Patapsco Valley State Park is a park strung out like beads on a necklace, extending along 32 miles of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore. The Maryland Forestry Act of 1906’s provisions formed the park, to protect newly completed (and now destroyed) Bloede Dam from silting from nearby farm erosion. […]
dog friendly
Hiking Antietam National Battlefield
The Battle of Antietam is often referred to as the bloodiest day in American history. As we walk around the battlefield now, it’s hard to imagine that more than 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after 12 hours of savage combat on that hot September day in 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate […]
Loggers Trail Hike Offers Surprises in Oregon Ridge Park
A former ore pit quarry, now covered by vegetation. Oregon Ridge Park is a 1,043-acre park in Cockeysville, Maryland. The park features walking and hiking trails, nature center, picnic and recreation areas. The Loggers Trail is a 2-mile loop trail around the park that takes you past some of the It’s an easy hike, although […]
Turkey Point Lighthouse Hike at Elk Neck State Park
Cliff-side views of the Chesapeake Bay, lighthouses, and a walk through the woods, the hike to Turkey Point Lighthouse has it all. As have several other state parks in Maryland, Elk Neck State Park was the result of the generosity of a major landholder. In 1936, naturalist Dr. William Abbott bequeathed his holdings along the […]
Sugarloaf Mountain Winter Hike
Sugarloaf Mountain is a small mountain and park about 10 miles south of Frederick, MD. The peak of this relatively low mountain is approximately 800 feet higher than the surrounding farmland. The blue trail, also known as the Northern Peaks Trail, travels approximately 5.9 miles to several peaks and along the ridge of Sugarloaf Mountain. […]
Murals of York Photo Safari
One of the murals in the Royal Square District. I went up to York, PA recently to explore the city. I was surprised by the murals I kept encountering, seemingly around every corner. Sure, there are boutiques and antiques stores, art galleries, some really nice restaurants, and plenty of history — all this makes York […]
Snowy Hike to a Maryland Ghosttown
On Friday, a lovely, powdery snow fell, and I knew I wanted to go on one particular hike the next morning: to see the ruins of St Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in the snow. To get there, we’d have to follow the Alberton Road Trail in Patapsco Valley State Park into the ghosttown of Daniels. […]
A Hike Through Snow and Ice to Chimney Rock
Nothing compares to the crisp, clean air of winter and the magnificent view of a snowy landscape — sometimes offering quite a nice surprise from the scenes you are more used to. We were looking for a strenuous hike, so we decided upon the Chimney Rock – Wolf Rock Loop, frequently called the best hike […]
Picnicking on Bickle Knob
We stumbled across Bear Heaven Recreation Area on one of our ramblings in West Virginia. We had gotten into the habit of just driving down a forest service road, or turning down a random rural road just to see where it would take us. Somehow, we ended up northeast of Elkins on a dirt road […]
Milford River Walk on the Mispillion River
The mile-long Mispillion River Walk Park in Milford, DE threads its way through the heart of downtown, offering numerous recreational opportunities to both visitors and residents alike. In addition to simply being a nice place to enjoy a relaxing stroll, the River Walk has revitalized Milford’s downtown. Along this stretch of the river once were […]
Biking the Butler – Freeport Rail Trail
On the southeastern side of Butler County, about an hour northeast of Pittsburgh, is a delightful bike trail, the Butler – Freeport Community Trail, which runs 20 miles through a scenic wooded valley, along the corridor of the diverse Buffalo Creek Watershed. In fact, in several sections, the trail parallels Little Buffalo Creek to Buffalo […]
Amazing Nature at Bilgers Rocks
I’m always game for interesting rock formations and outcroppings, so when I learned about Bilgers Rocks, I knew it had to be on my visit list. The World Is Looking to US, carved in 1921 just after WWI, the “War to End all Wars” Bilger’s Rocks is a massive, 300 million year old rock formation […]
Almost Too Much to Do in Moraine State Park!!
Beginning with this post, I’m starting a series about things to do and see in Butler County, PA. This is the first installment. To see others in this series (once they’re published), click on the label “Butler County” below this post. Looking to enjoy the fall foliage? Take a boat ride on the Nautical Nature! […]
Tunnel of Green: Appalachian Trail to Weverton Cliffs
The hike from Gathland State Park to Weverton Cliffs is a lovely walk in the woods, and is an ideal day hike that provides a taste of what through-hiking the Appalachian Trail is like. Plus, you’re likely to encounter some AT through-hikers, and they’re always interesting to chat with. The plan for the hike was […]
Hiking at Jerusalem Village in Gunpowder Falls State Park
Established in 1959 to protect the Gunpowder River and the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls, Gunpowder Falls State Park is now one of Maryland’s largest state parks. With more than 18,000 acres in Harford and Baltimore counties, Gunpowder’s narrow corridors host a varied topography ranging from tidal wetlands to steep and rugged slopes. My first […]