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LAKESIDE LEISURE
Centennial Lake
The 337-acre park features a
spectacular 54-acre, man-made lake
stocked by the State Department
of Fisheries. The park is home to a
variety of wildlife such as white-tailed
deer, beavers, foxes, turtles, herons
and other birds. You can walk, run
or bike the 2.6-mile paved pathway
that meanders around the lake, or
stay in one spot to cast for bass,
trout, sunfish and tiger muskies.
From late spring through early fall,
boats are available for rent at the
General Store/Boat Rental Office
located in the park’s south area.
Lake Elkhorn
This 37-acre lake in the village
of Owen Brown was built by the
Columbia Association in 1974 with
a watershed of about 2,500 acres.
The lake, surrounded by a two-mile
path, is stocked with trout each
spring. A convenient boat dock
allows for quiet relaxation, and
Lake Elkhorn’s surrounding 23-acre
park features a picnic pavilion.
Lake Kittamaqundi
This 27-acre man-made lake in Columbia
Town Center takes its name from the first
recorded Native American settlement in
Howard County and means “meeting
place.” With a maximum depth of seven
feet, the lake features a boathouse with a
wooden pier and a launching ramp along
its western shore. The lake’s Nomanizan
Island, a popular gathering spot for many
summer festivals including the Fourth
of July fireworks, can be reached by
boat. At the Kennedy Gardens, enjoy
the Blossoms of Hope cherry tree grove
dedicated to Maggie Brown, which
includes three saplings from Washington,
D.C.’s famous Tidal Basin trees.
Wilde Lake
This 22-acre man-made lake was built
by the Columbia Association in 1967.
The site was originally a low-lying
meadow of rough grass featuring a
small stream. The lake depth ranges
from 13 feet at the back of the dam
to nearly 8 feet in the lake’s center.
The dam stands 15 feet high and
200 feet wide with the dam face,
constructed of four poured concrete
steps, embedded with logs to achieve
a cascading waterfall. Wilde Lake,
surrounded by a 1.46-mile path, flows
downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi.
KENNETH LOSURDO, JR.
DANNY LEE
KENNETH LOSURDO, JR.
Lake Kittamaqundi
Centennial Lake
Wilde Lake
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HOWARD COUNTY OFFICIAL VISITORS + RESIDENTS GUIDE | 2016