Daniels Old Main Line and Ruins Loop Trail

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. […]

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 […]

Government Island and the Capitol Quarries

Famous for the quarry from which the stones used to build the U.S. Government’s most famous buildings were sourced, Government Island is now a county park with a lovely, history-filled under 2-mile hike that you really shouldn’t miss. Although its referred to as Government Island, the park is really a peninsula. I love a great […]

Hiking on Hallowed Ground: Cemetery Ridge Hike

Most of us possess at least a basic understanding of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1-3, 1863. Union Maj. Gen. George Meade’s Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, effectively rebuffing Lee’s invasion of the North. There were up to 51,000 casualties from […]

Winter Hike in Catoctin Mountain National Park

Catoctin Mountain Park, located in north-central Maryland, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge−range that forms the northeastern rampart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the Appalachian Mountains System. Despite the federal government shutdown, the sunny, 50-degree day was too nice — especially in January — not to go hiking. This national park has […]

10 Great November Daytrip Destinations

November brings great weather for hiking and biking, and if you head south, there are still lovely autumn leaves and scenic drives to enjoy. November’s chill also reminds us the holidays are right around the corner. Start your holiday giving now by giving great experiences, the sort of ones that they’ll remember for years after. […]

10 Fun Things to Do in September!

September is summer’s last gasp, and is a favorite time of year. The weather cools, and toward the end of the month, autumn leaves start showing their colors. The mid-Atlantic region offers a wide variety of great things to do and see! There’s nothing quite like a Renaissance festival, whether it’s in Maryland or Virginia […]