Trail Management Plan
Patapsco Valley State Park
Avalon and McKeldin Section Summary
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
Patapsco Valley State Park is located along the borders of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll and Howard Counties, approximately 10 -20 miles south and west of Baltimore and 35 -45 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. (See State of Maryland, Regional and Area Maps). The park is centered around the floodplain and valley slopes of the Patapsco River, an important tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Currently, Patapsco Valley State park contains 13,847 acres.Patapsco Valley State Park is in the center of Maryland both from a geographic and population standpoint. As a result, the park is one of the most heavily visited in the State. Patapsco Valley State Park, as a large section of open space in a densely populated area, provides important conservation and outdoor recreation benefits. The high visitation coupled with the park's location in an urban-suburban area compounds the impact on its resources, including facilities and trails.
Major recreation facilities at Patapsco Valley State Park include picnic areas, playgrounds, camping sites and trails. During the past few years, as the State of Maryland experienced a decrease in funds available for the construction and maintenance of picnic areas, beaches and campgrounds, the popularity of trails as a recreational amenity has grown. Mountain biking is a sport that was virtually unknown 15 years ago. Currently, about 58% of the bicycles sold in the United States are mountain bikes. The increasing number of mountain bike owners in the Baltimore/Washington region are searching for nearby locations to cycle. As the population of the area has grown, so has the need for additional places to walk or ride horses in a natural setting. These factors have combined to create significant pressure on the trail system of Patapsco Valley State Park.
In November 1995, the Department of Natural Resources initiated a cooperative effort with the Patapsco Valley State Park Trails Management Committee to address the issues facing the trail system at Patapsco Valley. The committee consisted of members of biking, hiking and equestrian organizations as well as individuals selected by the county governments to represent interested citizens. Trail options were examined during meetings and field investigations. A draft trail management plan was developed and made available for public review in June, 1998. A thirty day written comment period followed. This final document, which reflects the responses received during the comment period, provides a guide for managing the trail system and protecting the associated natural resources of Patapsco Valley State Park.
The following pages discuss and show the future trail system in the two most popular portions of the park.
The issues facing the natural surface trails at Patapsco Valley State Park are most apparent in the Avalon (including Glen Artney, Hilton and Orange Grove) and McKeldin sections where the trails are most heavily used. As a result, the Department of Natural Resources and the Patapsco Valley State Park Trails Management Committee felt that these areas should be the first portions of the park reviewed.
Because of budget constraints, it is not possible to correct the problems in each section as per the prior recommendations. However, with user demand at an all time high, it is impractical to close many of those trails that are in poor condition. The following recommendations, while falling short of achieving perfection, represent the best compromise possible.
Trails in the Avalon section were reviewed by DNR staff and the Trails Management Committee. Based upon the physical conditions, environmental impact, pattern of use and safety problems found, the following actions will be taken in order to improve the trail experience in the Avalon section (See Avalon Section Trail System Map 176 Kb).
The trails not previously shown on Park maps but now identified on the Avalon Section Trail Map in the Glen Artney, Hilton and Orange Grove areas have been added to the official park trail system.
- The Buzzards Rock Trail in the Hilton area will be designated for hikers-only for safety and erosion control reasons.
- The Saw Mill Branch Trail in the Hilton area between the power lines and the Patapsco River, and between the Youth Group Camping Area and the Patapsco River will be designated for hikers-only for safety and environmental reasons.
- The Valley View Trail in the Avalon area will be designated for hikers-only for safety and environmental reasons.
- The trail leading to Cascade Falls from the parking lot in the Cascade Area will be designated as hiking-only for safety and environmental reasons.
- The parking area and access from Landing Road to the trail system will be closed for safety reasons.
All other trails on the Avalon Section Trail System map will be designated for multiple use. However, any trail that is in existence but not on the map will be closed for safety and/or environmental reasons.
The McKeldin Section is a popular family day use area. After reviewing the trails at McKeldin, DNR staff and the Trails Management Committee agreed on the following solutions (See McKeldin Section Trail Map 289 Kb).
A new trail utilizing upland areas and paralleling the North Branch will be part of the official park trail system and open for multiple use.
- A new hiking-only loop will be established south of A field.
- Highly-eroded sections of trail south of D field will be closed. A new trail segment has been partially constructed to keep the main loop intact.
- The trail segment along the South Branch of the Patapsco River from the parking lot south of C field to the confluence of the North and South Branches will be for hikers-only due to environmental and safety concerns.
- The main trail in the northern portion of the McKeldin section along the North Branch of the Patapsco River will be designated for hiking-only for environmental and safety reasons.
The remaining portions of the trail system will be multiple use.