I came to Patapsco after planning a hike here for my run/walk/hike club. We chose the Cascade Falls…read moreloop trail as it seemed easy for beginner hikers which were a lot of members of my group and like it would not require any extra supplies. We came on a Sunday morning, parking was $2 as our shuttle was an in state vehicle ($4 for out of state!) and when we arrived around 9:30, there was already a decent amount of people at the trailhead parking lot, but we were able to easily park. There is a bathroom located nearby that is clean and has running water. I do think it is relatively well maintained and looked after, though there was 1 stall missing toilet paper. The hike itself was lovely, with fall foliage still around in sight. We did not come across any big wildlife like deer but given the amount of people this made sense. We did use bug spray on our shoes and bottoms of our leggings / ankle area to prevent any ticks. The trail itself was beautiful, there are 2 water crossing areas where you could get by on rocks but I have waterproof hiking shoes and just walked straight through. I would recommend this trail to beginners!

There is a free entrance off of Landing Rd. A month ago I started a walk at the Landing Rd. I…read morewalked to the Avalon area (3 miles). I walked north on the ridge trail 6 miles. I turned around and walked 6 miles back to Avalon. Then walked 3 miles to the landing road starting point. It was 97 degrees. Brought 7 liters of water and about 30% of it was electrolytes. brought some snacks. overall it was a good solid hike of 6 hours. I rested a bit at cascade falls (CF) CF parking lot, Avalon (in both directions) Total mileage was around 18 miles. Trail reference: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-at-a-long-but-exciting-walk-65af16a

The Trolley Trail is one of my favorite local hiking and/or walking trails. I mentioned both hiking…read moreand walking because you can go off the walking path and into deeper forest trails. There are also a few streams that are not roped off and you can go off the walking path down to the water. This trail has a lot of wildlife, including snakes, bunnies, ducks and deer, therefore, it is best that you keep your pets on a leash. There is one spot of the trail that is underneath a bridge and a lot of the dogs and cats get spooked due to the loud shaking noises. I frequent this trail a lot with my cat, Rune and we have never had an issue. It is very quiet and most of the people coming and going are incredibly respectful. The trail is easy to get to, and there is a lot of free parking, especially if you come early! At the beginning of the trail there is a café which is the perfect spot to grab a coffee, tea or a breakfast sandwich to enjoy on your walk!

This is my favorite trail in Ellicott City. It's fairly easy, not too long and, surrounded by…read morebeauty. It's close to where I live so I often come here for a quick jog or hike. The difficulty level is very low; the trail is wide and most of it is paved. It's about three miles and there are markers every 1/2 mile. The view along the trail is absolutely beautiful during, it doesn't matter what time of the year you go. There's a stream which you easily can go down to. As for parking, there's a huge parking lot right at the start of the trail and since this trail isn't busy, it stays pretty empty. If you don't want a difficult hike and just want a relaxing walk, this is a great trail for that. Plus, it's great for kids and pets.

Very spooky feel. This park is it if getting the creeps is your thing and that is perfect for this…read moretime of year! I only explored between trailhead 1 and 2 and that is only a small section of the 15 mile trail that extends all the way to Horseshoe casino. Since I was on foot, I saved those miles for when I am on a bike. The Winans meadows has a huge pavilion and a large field. The area was once part of an estate so the remnants of it is great to explore. There is a trail that leads to the mansion of the estate that still exists. The park boasts plenty of trails but they are not well kept. There are signs that post the beginning of a trail but it is difficult to distinct the paths. I stuck to the main paved Gwynn Falls trail as I was too spooked by the other trails. Also check out podcast series, Serial. Other than the creepy elements, the park was not crowded which is a breath of fresh air during the pandemic.

I am unable to give a full review of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park as it begun raining just after…read morearrival. First glance, it is pretty with rolling green space. There is a historic mansion, church, tennis court, and various trails. There was also construction going on so perhaps there will be even more to offer when completed. I will re-visit and hopefully get to see more. The one thing that made me leery was it is the only park I've visited in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) that has signage all around the parking area and in front of the tennis court that says 'Please Remove ALL Valuable Items and Lock Your Car'.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

A cool little nature center in Leakin Park!…read more The staff is very friendly and helpful. You can come in and explore on your own, but they also have programs that work with summer camps and homeschool groups to have a more formal experience for kiddos. There are some animals to look at and appreciate, including a turtle (who loves playing with people who visit) and snake, and several birds in their outdoor aviary. They have free maps of the trails in the park, as well as some informational packets about various flora and fauna. También tienen folletos en español. The center room has a portrait of Carrie Murray, some couches, several taxidermized animals, and some books about nature. The bathroom is unisex, accommodating a urinal, 2 stalls, and a changing table. A great place to start your hike (or end, or just use as a break in the middle!) or just visit on your own!

Didn't go in for the nature center the last trip. But we were outside participating in the learn to…read moreride program with Baltimore city recreation and parks.

This trail inside Papatsco Valley State Park is a little over a mile long. The trail loops through…read morebeautiful trees, hills, and a stream. During early fall season, fall foliage is magnificent. The trail is marked by blue paint on trunks of trees. Difficult level of this trail is easy. Definitely will return to do more exploration in the future.

Trail is well maintained and clearly marked. Perfect loop setup for easy navigation. Great moderate…read morelevel trail (some elevation change, rocky areas, but no actual climbing needed), perfect for most active adults, older kids, and relatively fit, leashed dogs. We found this was one of the lesser-used trails, so it was safe for maskless adventuring.

I like to walk down to this park to break up my work day. It's nice when the water is going on the…read morefountain.