the loop, as well as pavilions nearby. Water fountains, particularly water fountains for dogs, are also available for public use. As part of the Water Fountain Donation Program, the first water fountain for dogs was just added. The O’Brien family donated the fountain in 2017 in honour of their family dog, Phoenix. In keeping with the program’s goal of reducing the usage of plastic water bottles, the fountain also has a bottle filling station.

Centennial Park History

In 1965, Centennial Park was designed as a flood-control reservoir. The original lake was built as part of the area storm water management system as a flood control strategy.
The park’s design was finalized in 1976, and the primary land parcels were acquired by 1978. The park’s construction began in the 1980s, and it was dedicated on June 13, 1987.
Centennial Park is 325 acres in size, with a 50-acre central lake. There are over four miles of concrete pathways, as well as nine asphalt pavilions, tennis and basketball courts, a boat ramp, and a dock. Large-mouth Bass, Bluegill, and Sunfish are supplied into the lake every year.
The park received the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Merit Award for Innovative Design in 1989. The Waterfront Center awarded it the 1989 Excellence on the Waterfront Award the same year.
The park, which is maintained by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, is open from dawn to dark and is a popular spot for strolling, walking, cycling, and skating in Howard County. Its recreational facilities are in high demand, and it is a popular destination for picnics and other events all year.
In 1969, the County attempted to buy 64 acres of land in Centennial Park by condemnation from a firm owned by land speculator Joel Kline for $3,180 per acre. During Kline’s tenure, a fire completely destroyed an early 1800s farmhouse on the property. Later, Kline was charged with real estate fraud involving local politicians, including Spiro Agnew, who was forced to resign. In 1975, the County paid nearly twice as much as Kline’s creditors for the Centennial Lake parkland. In 1969, Spiro Agnew announced the arrival of the first Columbia-based scientific enterprise, Hittman Associates, which relocated from Howard Research and Development for better lease rates. The EPA then hired Hittman to advocate the reuse of storm water runoff from Columbia’s reservoir systems for residential drinking water, using Wilde Lake as an example to save money on development expenditures. The lake was briefly blocked on December 1, 2013, after a man drowned. The lake was lowered roughly 10 feet in late Fall 2015 to allow dam riser gate repairs. In January 2016, it was brought back to normal.

Centential Park Location

In Howard County, Centennial Park is near Route 108 and Route 29. The Post Oak lies in the north-east corner of the lake, and the park is open from sunrise to night.
10000 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042; 10

http://www.howardcountymd.gov/centennialpark

+14103137256

Driving Directions From Ellicott City, Maryland

Drive from Old Columbia Pike, US-29 S and MD-108 W/Clarksville Pike to Columbia 8 min (4.2 mi)
Head southwest on Old Columbia Pike toward Roussey Lane 1.5 mi
Turn right onto MD-103 W 0.1 mi
Use any lane to turn left to merge onto US-29 S toward Washington 1.1 mi
Take exit 21B to merge onto MD-108 W/Clarksville Pike toward Clarksville
Centennial Park