I came to Patapsco after planning a hike here for my run/walk/hike club. We chose the Cascade Falls loop 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! read more

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My 8 year old daughter and I walked down to the water using the Union Dam Trail. Shallow water for wading and a nice view of the bridge. The walk back up is a chore but not too bad. read more

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This is a vast park system of which we were only able to visit a small part--the Hollofield Area in Ellicott City. We paid $2 admission (out of state may be more) and parked in one of the several lots near the entrance. As it was a weekend and during peak foliage viewing the park was quite crowded and the trails and shelters were all quite busy. We tried the Union Dam Trail not knowing really what to expect and it was definitely a steep hike (as the website notes!) but the views were beautiful and it was a treat to see and walk near the river (once you get all the way to the bottom, which is not easy and again quite steep). We will be back again to try other trails and even go on this one again. read more

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This is a nice little park tucked away in Ellicott City. There is a $3 per person entrance fee. They do accept credit/debit cards in addition to cash. And parking in their lots can get full on a nice weekend. Right around the parking lot, there are pavilions, BBQ grill spots and playground for kids. You can place a reservation if you get there early in the day without a fee. Otherwise I believe there is a fee to reserve in advance. There are a few trails. We took the River Ridge, which would take us to the river where you can get in and swim. The trail took us across some railroad tracks (see pics). We walked a good distance between reaching the river. The current can be pretty fast at places so do make sure you can swim. There is a waterfall but unfortunately we didn't make it. I believe it is still a ways farther. Overall the trails were pretty easy. Ok with older children I think. I think they could do a better job with trail marking though. There were times when we weren't sure if we were still on the right trail or heading in the right direction. the park rangers were nice and helpful when we asked them trail suggestions. read more

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I came out to Patapsco Valley State Park with my small group from church. We had a great time walking through and hiking through the park. It was pretty clean and we were able to go around to Daniels dam, which was a beautiful view. I look forward to hiking there more often. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Daniels Dam - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I have a lot of stories and memories from this place, so I'm sure that bias's my review a tad bit but it's a decent amount of hiking space to do a variety of activities. Really good place to catch up with a friend or just relax. Good any time of the year, I should add. read more

I went on the Daniels Trailhead or the Daniels Dam with a group. We had a lot of fun! I'm not big into hiking nor am I in shape so it was def a bit of struggle but I was grateful to have not done it alone. Being out in nature is always nice and the people there were friendly and warned us about a snake they saw (yikes). If you plan on coming there's plenty to do and see, we even see people with kayaks there as well. Overall I would recommend visiting, Patapsco State Park has a lot of different entrances and options of things to see. Parking is very limited for Daniels Dam so get here early if you are coming on the weekend, and wear bug spray! Hiking boots would also be very helpful but the trail is clearly marked which is extremely helpful. read more

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We have a close group of friends who wanted to get together. Covid has shifted so many areas of life. The park is beautiful. You can't just walk in. Reservations need to be made ahead of time. My friend paid approx $25 to rent a shelter that could accommodate our group. We had around 20 friends who took turns visiting. Entrance fees are $3 per person if you are out of state. We had a lovely shelter with 3 large picnic tables under it and two larger picnic tables beside the shelter. There are grills that guests can use. Everyone is responsible for talking their own trash out when they leave. The restrooms are clean and adequate. There is a camping area too. There are hiking trails and lots of spacious areas to walk. We played lawn games and had a great afternoon. When you have a reservation, you need to tell the gate employee or you will get waved away from the entrance. There is only a short distance to the freeway to the park entrance, if you are turned away. read more

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Patapsco Valley State Park is considered Maryland's first state park and its where the end scenes for the popular movie The Blair Witch Project were filmed. The park is 32 miles long so you can't see it in one or even two days. There are different entry points throughout and some take you to swinging bridges, train tunnels, waterfalls and river swimming. We drove and parked (for $3 per person) at the Hollofield Area, where people can camp. There's trails that take you to the river where people can be found swimming and picnicking. Our toddler LOVED the river. read more

This place was beautiful and I really enjoyed my hike. The trees made it cool to hike and avoid the heat. I think the trail signs could use some improvement. My friend and I got lost and ended up on a different trail. read more

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What a beautiful little park this is. I was traveling and I go to school so I really wanted a calm, beautiful place to get some work done. This was ideal. I didn't use the hiking trails, but I did sit in the most beautiful place and it was so quiet and perfect. This park has a playground, it has clean bathrooms, beautiful trails, I think it has a baseball diamond even. I would highly recommend checking this park out. It cost three dollars to get in, five dollars if you're from out of state like me. Worth every penny, I went twice! read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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This is a great park to visit. It is so close to Baltimore, but you feel as if you are hours away. There are a number of trails, many of them are easy and family friendly. The swinging bridge in the Avalon section is fun to see and traverse. Also, they have a easy-moderate walk to a small waterfall. The stream is clear and many people love to take a dip. There are campsites and picnic shelters for rent in advance and trail maps and restrooms available also on the DNR website. Please note that you may need to drive to different sections of Patapsco park (ie. Hollofield to Avalon). Campsites were quiet and there was moderate walk to the river where you can go tubing. read more

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Made the reservations online, super easy, thought I was all set. However where I arrived at the entrance to the park the gate was closed & locked with the campsites on the other side. There was a sign saying the park closed at 7:45 & another sign later a number for campers to call when they arrived. No one answered when I called & after double checking my reservation email for other instructions I had to give up & go to the Greenbelt campsite instead. Even if I had arrived prior to 7:45, with the gate closed & locked after hours I effectively would have been locked in the park until someone opened it at an unknown time in the morning. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Park closing time - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

My old lady and I have decided that we're going to commit to hiking, beaches, lake houses, and nature this summer. After visiting several parks in the area, I began searching for somewhere different. I wanted a good hike, great views, and somewhere to park my grill, so that I could do what I love to do best once we wore the children out. Patapsco Valley Park was that and more. I absolutely loved our hike. I got my fix of hills, rocks, woods, and a beautiful waterfall. This place is gigantic. We initially attempted to go to the Avalon Area but was met at the entrance by a polite Park Ranger they informed us that the trail was closed due to a wedding taking place, guiding us to the Cascaid Trail side of the park. She was kind enough to take our park admission fee of $3 there so that we wouldn't have to pay there in the event that there was a lot of traffic. Cascaid Trail was awesome. Initially, we stumbled on a creek, that was about two feet high that several of the children played in with their parents. We opted to go hiking first and had an amazing time taking in the beautiful scenery and taking photos before finishing our day playing in the creek and grilling delicious food. It amazes me how much we travel out of the state not knowing how many beautiful gems we have in Maryland. I will definitely be visiting here more often. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I really enjoy being in nature. I celebrated my bday by visiting the Patapsco state park. This park has four different sections. The park extends along 32 miles of the patapsco river , recreational areas Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback and mountain bike trails, as well as picnicking at many popular pavilions. The park is nationally known for its trail opportunities and scenery. We have over 200 miles of trails, with 70 of those miles identified as maintained trails. There are hiker only trails and multi-use trails accessible from many areas of Patapsco read more

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I went on a date hike and very much enjoyed my time. There's some short trails, a lookout area, the remnants of the now-demolished dam, and a far-below view of the Thomas Viaduct. For a weekend with two adults, it cost $3 per person, which was well worth the price. There are no trash cans but plenty of garbage along the trails and rocks. read more

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Very clean and very quiet! Enjoyed the overall atmosphere! Will definitely revisit next year.

Came on a weekday evening and there weren't too many people here so it was very peaceful. I did see some people bring their bicycles and I wish I had a bike to bring here so I could cover more ground! This place is pretty big and I only got to see a small part of it, so I will definitely have to come back! There was an entrance fee of $2 which I thought was super reasonable! I found a parking spot near the Avalon Area but it turns out that it is a little far away from the Swinging bridge, which is where I wanted to ultimately go to. But I ended up having a nice walk trying to find the Grist Mill trail from where I parked (I also have a very bad sense of direction but that's just my fault, haha). I liked that the Grist Mill trail is paved and I eventually found the swinging bridge which was just a fun experience to walk on! The scenery with all the trees, bridges, and water made for a relaxing and peaceful walk to clear my head and get some fresh air. read more

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Hiked trails in this little PVSP area, entry right off Baltimore National Pike. It's not as scenic as some other PVSP sections, but I do like the Union Dam Trail because there are a few moderately challenging declines along the way and path is shaded but hedged in so you get the feel you're on a deep-park hike. Cut through the woods off the beaten path (where it's allowed) and the feel becomes even more pronounced. (Certain sections of Union Dam are off-limit due to restoration work. Obey the signage to be safe.) read more

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My dog and I had a great time. Parking was $3. We hiked down a hill to the water. It was very nice and great experience. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

After 5 months of working from home I needed a break and feel like if I went somewhere... and Patapsco park was the perfect place. This was our first time hiking in the park and I loved it. It's amazing that is in the middle of the city but you feel like you were far away.... well, sometimes you can hear the sound of the cars but just imagine that is the river. If you are an early bird like me hold your horses, they don't open until 9 am. We forgot to check the hours and we arrived at 8. Also don't forget to take cash, this is a State Park and they charge $3 per person during the weekend. They have picnic tables and grills but don't forget to take trash bags. They are a trash free park and there are no trash cans. Take the right shoes some parts can be a little slippery. Also the river is very nice and you can get in the water. If you have kids you should take their swimsuit. We will definitely be back but next time we will plan ahead and take some food to have a picnic too. read more

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Entrance fee is $2 per car to this beautiful state park outside of Baltimore. There are many trails and sceneries to see. We went specifically to view the fall foliage, but our timing was off. We enjoyed our walk and exploration regardless. Bathroom, panic tables, and a kiddie playground are available. We will definitely return to do more exploring. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - $2 per vehicle entrance fee. - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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I've hiked in this area a few times. This area has good amount of trails, but I'd say that the main waterfall is kind of underwhelming (with the easy/moderate trail most people go on). It's not the kind you'd want to go in, and is pretty small so it's not quite picture worthy. I haven't taken other trails except the main one, so it's definitely worth going back and checking out the longer and possibly more adventurous trails! read more

This park would be really nice if there wasn't so much trash on the trails. You have everything from bottles, trash bags, diapers and etc. So sad, the price of the park should be increased to the price of entry per individual. Maybe a leave DNA or finger print behind? There has to be a mechanism to protect these parks. read more

Daniels Area hosts access to the calmest river perfect for kayaking with a 5 year old while enjoying the sun on a summer Covid 19 day. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

An OK, trail to hike on. Wouldn't say it is really that scenic since the Waterfall you hike to, after just 0.5 miles from the street parking, is a small one! Expected a much bigger waterfall, but to the disappointment and surprise to our party of 4 people, it was more like a little fountain or a stream than comparing it to a waterfall... Dunno why there were so many bloody people taking up every single space on the side of the road to park at when the waterfall isn't even a waterfall! And they had professional cameras on tripods to take pics of it?! LOL!!! Pretty hilarious to me. And then we walked some more after walking down to the waterfall, we ended up crossing some unstable bridge and walked a couple of miles to see the Lost Lake, which wasn't even a lake and it was dirty as heck! Huge disappointment! The only good thing was that we ended up doing a 6.0 mile round-trip walk, basically. Good exercise, terrible scenery and pretty crowded. Seen and experienced much better hiking trails, forests and waterfalls compared to this lousy one... read more

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This is a really cool park. Very good for hiking and getting your exercise in. Nice playground for kids. Several areas for having a cookout. Shaded spots to share and also a Camping ground area. Restroom is open daily. I'm not exactly big on hiking but if that is your thing. This is the perfect spot. You could easily get numerous miles in. Its a nice area with several ponds available. The view of the bridge is lovely. See for yourself :) read more

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This was one of our favorite outdoor hikes to take the it's a close drive to Northern Virginia. We saw so many cool bugs, animals and flowers/plants. The walk from the entrance we came in on is a long one, but we liked it because it was a little quieter. Dogs welcome and people were masked and stayed safe. We of course came across the usual people completely disobeying the rules when it comes to the Dam area and waterfall. But we really enjoyed also seeing part of the long abandoned Daniels, Maryland. Great day adventure. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Looking for Ghost Towns - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

This was a hidden gem! Took time for us to get here since it was our first time we got lost. However, there was so many people there, so we were all able to reach the waterfall. Such a peaceful place, so sad people are just throwing trash all over. read more

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Patapsco Valley State Park is fan-flipping-tastic! This place is massive, winding around with the Patapsco River, and there are so many different areas and entrances that you should really just go to a different area every weekend during the summer. That's exactly what I did and it was a great couple of months! Very close to Arundel Mills Mall and a super easy drive. It is a couple of dollars to get in the park, I believe 3 or 4 for adults 1 or two for the kiddos but it is totally worth it for a day of great fun. There is something for everyone here. I'll list out the things that pop to mind: 1) Easy paved walking/jogging/cycling trails 2) More challenging hiking trails (miles and miles and miles!) through mountains and wooded areas 3) Waterfalls! (Waterfall trail-so beautiful) 4) Hanging bridges 5) Cool tunnels that were built in the early 1900's for a flour mill still nearby, streams run through them today. 6) Wide medium flowing river, many people fish, tube, swim but I have never seen it over crowded...so much space! 7) Play grounds, jungle gyms 8) Tire park.... I haven't found it but it sounds pretty neat. 9) Many many shaded and covered pavilions for party's or BBQ's ... family reunions are popular here. 10) Wide open spaces for having a catch Other areas of the park have overnight camping grounds and cabins but I recommend this particular area if you are looking to get lost in nature for a day and get some exercise. I really can't recommend this place enough. I fell in love with it and I hope you will too! read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - waterfall trail - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Big Fan of Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP) - We entered into the Hilton part of the park and were blow away by the tire park, which looks like alot of fun and we saw alot of kids playing around! What a great way to recycle tires and also give kids a place to play and be... well kids!! Bonus for that! Once we paid and parked we decided to start the hike. Now one thing to note I was doing this hike for the first time and I was carrying my 2 month old daughter with me as well... so I was afraid she would lose it and I would have to run back! That did not happen, so you can wipe the sweat from your brow! Ok on to the hike, first off we looked at the map... and looked and looked... it was pretty difficult to read, we ended up using the map that is found online to navigate throughout the park. The bad maps were the only thing negative with this trip. The trails were clearly marked with their respective colors which made it easy, but you had to know which color you were even on, lol! We covered the Forest Glen, Buzzards Rock and Saw Mill trails... each offered different terrain and varying terrain so you didn't feel like you were just walking around the neighborhood. Plus the scenery was great on each and you got some great views of the river, the valley and of the forests. Sometimes you even forgot you were so close to such a densly populated area! Our group, of 10 people, did about 4.25 miles and enjoyed everyone min. of it. Overall a great park with great variety, great views and great trails! They have something for everyone! Again the only negative was the lack of clarity around the maps. I would recommend printing out the map or saving a picture of it on your phone and using that vs reading the maps there. Enjoy!! Grab your backpack and water, time to trek down to the river! read more

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I love that place! Nature is waiting for you to Connect! Great for dog walks, lots of streams for them to drink and cool off in! The whole park is about +80% shaded so I never need sun screen. It's always a cooler temp than the surrounding areas, perfect to beat the heat! Many Beautiful Waterfalls!! Friendly People! Must See!! This Is My Most Favorite Place in MD!!!!! Only a 5 minutes away from BWI Great for Mountain Biking but I'm not brave enough for that, BUT there is a perfect (about 3miles?) flat paved trail "GRIST MILL Trail" so if it rains snows and for the young or old, it's great!!! Parking available at Lost Lake or Illchester Rd. Price ranges from $3 per car or $3 Per person weekends/summer time. Free parking on Elkridge Landing Rd or at Park and Ride on 195. When Ellicott City got flooded out twice, this place had a lot of damage too, but they are rebuilding it! The dam was removed so, hopefully the flooding won't be as bad. read more

I wanted to take my dog hiking in somewhat of a local place. This was only a 20 min ride from my house. The park itself was nice. Only $2 to get in. The path we took was nice, we were going downhill mostly and we ended up at this beautiful river. So picturesque. My dog loved playing in the water. The only downside was having to go back because everything was uphill (shows how out of shape I am). I definitely would like to explore other hiking trails next time. read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Little river we found - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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Came here to go camping during the 4th of July weekend. Surprisingly, we got the booking 3-4 days out from the date for under $50 for 5 people and 2 nights. Overall it's a super clean place, super nice staff and cheap firewood. One warning on the firewood, it burns well and some might be a little too fresh that you'll see sizzling and some pops as the sap decides to take off to go on vacation (while you burn its home down). The cool thing is that for the fireworks, you can just go down the street to he high school which is a 5 minute drive for an amazing view. Bathrooms were jaw dropping cleaning that you could probably eat off the toilet (if you lived in a cave before). Come and check it out, even if it's just for one night.. It is worth it! read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Mmmm smores! - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Signage from the highway is useful. Admission payment was by honor system during our first visit. Low-litter, peaceful variety of trails that are less clearly/regularly marked as other parks. Encountered lots of trail bikers, dog-walkers, fishermen, and some steep climb options. Picnic tables and playground by main parking lot. Swinging bridge on Grist Mill trail was sturdy enough for me to avoid anxiety attacks. Missed the ruins this pass, but found plenty of bridges and tunnels shaping artificial waterfalls. We'll be back a few more times to try all the experiences Patapsco has to offer. read more

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Life is all about perspective. Where others would get grumpy that it started raining, I embraced it. Nature is too beautiful! I was enjoying my hike, it started off going through this really cool bridge that always caught my eye whenever I drove by, so today I decided to actually stop and explore it. I'm so glad I did. As other walkers and runners went by, they greeted me sweetly. I walked on enjoying how beautiful the trail was and nature is. I got lost finding my way around but didn't mind it. Next thing I know, I'm 2 miles away from my car and it started raining! My first instinct was to run, but then the leaves started to fall and I Just started to laugh. Life is so beautiful! I'm so happy I went on this trail and got to relax one on one with nature. Ill definitely be going back this week or next to explore more! read more

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*** MTB review *** Whoa, this place is AWESOME! Seriously. If you're an intermediate rider, try riding the Orange trail. You'll get a great workout while still getting some good practice on your technicals. Lots of rock beds, turns, and flowy single-track. Some of the single-tracks trails are pretty easy, so make sure you venture out to the orange one for a nice ass kicking. Admission is $3... super cheap. Parking is right near the entrance to Ridge Trail, the place where you'll start off. Oh, and PRINT A MAP before you get here. They have one on their website. You'll need it since there are so so many intersections in the trail network. If I lived closer to MD, I'd be coming here all the time! read more

Patapsco Valley State Park - Parks Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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Gorgeous. Peaceful. Cool even on an 80 degree day given the overhead trees covering the path. A quick tip: get a map. We have a decent sense of direction but the trails tend to have fewer and more spaced out markers the farther you get. Some trails turn into other trails of a different color, and that can be a bit confusing. That being said, a ton of people use these paths regularly and are happy to direct you! read more

Patapsco Valley State Park is a great park. It covers a huge landscape and has multiple hiking trails. It's beautiful both in the winter and the summer. Hiking, picnic-ing, biking, walking, running... you name it, you can do it here. As a note, I usually park on Hilton Ave in Catonsville. read more

I'm still making my way through all of the trails at Patapsco Valley State Park, but so far have really enjoyed hiking/running the Cascade Falls, Buzzard Rocks, and Soapstone trails. Most of the time, I have parked just outside of the park and have hiked in to avoid the traffic and the fees. However, last Saturday I drove in to the Cascade Falls parking lot and had a terrific experience. Though it took about twenty minutes of waiting in line to be admitted to the park at 10am on an August Saturday, I found the park rangers to be very helpful. They had a ranger at each fork in the road to give directions to visitors. Of course, maps were available upon request. After the parking lot filled up, rangers allowed guests to park along the shoulder of the road. The park was very busy, but it was a friendly crowd, and definitely fun to see so many locals enjoying nature! I hiked the 8 mile Cascade Falls loop, my favorite hike in the park so far. Though long, it is very flat and should be an attainable hike for anyone used to being on their feet for a couple of hours at a time. While much shorter, I would say that the Buzzard Rocks trail is much more taxing simply because of how steep it is. A word of caution - due to heavy rains and the Ellicot City flood last year, it is a very good idea to bring closed-toed shoes to the park, regardless of whether you plan to be hiking or swimming in the river. There is still a lot of debris. That being said, this is a wonderful park just outside of the city - great for hiking, mountain biking, cycling, running, family get-togethers, swimming, kayaking, you name it! Easily worth the $3/person. read more