Weekly Family Day Trip: Clark's Elioak Farm

Hi friends! Welcome to week eight of my weekly series exploring kid-friendly destinations within a 90-minute drive of Westminster. We have done an amusement park, a children's museum, a historic river town, a waterfall, a zoo, and a steam train. This week we headed south toward Howard County for something a little bit magical.

Clark's Elioak Farm is a real working farm just off Route 108 near Ellicott City, about 40 minutes from Westminster. It is famous in these parts for one magical reason: the Enchanted Forest, a collection of storybook houses and characters saved from Maryland's original 1955 storybook theme park and now living among the goats, horses, and pumpkins. It is part petting zoo, part fairy tale, and entirely adorable.

The Vibe

If your kids love animals, fairy tales, or both, this place was built for them. The farm is relaxed and outdoor-first, with a petting area full of friendly goats and sheep, wide-open picnic fields, and a walking trail up the hill where you will discover the Enchanted Forest storybook houses tucked between the trees. It is not a big, slick theme park. It is a charming, homespun afternoon where kids can move at their own wobbly pace.

Because it is on a real working farm, the season runs from spring through early November, so it is a gorgeous stop for a crisp fall morning with the leaves turning. And at the prices we will talk about below? You can go, go again, and go a third time before you spend what one day at a big park costs.

What to Do

Explore the Enchanted Forest Storybook Trail

This is the big draw, and it is genuinely special. The Enchanted Forest was an old-fashioned storybook theme park that opened near Ellicott City in 1955, and when it closed, many of its storybook houses and characters found a second home here at Clark's Elioak Farm. So today a little storybook village hides among the trees, and you can peer into favorites like the pumpkin coach. The Farm's houses, a crooked cabin, and other storybook whimsy stand right next to the real farm animals. It is like a fairy trail and a petting zoo had a baby, and kids absolutely love spotting each painted character.

Hang Out with the Petting Farm Animals

The petting farm is classic county-fair fun. There are plenty of goats, sheep, and other farm friends to say hi to, and for a dollar or two you can buy a little bag of feed, which will instantly make you the most popular person in the pasture. Little kids can go right up to the fence, and there are animals of all sizes, so even the most cautious toddler can find a friend to cheer at from a safe distance.

Take a Little Train, Hay Wagon, or Pony Ride

Inside the grounds you will find a handful of gentle, low-key rides that are perfect for the preschool set. The little Enchanted Express Train chugs around the property, there is a hay wagon ride for a bumpy tour of the fields, and a cow train that kids can climb aboard with a big smile. Little riders who love horses can do a short pony ride around the ring with a handler, and the gem mining station lets little treasure hunters sluice for shiny rocks to take home. Just about everything is a few dollars a ride, so you can be generous without busting the budget.

Wander the Fairy House Trail

On the fairy house trail, tiny fairy-sized doors and little cottages peek out from stumps and hollows along the path, built by local families over the years. It is the kind of quiet, imaginative fun that works at any age: older kids hunt for every single tiny doorway, while toddlers are delighted at each little peephole window. Bring a camera, because the whole trail is a photo trip. It is also a gorgeous walk in the golden light later in the day.

Gather a Pumpkin & Picnic

Clark's is a real farm, so when the season is right, you can wander the pumpkin patch and pick your own centerpiece, and the farm's little market sells fresh produce and canned goodies. There are plenty of picnic tables, and a few picnic spots near the Enchanted Forest if the animals get too much company. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of snacks, and you have a full, happy day for pocket change.

Visiting Hours & Admission

• Season: Open for the 2026 season from late March through early November.
• Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Tuesday through Friday, and 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday, with select Mondays open as well (holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day). Check the farm's calendar before you go, because hours shift with the season.
• Admission: $8.00 per person for ages 1 and up, and that gate ticket covers the petting farm, the Enchanted Forest attractions, the fairy house trail, the play areas, slides, and picnic grounds. It is one of the best-value outings within an hour of Carroll County.
• Add-ons: The Enchanted Express Train is about $5, the hay wagon ride and cow train about $3 each, pony rides are around $3, gem mining runs about $8 to $15 depending on the bag, and a bag of goat feed is about $1. Season passes are available for families who plan to return all year.
• Location: 10500 Clarksville Pike (Route 108), near Ellicott City, MD, about 40 minutes from Westminster.

What to Pack

• Closed shoes you do not mind getting dirty: it is a real farm with dirt paths, so mud is part of the magic. Anything washable works.
• Layers and a light jacket: the farm is fully outdoors, so mornings can be cool and afternoons warm. Layers keep everybody comfortable all day.
• Water bottles and a packed lunch: there are picnic tables and snacks for sale, but a lunch you brought means you never have to look at the parking lot until the kids are done.
• Sunscreen and hats: so much of the day is under that big Maryland sky, so protect the crew, especially in summer.
• A few dollars in cash: for animal feed, a pony ride, and a bag of fresh produce to take home. The add-ons are small and charming, so it is easy to say yes.
• A camera or charged phone: the storybook houses and fairy doors are practically made for a memorable family photo.

Tips for Parents

• Pay the small admission and let the day wander. One ticket covers the whole farm, so skip the ride-for-ride mindset and let the kids pick whatever catches their eye. You will get more happy memories and far less squabbling.
• Bring a picnic or grab a bite on the farm. Picnic tables are plentiful, and eating on the grass with the goats in earshot is half the charm. Just remember to re-latch gates behind you.
• Go early in the morning. The animals are liveliest and the fairy trail is quietest before the crowds, and you will get the best parking. On a nice Saturday, the farm fills by late morning.
• Count on 3 to 4 hours. Between the petting farm, the storybook trail, one train ride, and a pony ride, a half day is the perfect amount. Trying to outpace it will slow everyone down.
• Bring a stroller or a little wagon for tired legs. The paths are mostly stroller-friendly, and a tired toddler riding is a happy toddler riding.
• Grab a season pass if the little ones roar for more. At this price, a family that lives within an hour can visit in spring and again in autumn for less than a day at a bigger park, and the Enchanted Forest looks different in every season.

The Bottom Line

Clark's Elioak Farm is a treasure. It has the spirit of a working farm, the charm of a 1950s storybook park, and an admission price that means you can actually go back. For the preschool to early-elementary crowd, it is easily one of the best-value kid trips anywhere near Westminster, and it sits close to Ellicott City and Columbia, places I love to serve.

I have got your back on finding the best local getaways. See you next week for another adventure!

Warmly, Nikki