McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Nature preserve · Montgomery County

McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Nature preserve · Montgomery County

1

18600 River Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837

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McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null
McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area by null

Highlights

McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area is a stunning expanse of sunflower fields and trails, perfect for a leisurely stroll while soaking in nature's beauty.  

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18600 River Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837 Get directions

dnr.maryland.gov

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18600 River Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837 Get directions

+1 410 356 9272
dnr.maryland.gov

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parking bike
crowd family friendly

Last updated

Jul 10, 2025

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"During the pandemic, when we were all looking for places where there weren't lots of people, we started going to a spot off the C&O Canal in Maryland, called McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area." - Stuart Spielman and Rachel Chang

My 29-year-old Son Is on the Autism Spectrum — but It Doesn't Stop Us From Traveling the World
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Michelle Feminella

Google
A beautiful sunflower field. It's a short, easy walk from the parking lot. It absolutely gorgeous when in bloom. It was fun to walk around, take some pictures and watch the sunset. Parking and entry are free. This is a wildlife management area so there are no bathrooms. Remember to respect the space and don't pick the sunflowers!

Jae Shin

Google
Absolutely gorgeous. Visited 2nd weekend of July. Due to the hot weather, plan for less than an hour. Ideally 30-40 min is the best. Must have hat, sunglasses, sunblock lotion, bugoff, and preferably long pants and sleeves. There are electric fences to protect from the deer. You will love it. Enjoy

Ed Vigezzi

Google
One of my favorite places to bird in the area, all times of the year. Great variety of wildlife, but this place could possible be best known for the sunflower fields. McKee-Beeshers Wildlife Management Area is a large expansive area. Off of River Road you can enter from two areas as Hunting Quarter Road parallels River Road. I typically enter and park on the entrance further west, but either is fine. All pictures below are from the entrance I use. Note that depending on weather, there is a river crossing along Hunting Quarter Road and this can flood at times. It is a rough road. Pay attention to the hunting seasons, as during this time you will see hunters on all days except Sundays. On the west end there is a dog training area. There will be lots of bird watchers, especially on the west end where there are two large water areas. Once you enter, you can walk past these areas and back to the fields towards the river. Recently, the entrance on the west area was upgraded to allow better access for the disabled. In addition, there is no bathrooms and a large parking area. So stop on by and check it out. Overall, it is relatively flat and easy to hike. Enjoy!

Sara Carper

Google
We had a great stop by here to see the sun flowers. It was so nice to be able to walk over from the parking area and see the flowers. We went with our 5 week old baby and it was an easy walk.

Pups Lover

Google
Beautiful sunflower field to visit. This is a late review, we went mid-August. Some of the fields is close to end (field #1), but others are in full bloom(#4). It's a large sun flower field close to Potomac river, beautiful spot to take photos. Will definitely visit very year.

Karen B

Google
Beautiful sunflowers! This is a wildlife area not a park so don't expect a park experience. No bathrooms. Only basic signage. I went at dawn and their were basically no bugs. I hear the bugs are terrible during the daytime! It was empty of people at 6 am.

Dave Park

Google
As of 7/22/2021, majority of the sunflowers bloomed and looks great as you'd expect. Though don't pull the same mistake we did and go to sunflower field #1 (39.075688, -77.402296) and expect to get there from parking without problems since the path/trail is poorly maintained and easy to get lost. If anything, try other fields closer to parking if you decide to come here (on a weekday morning at least). And like others said, be careful of bees and poison ivy!

Eduardo Ramos

Google
This place is a nice place to disconnect from your everyday life. The drive is a little far but it's not too crazy. There is just a field of sunflowers. Bring your insect repellent and water because it can get hot in the summer. It's best if you have a Jeep or an SUV to get in because there arent paved road when you get close. Cool experience but I don't plan on going again. Went with the wife to make her happy. 😉

Grace H.

Yelp
Got a chance to visit last weekend. It was nice to be able to check their website and see a rough weekly estimate of sunflower bloom status. When using Googlemaps initially we ended up at parking for Field #2 which wasn't ready yet. We tried to walk around to see if the fields connected but there didn't seem to be an easy way to get to the other fields. Luckily we examined the posted map more closely by the parking lot and decided to follow River Road and eventually found Sycamore Landing Road which led to Field #4. Again there was an initial parking lot we stopped at since it was our first time visiting but it seemed like that was mostly for hiking. Once continuing further in we got to another lot closer to Field #4. The main lot was already full by around 11 am on a Saturday but we were able to park by the side of the road. There were plenty of sunflowers of varying heights and sizes to take interesting pictures with. It was also cool to see quite a few artists camped out that were painting the beautiful landscape. A friendly couple offered to take a picture of my partner and me. We were even able to chat about birds like how indigo buntings have been spotted nearby. Personally I saw a cardinal but didn't see any indigo buntings. There are some nice close up shots of indigo buntings and other birds on Google maps geotagged at McKee-Besher that someone else posted that are pretty impressive. Overall it was a bit stressful finding the correct blooming field but future visits will be less intimidating. Would be neat to come again and see what the other fields look like at peak bloom.

Damon B.

Yelp
I don't really know how to rate this place, I'll be honest. But for a nature preserve it has great parking, great paths, and was really easy to get to in spite of crappy signage. It has fields of very tall sunflowers (6-7 feet tall at the time I was there), corn fields, and swampy land. Come for sunflowers, bug photos, and nature in a relatively curated environment due to the obvious farming influence. This isn't really a Yelp-y tourist place for you to take instagram photos or play with your kids. There are no bathrooms, no water, minimal (but plentiful for what it is) parking, and there's no tour guides. So if you are a high maintenance person, this is not for you. It's a nature preserve and you don't really belong here. Except it's public land and they have made an effort to keep the place open to the public. I took my 2 year olds out here by myself with a wagon and it was great. I parked at the second to last parking area. As I was pulling up, a farmer was entering the path with a humongous, 10 foot tall tractor which looked like a tractor on stilts. There were only 2-3 cars in the parking lot and no one else around. The farmer took off before I could even see him in the cab of the tractor, which felt very isolating. Immediately upon opening the car door I heard the buzzing of bees and random other bugs running into me and the car, and expected the worst. There is standing water everywhere out here but they must spray for mosquitos now because the warnings I read about online were totally untrue--we didn't experience a single bug bite. However the other bugs were not affected. I would rate this as tops for looking at wood bumblebees and butterflies. There were very few birds around at the time I was there, and they appeared to avoid the area, flying near the fields but never over them. We walked down the path, which I posted photos of here on Yelp. The path is limestone rocks (not gravel) where the tractor wheels travel and dirt/grass. I pulled a wagon that is not meant for offroading and in spite of some bad conditions, it went fine. The path is maybe 1/4 mile long. Once at the flowers, I saw only three people. Two were together, doing instagram selfies. And there was one goth girl chasing butterflies for photography. They were all leaving, making us the only ones out here. It was kind of weird being that alone but we made the most of it by running around naked. Okay only my kids ran around naked but that's because I was changing diapers. The flowers were all facing the opposite direction of the path, so we had to walk to the other end of the field--something I was not excited to do in the heat and with a loaded wagon and two babies. But it wasn't bad at all! While walking the circumference of the field seemed like a bad idea at first, it made for great photos where we were really out in nature. I brought a stool along in my wagon but it was just in the way for kid photos. I would say maaaaybe bring one for adults but I found it to be more trouble than it was worth. Finding stable ground for a stool or ladder is challenging in these farm fields, and a little dangerous. Probably skip the stool if it's even a question. There are a few paths into the sunflowers that make for cool photos under a canopy of flowers, and most of the flowers were hanging down/bent downward, making them easy to phtoograph from the ground. When we returned to our car, we were the only ones left. So let me sum it up: - great facility with nice roads and parking areas - minimal pesky bugs when we went, no mosquitos - lots of butterflies and bees, but nothing to be alarmed about with the bees as they are all wood bees - 6-7 foot tall flowers - some flower vandalism, but generally the place looked pristine - easy to find on GPS navigation (google maps) - great cell phone service - can feel very isolated - probably leave the step stool at home

Scorpio K.

Yelp
I love this place! I go every year. It's just a magical FIELD of GOLD! It's a nice quiet drive not too far from the city. Blooms start popping up at the end of June and the field is full by the second week of July. Enjoy and be mindful of the big bumble bees they won't harm you. I like to go at sunrise or sunset when it's not so hot and less people. Please don't pick or destroy the flowers so that everyone can enjoy them. Do not carve faces in them Tips: I recommend rain boots or shoes you can hose down. The field gets very muddy after the rain. Wear plenty of sunscreen and bring some bug spray as well. A hat is always a good idea! Photographers may want to bring a ladder some flowers are over 7' tall! Take your trash with you. Animals don't litter, behave like animals.

Shan S.

Yelp
Such a wonderful place to reconnect with wilderness. It is hard to time the sunflowers at peak bloom, but it is still well worth it. We traveled from far away to visit because it is so beautiful. Lots of bugs so be mindful. Respect nature and dont leave trash in the park, pick the flowers, or spray things out near the fields.

Manal B.

Yelp
This is my absolute favorite place to go every summer. Whether it be alone or with as many people as can fit in me car, the endless rows of sunflowers make for such a beautiful sight. The best part about this place is that the website keeps and updated photo of the sunflowers DAILY so you can check it before you go! It shows a field of sunflowers so you can see if they're still in good health or not. There are three main fields, one on Sycamore Landing Rd, another on Hunting Quarter Rd and the last on River Rd. TIP: if you've come to one of the fields and it's slightly withered, you've often got a better chance of seeing alive and healthy ones at another one of the fields. Try your luck, you might be surprised as the fields bloom a bit staggered.

Faizah C.

Yelp
A fun getaway in the outskirts of the city....after you park and walk in the road opens up into a gorgeous sunflower laden field. A great family trip, take pics of the kids, the couple, action shots. Do get here early to avoid the crowds in your pics!

Conan W.

Yelp
Cool place to take pictures! There are 4 fields and #2 is the most visited. I recommend visiting in the morning to avoid the crowds and the heat. Additionally, morning light is suitable to take portrait, as is dusk light. I went there before 7 and left by 10, the light is already too strong for good pictures. Lots of bugs and mosquitoes so be prepared. I was in a hurry that morning and forgot to spray myself and ended up getting dozens of bites. This fields is also great to fly drones, met 2 others flying there.

Mary Kate E.

Yelp
I wish I could know more about this place without having to look it up online. As silly as that may sound - there is absolutely no signage or information on site to talk about the WMA. That's kind of disappointing to me especially since this draws so many people annually for the sunflowers. Now, the sunflowers -- fields and fields of them! They're gorgeous and most certainly worth the visit out to see them. I know a couple who got engaged there last night which made for perfect photo ops. In my opinion, that's what everyone is drawn to here are the flowers. The roads get crowded and tons of people are scurrying trying to find parking on a very small road with limited parking. It is HIGHLY advised to drive a compact car here unless you anticipate your Escalate can fit on the side a road with limited turn around space. You've been advised. Otherwise, enjoy the flowers and nature. Wear comfortable shoes, and no, that doesn't include your cute stilettos that will sink in the mud. I saw that happen yesterday and I was very amused. Use common sense!

Kia D.

Yelp
A gem to behold! Free and open to the public sunflower fields? I'll take it! Luckily, I was given a map for parking and where the sunflower fields were. However, I drew my own conclusions once I arrived to see that you had to snatch parking where you could and venture at your own risk. Paved roads without signage is bad for someone like me who is gps challenged. I took a walk (imagine walking from Woodley Park Zoo--DC metro stop to the zoo) but no sidewalks and dirt and rocks.half the walk. I came the day after a hard rain. I slipped and slid in mud and found my first field of what looked close to dead flowers. Not what I was expecting. People still made the most of it. I saw plenty of people in dress clothes, heels and more. It was hot and muggy, so wear comfy clothes and footwear. I didn't venture to the 4 other fields as indicated on the map. I was afraid of getting lost alone LOL. Pictures from people that went the same day I did saw some beautiful flowers. They ventured to the other fields, I'm sure!

Sahar R.

Yelp
Have you ever dreamed of frolicking through a field of flowers, like you've been cast in a Summer's Eve Douche Commercial? How about frolicking through a seven fields (48 acres) of sunflowers? Well luckily the McKee-Besher Wildlife Management Area has just that for your frolicking pleasure! McKee-Beshers WMA is normally a 2,000-acre tract in a mixture of woodlands, fields, wooded bottomland and managed wetland impoundments (green-tree reservoirs), and for two weekends in July (this year peak bloom starting the weekend of July 13th) it has miles and miles of sunflowers as far as the eye can see so it's a perfect opportunity for photographers and flower admirers. This field of flowers almost rivals the majestic Cherry Blossoms, making this place is a photographer's dream. I'm not a photographer, all I have is an iphone, an instagram account, and an adventurous pug, but I could appreciate the stunning beauty of this place. The fields are not hard to find (basically off River Road), and the park service has a handy map each year (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Publiclands/pdfs/McKee-Beshers_Sunflowers_2013.pdf). With regard to picture taking, sunrise will provide the opportunity to photograph the sunflowers in soft diffused light before the sun breaks over the tree line. First thing in the morning is also a great time to look for bees on the sunflowers because they're more likely to be still. Sunsets are also striking. The sunflowers are very tall, so you'll see many a photographer on stools and ladders. Couple of warnings though: 1-Where there are flowers there are bees. Big HUGE bumble bees 2-McKee- Beshers is a public hunting area. The sunflowers are indeed planted to produce seeds that attract birds (like doves) for hunting in the Fall. No permit is required. Someone may just Dick Cheney your booty, luckily I don't think July is open season. 3- Bring along some insect repellent as the mosquitos can be out in force. 4-It's not even crowded on weekdays, weekends may be a little popular. This spot should be on your summer bucket list! Hurry up and go before they're gone!!!

Sherry S.

Yelp
Excellent outing to see the acres of sunflowers in full beautiful bloom. Worth a trip to this place. I'd advise going in the morning in mid week when the temp is cooler and it's not so crowded. Good hiking trails as well.

Prairie S.

Yelp
If you want to check out a sunflower field or two in summer, you'll get some great photo opps here. The parking lots get super crowded at the weekends for the fields close to the road, because, otherwise you have to trudge hot sweaty paths to get to the farthest fields. The drive out along River Road from the city feels long, and once in the vicinity there are no markers to tell you where to stop to find the fields. So check out the Web site and print up your maps before you head out there: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/publiclands/central/mckeebeshers.aspx Just remember: (1) Bring a footstool or ladder if you want to get up high. (2) Sunflowers face away from the sun, so you'll need a fill flash to get pictures of people's faces against the sunflower face. (3) Bug juice is highly recommended because it's a natural area and you are probably not used to the diversity of life in a natural area! (4) Sunset or sunrise are good times to catch the light; but get there about two hours before the sun goes down, so that you can see the effect of the longer rays (the noon hour is not advised!)

Felicia C.

Yelp
One word. SUNFLOWERS!!!! Seriously, bring your smile, a camera and some bug spray and get up close and personal with these beauties. There are 6 or 7 sunflower fields, but I ventured to one field and had a lovely time. Not a lot of people were there, so it was great for picture taking. The road getting there was a bit bumpy and I had to create my own parking spot, but it was well worth the drive.

Alice W.

Yelp
Gorgeous sunflowers as far as the eye can see! McKee-Beshers WMA is a 2,000-acre area of woodlands, fields, and wetlands. It's just north of the C&O Canal in Poolesville, Maryland. If you're coming from Northern Virginia/DC, take I-495 North and get off at Exit 39 (River Road). Go along River Road and McKee-Beshers is on the left. A lot of folks come during July for the sunflowers. On the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website (see: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/publiclands/central/mckeebeshers.aspx), they will let you know when to expect the sunflowers to bloom and there's a map of the sunflower locations. In 2015, they planted 30 acres in 4 fields. They bloomed in early July and typically, sunflowers stay in full bloom for about 2 weeks. I went on July 5 and they were in full bloom. We parked in one of the marked parking lots and walked to one of the fields. So many beautiful sunflowers! Standing tall and proud, these sunflowers smiled down at us like old friends. Be careful, there are quite a few honey bees (and mosquitos) buzzing around the flowers! But there are also monarch butterflies. I noticed some seasoned experts brought step ladders with them, which is a great idea if you want to look across the top of the field and get a great panoramic view. If you love sunflowers and love photography, this is paradise. There were plenty of photographers around as well as your usual curious adventurer. There are also plenty of trails for the hikers and bikers. Not to mention, McKee-Beshers is a public hunting area. No permit is required. We actually found a shell among the sunflowers! I think this place is still fairly unknown so it's not too crowded. Great hidden natural reserve not too far from DC!

Mike E.

Yelp
These yellow flowers were very meaningful to us at this time. Praise God for His beautiful creation. (Note: If you gps the address provided the flowers are not there, it's still down at the very end of the dirt road by the water) We made the mistake thinking it was there and actually walked all the way at the end of what looks like an overgrown field. We thought we were going to get eaten alive by insects. They were fierce. :)

Monica M.

Yelp
Ok I finally make it on time to see a newly fresh sunflowers this year! I've been coming here since 3 years ago and always missed a fresh new growth! This year by far is awesome to me! But at the same time I really bother by all the bugs and stuff so if you guys thinking of coming make sure you got a bug spray if you're not a fan of them like I do. The look in the real eyes is really inspiring and absolutely beautiful and I can't even explain but I do take like a zillion pictures of them lol. I came with bikes because I know that's there's a lots of field to look at and snaps pictures! So instead of driving back and forth we just ride the bike around just to exercise also! And plus with this hot nasty weather you don't want to feel all nasty before the time you get to field and do pictures! So overall experience this is the best time to see fresh sunflowers!

Meg D.

Yelp
Note: This review is for the sunflowers only, which bloom around mid July/August. Fields and fields of sunflowers? I never would have thought that there would be something like that near DC! Getting to the sunflowers was a bit tricky-GPSing McKee-Besher WMA led us to probably the main entrance but the sunflowers in those fields had not bloomed yet. It turns out we had to drive back on River Road towards DC, and on the right some cars were parked in the grass, and thats where we found the sunflower fields. I wish they had bigger signs on how to find it, but I guess that adds to the mystery of the place. The flowers here were HUGE and absolutely beautiful. There were so many photographers there, that you know this is like a nature (even hobby) photographer's dream. Be wary of the big bees! Though mostly they were just around the flowers, enjoying the sights and pollen-ating

Robin V.

Yelp
What a hidden gem! I found this place thanks so Instagram. My friends and I drove out here Arlington to check out the sunflower fields. There was no exact street address but the GPS responded well to the street name only address provided on the website. Though there are 8 fields, I highly recommend the largest field being the first stop on River Rd on the left. The parking lot is gravel and is immediately right off of the main road (River Rd.) As soon as you walk out, it is a vast field of sunflowers on sunflowers. Amazing for picture taking and to take in the view. We also stopped by another field at the last stop, which was significantly smaller but still so lovely. I highly recommend this - there are no hours per say as it is wildlife area but great for a free but fun simmer activity for any age!

Gwoping Y.

Yelp
I was just here with my family recently. There many sunflower fields to choose from so if you run into one parking lot that is full don't give up..keep moving. There is a pdf you can get online that shows where the fields are. These sunflowers grow to be taller than I am. I'm 6 foot zero. It gets very hot during the day so if you can make it early around 7 am or late around 7pm you won't regret it. It takes patience and preparation to get good shots so make sure to bring water.

Becca M.

Yelp
Wading through a sea of sunflowers has always been on my bucket list and today I finally got to check that off! Their sunflowers bloom mid to end of July. Some of the sunnies were looking a little down today so I'm guessing the blooming period is almost over. Definitely make this a place on your list to go! I loved every second of it!

J D.

Yelp
Always an adventure. Whether its the amazing photo ops of acres and acres of sunflowers, or harvest time and copious bird seed, its an amazing array of hues of green and yellow against a bright blue sky that make for a great day and possible romantic picnic basket lunch.

Kimberly C.

Yelp
Not only is it a photographer's dream, it's like every girl's dream! I've lived in Italy so I've been to Tuscany to see sunflower fields before. These sunflowers aren't as tall or as big, but they are just as plentiful. We went around sunset during peak bloom. Instead of parking in the first lot, where you'll see tons of cars, we made a left on Sycamore and parked there. There are a total of eight fields to choose from and I'm glad we chose this one. There were lots of families, photographers, and couples there but we still felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. In addition, we brought our two large dogs and they had a lot of fun roaming the fields and surrounding area. It's truly magical walking around soaking up the sunset, quaintness, and beauty of the sunflowers. One last tip, bring some bug spray with you. There were lots of bees and deer flies present.

Krystle T.

Yelp
What I love about this place is that it's a FREE state owned sunflower field. You can't find that anywhere else... In CA, they charge like $10-20 for admission. What was disappointing when I went on a weekday afternoon was 1) the heat, but that's inevitable 2) all the sunflowers looked dying. Not what I imagined. Still 5 stars because it's free and the instructions to take you there online are on point (literally because they give you coordinates). Maybe I just came at a bad time.

Celinne M.

Yelp
The place is huge and we were having a hard time looking for the sunflower fields even with the map they provided on the website. Wish they put more signs as to where they were found. The best route is to drive through River Rd then turn right to the first hunting quarter road. When we reached hunting quarter, there was no street sign (just a stop sign) so we had to use our phone GPS to locate it. There's two Hunting quarter rd, make sure you don't go to the one close to Sycamore dr. When you arrive in the parking area of hunting quarter just go straight and you'll see the field. TIP: it's best to go in the morning. Bring baby wipes or else you're gonna itch like crazy.

Jo P.

Yelp
Beautiful! Off River Road I made a left onto Hunter Quarter Road and there is parking on the side or the small parking lot further up. Tip: if you keep straight you'll reach a dead-end where you can go up to see the Potomac River :). Anywho, if you want to see the flowers I'd park as soon as you make the left onto Hunter Quarter Road and there are pathways that go into the field. I'd recommend comfy shoes but honestly I could do with sandals too. I brought bug spray for ticks. Bees were all over the flowers but seemed distracted and didn't bother me - and I'm terribly afraid! Nice trip for pictures and to see something different :).

Juliet A.

Yelp
I've had McKee-Besher on my check-list of places to visit for a while now (just plug that into Instagram and you'll see why!). My motivation for going was the same as probably 90% of other visitors - the sunflower fields. Over 30 acres of them in this wildlife area! The peak sunflower bloom time is mid/late-July through early August. We went the weekend of August 5th, thinking we were still well within the peak bloom time. Unfortunately, we were a little disappointed with what we found. Don't get me wrong - even with over 50% of the blooms gone, the fields are still magnificent. I wish there was a way for this to be advertised on the website - like a ski resort gives a powder update, if they could give a sunflower update...ha! Sunflowers in full glory or not, this is a very picturesque place to spend an hour or two in nature. We visited several fields but didn't go as far as I'm sure you can because we had our little ones with us...which brings me to another downside. There is a lot of walking to do (totally anticipated) but it is really difficult to bring even a little umbrella stroller on the rocky paths. So if you come with small kids, expect to not go too far or just carry them. Our biggest complaint has to do with the lack of signage, particularly regarding the ridiculous parking situation. We came in the morning and parked on the side of the dirt road leading to the fields, as about two dozen people had done before us. By the time we left, this dirt road was literally - no exaggeration - filled with cars parked on the side all the way up to the main road. This is essentially just a tad wider than a one way road, so just picture the insanity when dozens of people trying to leave (the way they came) are faced against a line of cars trying to get in and find parking. It took us about 45 minutes (yes...45 minutes) playing tetris with the other cars to finally get out. Apparently - we learned later - you can exit the OTHER way, but I don't think many people knew that given the flow of traffic. There really should be some signs posted clearly signifying the exit, and to tell people to just suck it up and park on the side of the dirt road once they see other cars have done that. ANYWAY, it put a damper on the overall experience. If we went again (my husband swears he never will, given the driving fiasco!), we would go early early early!

Dee B.

Yelp
Thanks to Sahar R., I was reminded of the existence of this place. Just like cherry blossoms, you have to come out at the right time. The flowers were toward the end of their peak bloom, and they were shorter than I expected (although in all fairness, I am taller than average...), but seeing a big field of sunflowers is still lovely! This was one of those things I'd read about in the Post quite a few years ago, and knew I needed to do at some point, so I'm glad that I can know check it off my DC summer bucket list.

Gloria C.

Yelp
def worth the trip to see the beautiful field of sunflowers!!!! they're in bloom right now! its hot these days so be sure to bring water! i'd suggest wearing closed shoes and pants because there are a LOT of bugs. and if you want to walk through the field to get a pretty pic, its itchy high grass! dont forget the bug spray! many people brought their furry friend (dogs!) for a stroll around the field! easiest field to find is the one on River Rd. theres a gravel parking lot and on the right is a little path to the big field. but there are many fields if you google this place you can find a map where the other fields are!

Maureen F.

Yelp
Fabulous state park. We were here for the sunflowers and they did not disappoint us. Lots of hiking trails and parking was fairly easy. You can bring your leashed dog too.

Katie T.

Yelp
Came here for the sunflower fields. This is a really nice facility and the sunflower fields you can visit are a really cool concept. Wish there were more signs for/about the sunflowers though--we went to third field, which was set apart from the first two a bit, and chanced our way through a cornfield (there was a path), the woods, and two streams to get to a field of beautiful but very small sunflowers--not the tall ones (presumably a different variety?) that we were looking for, which I assume were in the other fields. If we had known there were only the little ones in that third field, we would've stuck to the first two. If it weren't so crowded we might have gone to try and find the others, but we came at peak bloom on a really nice day and the place was absolutely MOBBED.

Chris L.

Yelp
Amazing! Never seen anything like it. It's a drive and you have to deal with tons of mosquitoes and nats but long as you're prepared then you will enjoy this very much. We all were in awe when we saw the endless fields of sunflowers. So beautiful.

Yan N.

Yelp
So don't go at noon, all sunflowers heads down..... Will try next year!

Sarah S.

Yelp
Beautiful sunflowers, especially at some of the fields farther from River Rd. We parked in a lot right on River Rd and walked from field to field from there. On a Sunday during peak season at 10:30-12:30, Hunting Ground Rd was really difficult to drive down based on traffic - not really wide enough to be a two-way road and had cars parked along it - such that walking down was definitely faster. Based on the paths to the sunflower fields and walking through the paths in the fields themselves, I'd definitely suggest sneakers rather than sandals. This was a great day trip - including wine tasting at Rocklands Farm and berry-picking at Homestead Farm. Highly recommend!

C W.

Yelp
This place has been increasingly popular the last few years because of social media. The sunflower fields are great. Be sure to check to see when they ate in full bloom as well as download the map on the website to see where the different fields. The main field most people go to has parking directly in front but during peak bloom it gets super crowded especially on the weekend. The sunflower are definitely worth checking out. There are also paths and wildlife. The best part is, it's free.

Clara C.

Yelp
We went to the field on Sycamore Landing Rd. You don't have to walk at all to get to the field, it's right off the road. The field was roped off however, so we decided to try another field. We went to the field furthest to the west on Hunting Quarter Rd. (This road is a loop off of River Rd. We entered from where Hunting Quarter crosses River Rd. further west). We parked and walked down the gravel path about 5 minutes to get to the field. The field is not that wide but goes very deep. All the sunflowers still look healthy and are in bloom or not yet in bloom. We didn't see large clusters of flowers like people had posted previously. We brought a step stool so that the children's faces could be closer to the flowers for photos. Most flowers are about adult shoulder level.