Washington D.C. is home to some of the best skateparks and skate spots, especially when you add the greater Washington D.C. area. Designed by the rich architectural minds of the freemasons and the founding fathers, Washington D.C. is the starting point to a big skate map that stretches throughout Maryland and beyond.
We’ve gone ahead and listed the Best Skateparks in Greater Washington D.C. as well as the Best Skate Spots so you and your skate crew can enjoy everything the greater Washington D.C. area has to offer.
We have also included the most “kid friendly” and “beginner friendly” skateparks, essentially skateparks suitable for lessons. We’ve described what makes a skatepark kid friendly and beginner-friendly, so you can take that knowledge with you to whatever state you skate next.
To learn more about each skatepark simply click through the link. We also invite you to claim a Free Trial 1-on-1 skateboard lesson at participating skateparks. Just click the link on each page and find out which GOSKATE instructors are in your area.
Now let’s GOSKATE the best skateparks and skate spots in greater Washington D.C.
Best Skateparks in Greater Washington D.C.
The best skateparks in the greater Washington D.C. area have been put on this list for several reasons, including but not limited to: their proximity to Washington D.C., skatepark obstacles and obstacle variety, amenities and those quality of life aspects like shading, parking and parent spectating and if the skatepark is new or has been kept to industry standards.
However, generally the skateparks on this list are the best because they are the most fun to skate and provide a great experience for you and your loved ones. So let’s drop right in for the best skateparks in greater Washington D.C.
Aberdeen Skatepark is the first skatepark on this list for a reason. Built in 2023, the skatepark is less than a year old at the time of this article, meaning it’s built with the contemporary skater in mind and with the newest and best concrete practices from skatepark builders. Its two-quarter pipes and spine transfers outline a street combination section complete with bank walls, flatrails, slanted ledges and a mellow stair set paired nicely in a flowy assembly of skate obstacles. A large bowl completes the skatepark’s transition section tucked away nicely by the surrounding grass and bleachers which make the area inviting to parents and spectators.
Every now and then a skatepark pops up on our radar that looks like something out of a fairytale. Rockville skatepark is that skatepark, beautifully nestled alongside a forest backdrop instead of a freeway or downtown alleyway we find too often next to skateparks. While this skatepark might not be the biggest skatepark or have the most obstacles, it’s one of our highest rated, proving sometimes the simple skateparks are the most fun and just like anything with craft, is a great place to hone fundamentals. Check out our direct link to find out more.
Walker Mill Skatepark is one of the coolest looking skateparks we have ever seen. There’s just something about its snake-like features and unique obstacles like its slanted launch pad and back to back bean bowls covered in a red and orange cement. With its robust transition sections and color designs, the skatepark did not forget about its street skater population, with rails and stair sets and funboxes sprinkled around the park. Making sure wherever you drop in you’re headed to a challenging and fun skate obstacle to skate.
Bowie is another great example of just how far skateparks have come in their design for both skaters to enjoy and the city they inhabit. Right next to a large sports complex, Bowie skatepark has ample shading and seating, in addition to its rich obstacle features. With a ton of boxes, quarter pipes, banks and lower rails, this skatepark offers a robust range of skill sets to enjoy. The only two caveats with this skatepark is its one-time fee of $10 (which isn’t bad when it comes to supporting the skatepark) and the fact it’s only about 10,000 square feet. Not that that isn’t a decent size but with a skatepark as awesome as Bowie, you can’t help but wish it was bigger.
Olney skatepark in Maryland reminds us of a skatepark out of Oregon (largely regarded as having the best skateparks) with its deep concrete and old style design. Angle iron on its manual pads and quarter pipes means this park is built to survive the test of time and with its large open spaces and obstacles being spaced in a great manner, makes this skatepark friendly for skaters of varying skill levels. While this skatepark does cost money to skate, many of our reviewers suggest this is the best skatepark in the greater Washington D.C. area.
We knew it would only be a matter of time for an indoor skatepark to end up on this list and we’re glad it’s a skatepark like Charm City Skate. This skatepark is massive and includes an actual real halfpipe. Something increasingly rare in the entire world. That being said, this massive park is built with bikers and rollerbladers in mind as well, so many of these obstacles might seem oversized or unbefitting to the contemporary skatepark. Even so, with designated beginner hours, skateboarding-only hours, and it being a wooden skatepark, if you have the budget and the planning flexibility, Charm City Skate is a great indoor skatepark in the Baltimore area.
Every now and then a skatepark from the past sneaks onto our best skatepark list and it’s usually because their design was unique to the times it was created. Carroll Park Skatepark in Baltimore Maryland looks like old dogtown Venice, complete with deep-cut bowls and sharp transitions all tagged in radical graffiti. Many of today’s skateparks are designed by the same companies and can cause people to skate the same, so skaters who frequent Carroll Park are going to develop their own unique flare and skill set. Something all skaters can appreciate.
We find ourselves admiring another forest-laid skatepark with Charles County Skatepark but this time this fine park is almost 20,000 square feet. Also being one of the older skateparks near Washington D.C. the beautiful skatepark is dubbed a “legendary ” skatepark, producing some of the best transition skaters in the state of Maryland. With the only downside being a pay-to-skate skatepark, the unique bowl obstacles and traditional street section and overall design of the skatepark make the Charles County skatepark a must-skate for greater Washington D.C.
With a name like CloudBreak, you better believe it’s going to be an awesome skatepark. Nestled in the scenic town of Ocean City Maryland, the banks make for an awesome ride-the-wave type flow with beginner and advanced skate obstacles peppered throughout its course. The cement is stronger than most new skateparks, giving skaters that old-school style feel. While some would say the skatepark might lack contemporary obstacles, our reviewers have commented that its backyard pool-style bowl and simple obstacles are very charming.
We can’t believe we’re saying this but another skatepark in greater Washington D.C. has an authentic halfpipe. That’s right. The Ocean Bowl Skatepark in Ocean City Town Maryland has a full-sized wooden halfpipe. It’s like looking at something directly from a Tony Hawk Pro Skater video game. The rest of the skatepark fits right in with its transition-style skatepark, including its backyard pool-style bowl equipped with tile coping for an authentic feel.
Nicolet Skatepark is on this list for all the best reasons when it comes to identifying what makes a skatepark great. While it might not be the most beginner-friendly in terms of obstacles, the skatepark has some of the richest and most complex transition and street course designs. Being made of great cement and nestled in a scenic forestry park full of seating and decent shade, the Nicolet Skatepark experience is one you’ll keep coming back for.
What Makes a Skatepark Beginner Friendly?
This is a great question. What makes a skatepark beginner-friendly can sometimes vary based on what a skater feels is friendly but ultimately it starts with the obstacles present at the park being too difficult for beginners to skate and if the skatepark gets crowded.
When compiling our list we asked: is there a lot of flatground space for beginners to master the fundamentals of skateboarding? Is there enough room where the advanced skaters won’t have to compete with beginner skaters in the same spaces? Are obstacles only skateable when skaters are able to ollie? In answering these questions we have come up with the Best “Beginner Friendly” Skateparks in Greater Washington D.C.
Best “Beginner Friendly Skateparks” in Greater Washington D.C
The Baltimore skateboard park in Rosedale Maryland is a staple for the Rosedale community helping skaters master the fundamentals for years. With its open design and wide array of skate obstacles, the skatepark allows beginners great visibility with other skaters, helping to minimize the threat of collision or getting in someone’s way. The mellow banks, bumps and ramps also provide a great learning area to improve beyond flat ground. Highly recommended by our instructors who if you click on the link, have 2 remaining free trial lessons at Rosedale.
Ellicott City Skatepark in Maryland is one of those skateparks that takes us back to the golden era of skateboarding, where funboxes, ramps and creative rails sprinkled throughout this basketball court turned skatepark. But what makes this skatepark particularly well suited for beginners is its open flat ground spaces and clear skate lines for beginners to have their own space away from experienced skaters. Its relatively simple design has skaters mostly skating in two directions, giving beginners great visibility to learn uninterrupted and with clear goals.
Coming in at 3.5 stars out of 5 on our user reviews, the Cockeysville skatepark is a bit polarizing for skaters of various skill levels. That’s because the city basically dropped a bunch of prefabricated ramps on a gravel lot and put barbed wire fencing all around it like a prison yard. That being said, the skatepark has an incredible miniramp and the obstacles themselves are fundamental pieces like pyramids, spine transfers and ledges and flatbars. A beginner skater can really take it all in and learn about what makes up a skatepark.
The Brunswick skatepark might be the most beginner-friendly skatepark on this list with its wide open spaces and obstacles selected nearly perfectly for the beginner skater. Long curbs, pyramids, and flat rails and sprinkled throughout the park but with plenty of space between each other. There is a miniramp and a large quarter but they are also out of the way of beginners hoping to master the fundamentals of skating.
Every skater should experience what it’s like skating in a bowl even at the beginner level. Our instructors always encourage our students to feel what it’s like to ride on a ramp wall, even if we have to hold their hands while doing it. Westminster Skatepark has been introducing beginner skaters to the joy of bowl skating for years and we highly recommend booking a lesson here to do the same. There’s also a fun street course with clear progression lines making the Westminster skatepark one of the best parks on this list regardless.
What makes a Skatepark Kid Friendly?
While most of the same aspects apply to best beginner skateparks for kid-friendly skateparks, there are more factors when considering what makes a skatepark kid friendly. For starters, one aspect can be how well a parent or guardian is able to watch their child skate or if some parks have designated hours for kids and beginners.
Statistically, most skateboarders are teenagers and many kids can be intimidated while skating at a skatepark, especially when they are beginners. It’s why we suggest booking a lesson with one of our expert trained skate instructors but in the meantime, we have the Best Kid Friendly Skateparks in Greater Washington D.C. to get you rolling in the right direction.
Best “Kid Friendly Skateparks” in Greater Washington D.C.
Truxton Park Skatepark is a great free skatepark in the Annapolis or “Nap Town” Maryland area built with kids and beginner skaters in mind. It essentially has a “big and small” version of everything. There is a big quarter pipe and a small quarter pipe. There’s a small rail and a bigger rail. The skatepark is also located in a beautiful park with lots of green and anything else your child might want to partake in via a healthy outdoor activity.
Not every skatepark that is great for a beginner or is kid-friendly is going to be the best skatepark. That’s because we have to be unbiased in skill level as some skateparks are just more bleak than others. But with that bleakness comes an incredible amount of flatground and practice space and a freedom from more aggressive and experienced skaters. That is precisely why the Sawmill Skatepark in Glen Burnie Maryland is on this list.
As you might be starting to understand, a lot of prefabricated skateparks are great for kids as wooden structures are often safer and many of these parks have designated kid sessions. They also generally enforce pads and a deeper commitment to skatepark etiquette. Germantown Maryland Skatepark is the epitome of this and has proven to be a great safe and fun skatepark for kids of all ages.
Here are several skateparks listed on our “best beginner skateparks” section which also make amazing “kid-friendly skateparks.” Click directly through the link for more information about the skatepark and to claim a free trial 1-on-1 skateboard lesson by a professionally trained GOSKATE instructor.
Don’t forget to check out the best skate spots in the greater Washington D.C. area below as well.
Baltimore Skateboard Park, Rosedale Maryland
Charm City Skatepark Baltimore Maryland
Brunswick Skatepark, Brunswick Maryland
Best Skate Spots in Greater Washington D.C.
Many parents or newer skaters might be surprised to know that Washington D.C. is home to some of the most legendary skate spots in the world. Actually, it has one of the most famous and iconic skate plazas ever in Freedom Plaza. A skate spot that has literally changed the trajectory of skateboarders careers.
So without further ado, let’s get right into our Best Skate Spots in Greater Washington D.C.
This Woodside Urban Skate Spot is one of the prettiest skate spots in the entire estate of Maryland. It is also a great beginner skate spot and can be really kid friendly at the right hours. Nestled in Silver Spring, the skate spot is a hybrid between an urban skate spot and a skate park. It’s a great way to transition into more serious street skating and to get a feel for what skating in the streets is like.
There is nothing more skateboarder than skating at a DIY skate spot, especially one like Kensington where the city has officially recognized it as an outdoor recreational area. Built with the elements of cruising and pumping in mind, the flow of the park is something out of the 90s. As the community has evolved, so have the obstacles, with ledges and high curbs and quarter pipes of various sizes built all around in this open space. While the skatepark has a rich community of seasoned locals, it is still beginner and kid-friendly and a skate spot every skater in the greater Washington D.C. area should skate.
After the destruction of L.O.V.E. Park in Philly, Freedom Plaza is heralded as the most legendary skate plaza left on the planet. As a breeding ground for skaters throughout greater Washington D.C, every major professional skateboarder has skated Freedom Plaza at some point in their careers, making it one of the most recognizable and iconic skate spots. Filled with incredible marble ground with small stairs, ledges and gaps galore, this skate spot is practically a skatepark any skill level can enjoy. You can take your child there any day of the week and most likely a professional skateboarder will be there. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this minidoc from Thrasher Magazine:
Welfare Banks Welfare Park, American Indian Museum
The Welfare Banks at the American Indian Museum in Washington D.C. is a great example of how a building can transform into a skate spot based on its architecture. While this skate spot is largely considered a bust now by industry standards –meaning security will kick you out when you try to skate it –the history and uniqueness of the spot make it an essential skate spot to include on our list. Check out the video above for more!
