| Blue Ribbon - Robert E. Lee Park
| |
| | this 1000-acre park and don't be afraid
|
| (Baltimore County)With its
| |
| | to learn something here. An interpretive
|
| rough-around-the-edges look, Robert E.
| |
| | trail leads to exhibits on the bountiful
|
| Lee radiates plenty of canine charm. It
| |
| | natural resources that made Oregon Ridge
|
| feels as if dogs are welcome here and the
| |
| | an active mining commun-ity in the 19th
|
| 456-acre park has evolved into a prime
| |
| | century: water, timber, iron and
|
| destination for dog walkers of all sorts.
| |
| | marble.#7 - Gunpowder Falls State Park -
|
| Looking for a quick walk and a swim? Lake
| |
| | Bel Air (Baltimore County)From the
|
| Roland can't be beat for deep water dog
| |
| | parking lot on US 1 there are hours of
|
| paddling. After a half-day's outing with
| |
| | hiking on both sides of the Gunpowder
|
| your dog on the hiking trails? Cross the
| |
| | Falls in either direction. The highlight
|
| light rail line and the trail system
| |
| | for canine hikers here is the Sweathouse
|
| explodes into a maze of hard-packed dirt
| |
| | Branch Wildlands Area that provides some
|
| passageways through the woods. Just need
| |
| | of the best loop trails in the Gunpowder
|
| to let the dog romp with some buddies?
| |
| | Falls state park system. The healthy hill
|
| Robert E. Lee Park may as well be Rover
| |
| | climbs and wide trails give a big feel to
|
| E. Lee Park. You'll find more dogs per
| |
| | this 5.1-mile walk as it meanders through
|
| hour here than any park in the Baltimore
| |
| | differing forest types. Continue just
|
| area.#2 - Gunpowder Falls State Park -
| |
| | past the end of the Sweathouse Trail to
|
| Hereford (Baltimore County)At Hereford
| |
| | the Long Green Run and you'll find one of
|
| the canine hiker can find any length or
| |
| | the best canine swimming holes in Greater
|
| type of hike to set tails wagging. Long
| |
| | Baltimore. Racing water is funnelled into
|
| out-and-back walks through a rugged gorge
| |
| | a deep pool by a whale-shaped rock that
|
| (this is Baltimore?) can be combined with
| |
| | serves as a natural diving board for
|
| many side trails that scamper up the
| |
| | playful dogs.#8 - Patapsco Valley State
|
| valley slopes. You'll find plenty of
| |
| | Park (Carroll, Howard and Baltimore
|
| great canine swimming holes in the river,
| |
| | counties)Dogs are banned in most areas of
|
| fed by outflows from the Prettyboy Dam.
| |
| | Maryland's first state park, established
|
| You can even take the dog right to the
| |
| | in 1907. But there is plenty of lemonade
|
| base of the dam on a narrow trail
| |
| | to be squeezed from those lemons served
|
| drenched in mountain laurel.#3 -
| |
| | up by the state of Maryland. Dogs are
|
| Susquehanna State Park (Harford
| |
| | welcomed in undeveloped areas such as
|
| County)The first European to set eyes on
| |
| | Feezer's Lane where a short hike leads to
|
| the Susquehanna River was English
| |
| | the base of Liberty Dam; Henryton Road
|
| explorer John Smith. He was suitably
| |
| | which sports a wild and wooly streamside
|
| impressed. "Heaven and earth," he wrote,
| |
| | adventure; access to the tamed Patapsco
|
| "seemed never to have agreed better to
| |
| | River at historic Daniels; and
|
| frame a place for man's commodious and
| |
| | breathtaking views of the river valley
|
| delightful habitation." Dog owners might
| |
| | from Buzzard's Rock off Hilltop Road.#9 -
|
| readily concur. At Susquehanna State Park
| |
| | Savage Park (Howard County)Three
|
| you can test trails in the hills that
| |
| | unconnected areas surrounding the
|
| will leave man and dog panting or stroll
| |
| | confluence of the Middle Patuxent and
|
| along the shady Susquehanna and Tidewater
| |
| | Little Patuxent rivers conspire to form
|
| Canal towpath, as level and pleasant an
| |
| | Savage Park. The Wincopin Neck Trails are
|
| excursion as you can take with your
| |
| | the prime destination for the canine
|
| dog.#4 - Downs Memorial Park (Anne
| |
| | hiker where most of the walking is level
|
| Arundel County)Looking for a dog-friendly
| |
| | except where the paths plunge to the edge
|
| park? At Downs Memorial Park there is a
| |
| | of the rivers. Across the water, the
|
| "pet parking" stall outside the
| |
| | Savage Historic Mill Trail is a wide,
|
| information center. A dog drinking bowl
| |
| | level wooded path that traces the
|
| is chained to a human water fountain. The
| |
| | boulder-pocked stream below the
|
| walking is fine too. Some five miles of
| |
| | confluence for 3/4 mile. Pools in the
|
| easy hiking through woodlands of oak and
| |
| | falls are the prettiest canine swimming
|
| maple and holly and gum. Best of all is
| |
| | holes in Greater Baltimore.#10 - Soldiers
|
| Dog Beach, an isolated, scruffy 40-yard
| |
| | Delight Natural Environmental Area
|
| stretch of sand where you can let the dog
| |
| | (Baltimore County)Soldier's Delight is
|
| off leash for canine aquatics in the
| |
| | the ideal change-up from the tall trees
|
| Chesapeake Bay. The wave action is just
| |
| | and rushing streams found at most
|
| right for dogs and there is enough sand
| |
| | Baltimore area parks. Keep your eyes open
|
| for digging. Need we say more?#5 -
| |
| | as you wander through Soldier's Delight's
|
| Gunpowder Falls State Park - Sweet Air
| |
| | 2700 acres. The lack of nutrients in the
|
| (Baltimore/Harford County)Sweet Air
| |
| | soil of these "barrens" produce a
|
| offers more than 12 miles of well-marked
| |
| | prairie-like environment loaded with rare
|
| rambles on four main trails and several
| |
| | insects, rocks and more than three dozen
|
| connector branches. Unlike other sections
| |
| | endangered plant species. The distinctive
|
| of Gunpowder Falls State Park, the water
| |
| | green-tinted serpentine stone sticks up
|
| is not the star at Sweet Air. Rather the
| |
| | through the thin soil, however, and,
|
| attraction is a pastiche of open fields
| |
| | while easy on the eye, can be tough on
|
| (still under cultivation) and wooded
| |
| | the paw.I am the author of over 20 books,
|
| landscapes on either side of the river.
| |
| | including 8 on hiking with your dog,
|
| Don't forget to check out the farm ponds
| |
| | including the
|
| on the property for some canine
| |
| | widely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible.
|
| refreshment.#6 - Oregon Ridge Park
| |
| | As publisher of Cruden Bay Books, we
|
| (Baltimore County)Save for the demanding
| |
| | produce the innovative A Bark In The
|
| rocky slopes of the S. James Camp-bell
| |
| | Park series of canine hiking books found
|
| Trail, the hiking on Oregon Ridge's six
| |
| | at
|
| miles of trails is almost uniformly wide
| |
| | During the warm months I lead canine
|
| and soft to the paw. The folks at Oregon
| |
| | hikes as
|
| Ridge are accommodating to dog owners -
| |
| | tour leader for tours, leading packs of
|
| if you forget the leash they will loan
| |
| | dogs and humans on
|
| you one. There are many trail options in
| |
| | day and overnight trips.
|
