Expanding Your Experiences in the Patapsco Valley
There are numerous ways our Patapsco Valley can be divided into sections. Day use areas within Patapsco Valley State Park, Baltimore and Howard County sections, County and State parks, the list goes on. To get the full Patapsco experience, sometimes you have to forget about these boundaries and just follow the (public) land as it goes. There are plenty of existing trail networks that weave in and out of these areas, allowing for hikers to combine their favorite locations in separate managed areas into one outing. An excellent example is the trail network between the Avalon Area, Rockburn Branch Park and Belmont Manor Historic Park. Despite their proximity it is easy not to associate these areas and their respective draws. Rockburn has its fields, Belmont has its Manor and Avalon has its cascade falls. Why not enjoy all three? The existing trails can take you from Rockburn, across Landing Road, through PVSP, Belmont and back! Do not sell your hike short by looking at these areas as separate destinations, enhance your hikes by including all that Patapsco has to offer.
Highlighted Trail: Morning Choice, Barley and Hops, Log Trail Loop
This loop is a nice easy trip through several park areas. The trail is generally easy, although there are two stream crossings so bring some waterproofing if you want to stay dry. Starting in Rockburn Branch Park on Landing Rd, the trail heads into Patapsco Valley State Park, before eventually leading to the open fields of Belmont Manor and Historic Park. There are numerous offshoots from this loop so you can lengthen or shorten your trip, but this loop comes in right at 2 miles.
Trail Photos: