Pleasant View Park, the 30th park in the City of Gaithersburg’s inventory, opened to the public on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The park is open from dawn to dusk (preview video below).
The 9.54-acre park is located at the former Consumer Product Safety Commission site at 10901 Darnestown Rd. Pleasant View Park is named after the nearby Pleasant View community, one of the first free black communities established after the Civil War. The park’s name honors the historic significance of that community and also reflects the beauty of the natural surroundings.
The new park features the City’s first community garden, a bicycle skills course (pump track), walking trails, open space, pavilions and picnic tables, a playground, outdoor fitness equipment, and a welcome plaza. Please note that some areas of grass are still being established and some trees will be replanted later this fall.
The land was acquired through the Federal Land to Parks Program of the United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. From 1955 to 1975, this location served as a fire control radar site for the U.S. Army NIKE missile system. After 1975, the site was used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as the National Laboratory Campus for testing consumer products.
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A history of the project and updates can be found on the City of Gaithersburg Project Page.