This Maryland Farm Has A Whimsical Path Leading To A Secret Forest
A pumpkin coach beside a goat pen is a strong clue that this farm has more imagination than most.
In Maryland, a working property leads visitors toward a forest path filled with rescued storybook figures from a beloved former theme park.
The deeper the path goes, the more playful the day becomes.
Fairy-tale characters, woodland displays, train rides, animals, and seasonal attractions keep families moving between very different kinds of fun.
Childhood just found a new address!
The rescued pieces add history to the whimsy, especially for visitors who remember seeing them years ago. Wander slowly and keep looking around.
The next bend might hold a familiar character you never expected to meet again.
A Storybook Welcome In Howard County
The Castle Store and petting-farm animals set the tone near the visitor area, while restored storybook attractions appear throughout the property.
Clark’s Elioak Farm sits on rolling land in Ellicott City, tucked inside Howard County, Maryland. The property covers roughly 540 acres, though the visitor area feels cozy and easy to walk.
Grass paths connect every attraction, so nothing feels far away. Children run ahead while parents amble behind, and nobody seems rushed.
What stands out is the mix of real farming and storybook nostalgia, with seasonal produce grown on the property and restored Enchanted Forest figures displayed around the farm.
The combination should feel odd, but it works beautifully. Rustic fences frame Humpty Dumpty, and a hay wagon rumbles past Snow White.
Bring sturdy shoes, since dirt roads are covered in loose gravel. Long pants help if bugs tend to find you first.
You will find this Maryland charmer at 10500 Clarksville Pike in Ellicott City.
Roots Reaching Back To 1797
Family farms with this much history are rare in the mid-Atlantic. The Clark family began farming in the region back in 1797, which is older than most towns nearby.
Land ownership in Howard County followed in 1850, and the Elioak property itself was purchased in 1927. The unusual name comes from a silty clay loam soil type found locally.
Elioak soil is a well-drained soil series associated with agricultural uses, including orchards. James Clark Jr. returned from World War II and began farming in earnest on the family property in 1946.
He later served as president of the Maryland Senate, and he watched development creep across the county through the 1960s. Worried about vanishing farmland, he helped create Program Open Space to protect green land statewide.
Clark’s work helped shape Maryland’s Program Open Space and farmland-preservation efforts.
Today, the farm says all 540 acres are enrolled in either county or state farmland-preservation programs that protect the property from non-farm development.
His daughter Martha and her daughter Nora now run daily operations. Three generations of decisions shaped what visitors walk through today.
Rescued Figures From The Enchanted Forest
One detail gives the farm unusual historical weight: many of its painted characters and structures originally stood at the Enchanted Forest, which opened in Ellicott City in August 1955.
The original Enchanted Forest closed in 1989, briefly reopened for the 1994 season, and then closed permanently, leaving many of its attractions behind the neighboring shopping center.
Martha Clark helped give the old attractions a new home beginning in 2004, when Cinderella’s restored Pumpkin Coach was donated to Clark’s Elioak Farm after its previous owners had purchased it at a charity auction.
More than 100 structures, figures, and other pieces eventually made their way to the farm, where staff, craftspeople, volunteers, and preservation supporters repaired and restored them over many years.
Moving them was no small job. The old woman’s shoe and the three bears’ house had to be cut in half just to travel down the road.
Today you can spot Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Humpty Dumpty among the trees. Many of the restored structures are primarily viewed as displays, with access varying according to the individual attraction.
Wandering The Pine Tree Maze
Follow the signs past the open lawns and something changes. The bright fields give way to a serpentine path threading into cool, shadowed pines.
In 2009, the farm created the Enchanted Forest Pine Tree Maze inside its existing 1¼-acre pine forest, using the trees and winding paths to surround visitors with restored storybook characters.
The winding maze hides characters around its turns, including Little Boy Blue, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater’s wife.
Little Red Riding Hood waits farther along, and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater’s wife has her own leafy corner. Kids sprint ahead shouting whenever they spot someone new.
The farm specifically recommends the Enchanted Pine Tree Forest as a cool, shaded place to explore during summer visits.
The wooded setting creates a slower counterpoint to the farm’s rides, play areas, and animal attractions.
Take your time looking for the storybook characters and restored attractions hidden throughout the pine forest.
Hidden Fairy Houses Among Trees
Another wooded attraction is the Fairy Forest, which has been part of the farm since 2020.
Small handmade dwellings hide among roots, stumps, and low branches. Finding them turns into a slow treasure hunt that works for any age.
Small fairy houses and other details are hidden throughout the woods, with visitors encouraged to search for the fairies, butterflies, flowers, and tiny homes along the way.
A storybook circle sits within the woods, with a box of books available for visitors to read throughout the day.
The Fairy Forest offers a woodland setting separate from the farm’s animal areas, rides, and larger play spaces.
Special fairy-house workshops appear on the farm calendar from time to time; in 2026, a two-hour Fairy House Creation Session was scheduled for August 22.
Filtered woodland light gives the Fairy Forest plenty of visual interest for visitors who enjoy taking photos.
Goats, Bunnies And Curious Emus
Goat feeding is part of the farm experience, with bags of goat feed currently available for $1.
The petting area holds a lively cast including goats, sheep, cows, pigs, donkeys, and horses. Chickens, ducks, bunnies, turkeys, and even emus round out the roster.
Goat-feed bags currently cost $1, and visitors can see a broad roster of petting-farm animals including goats, rabbits, sheep, cows, pigs, donkeys, horses, poultry, and emus.
Farm staff and educational signs can help visitors learn more about the animals during a self-guided visit.
That relaxed approach makes the whole experience calmer than a crowded zoo. Pigs claim the shadiest corners on hot days, and honestly they choose well.
Spring brings baby animals, while the farm itself describes fall as a particularly busy season. Handwashing stations with running water and soap are available around visitor areas.
My advice is to buy feed when you buy admission rather than doubling back later. Little hands empty those bags faster than you expect.
Watching a toddler meet a donkey up close beats any screen ever made.
Trains, Ponies And Hay Wagons
Rides here are pleasantly old-fashioned, and that is exactly their charm. The Enchanted Express Train offers rides around the farm, alongside the Cow Train and Hay Wagon.
Adults and children can ride the Enchanted Express Train, which currently costs $5 per rider. Smaller riders adore the Cow Train, where each car is shaped like a spotted cow. The scale suits preschoolers perfectly.
Hay Wagon Rides remain part of the current attraction lineup and cost $3 per rider.
Pony Rides welcome children roughly ages one through six, led at a gentle walking pace. Some little ones squeal with joy, others cling tightly, and both reactions make great photos.
Gem mining is part of the current activity lineup, with Mine Rough packages priced from $8 to $15 in 2026.
Rides and gem mining cost extra beyond general admission, so checking the current activity prices when you arrive makes planning easier.
Sunflowers, Pumpkins And Costume Parades
For 2026, the farm’s public season runs from March 28 through November 8, with regular hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends before the fall schedule expands.
Spring brings baby animals, fresh growth, and flowers around the farm, while visitor levels can vary according to weekends, school groups, and special events.
The 2026 Sunflower Showcase runs from August 21 through September 13, with visitors invited to wander through the blooming patch and take photos.
Fall is one of the farm’s busiest seasons. In 2026, the Pumpkin Patch runs from September 19 through November 8, with hayrides and pumpkin picking included in the seasonal experience.
Halloween Costume Parades let children show off outfits among the storybook figures. Pumpkin Chucking Weekend adds a wonderfully silly finish to the fall calendar.
Workshops rotate throughout the year, including fairy house building sessions. Because offerings change, checking the farm calendar before driving out is smart planning.
Summer heat can climb near ninety degrees, so early arrival keeps everyone comfortable. Shade trees and the pine forest offer relief when the sun gets serious.
Every season shows a different personality, which is why locals return again and again.
