Outside its residential and business hubs, Montgomery County is a picturesque landscape of lush, rolling forested hills and fertile farms. The county, which is bordered by the upper Potomac River, offers groups numerous options for experiencing the adventure and scenery of Maryland’s great outdoors.
Less than an hour outside of Washington, D.C., Calleva offers outdoor team-building activities for all sorts of groups. Best known for its annual Halloween Haunted Forest—of which President Obama’s family is reported to have been repeat visitors—Calleva offers groups tailored programs that can include ziplines and ropes courses, activities on the Potomac River, horseback riding, rock climbing and other pursuits. In addition, Calleva operates a 165-acre farm that hosts seasonal “Dirty Dinners,” outdoor dinners with musical entertainment and exceptional cuisine using local ingredients and local wines.
For a more refined outdoor experience, the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, an award-winning producer of Bordeaux-style wines set on a 92-acre farm, offers wine tastings in both indoor and outdoor settings, group tours and private parties and events.
Nearby Sugarloaf Mountain is an admission-free conservation and recreation area maintained by a nonprofit corporation set up in 1946 by businessman Gordon Strong, who also maintained a residence at the base of the mountain. Sugarloaf Mountain, once an observation and signaling station for Union forces during the Civil War, features numerous hiking and horseback riding trails and is open daily. The Strong Mansion is also available for private group events.
Scenic Bretton Woods is situated on 285 acres adjacent to the Potomac River and offers groups an 18-hole championship golf course, outdoor picnics and team-building activities, as well as two large dining rooms with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring is the largest aerial forest adventure park in North America. Providing thrills for children and adults alike, the park is well accustomed to hosting corporate outings. The park offers 13 different treetop courses, with each course featuring a mix of ziplines, tree canopies and rope bridges.
Smokey Glen Farm has more than five decades of experience hosting outdoor corporate events. Specializing in barbecues, Smokey Glen Farm features covered pavilions, rolling meadows and all manner of sporting activities in a quaint farm and forest setting.
