10 BEST TREKS
Jeff Holland selects his favorite trails around Anne Arundel County
Afriend asked if there was a compendium of all of my “happy trails” columns, and I realized how perfectly that phrase describes what I’ve been hoping to accomplish.
Telling you about the 24 trails I’ve explored this past year has been a happy experience for me and I hope for you, too. I’m grateful for the opportunity and plan to keep trekking into the year ahead.
After all, I’ve still got a lot of ground to cover. Anne Arundel County is rife with parks and woods where you can take a good walk. At the start of the year, I counted 24 places I wanted to visit and only scratched 14 off the list. Along the way, I discovered seven sites that were new to me.
I thought I’d share a quick review of some of the places I’ve written about this past year, and then ask you readers and walkers out there to share your favorites. So here are my top ten “Happy Trails” in
Anne Arundel County:
10. Arnold Loop Trail
This “pocket wilderness” is tucked in between suburban developments in Arnold. It’s a small forest hidden behind Broadneck Elementary School covering the watershed of one of the tributaries to Forked Creek on the Magothy River. The Arnold Trails Loop is accessible from the parking lot of Broadneck Elementary School, 470 Shore Acres Road, Arnold,.
9. Patuxent Research Refuge, North Tract
The North Tract is entirely tucked into the western corner of Anne Arundel County between Fort Meade and Rt. 197. It covers more than 8,000 acres of upland hardwood forest, meadow and marsh along the Patuxent River. There are nine miles of gravel and dirt roads for hiking, biking, horseback riding and even cross-country skiing if we ever get snow again. The entrance is located at 280 Bald Eagle Drive in Laurel. The Visitor Contact Center and grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s closed on federal holidays.
8. Severn Run Natural Environmental Area
You can find one of two trailheads for this area near the end of Indian Landing Road. The 1,400-acre site, managed by the Maryland Park Service, encompasses the watershed of Severn Run where it forms the headwaters of the Severn River.
The packed-earth trail winds through a forest of white oaks and tulip poplar. One leg of the trail parallels Severn Run and ends up at Veteran’s Highway. You can start at that end by driving to the end of General’s Highway, turning north onto Veteran’s Highway and keeping a lookout for a gravel drive on the right with a mailbox marked “8737.” You’ll find a parking area and the second trailhead at the top of the drive.
7. Broad Creek
I found a lot of tall tulip poplars at Broad Creek Park, along with some remarkably large specimens of grey beech. The park surrounds the headwaters of the creek, which
opens up onto the upper reaches of the South River. It’s nestled in between Annapolis High School on Riva Road and the Anne Arundel County offices on Harry S Truman Parkway. There are several trail loops on either side of the creek running a total of about4 ½ miles. The trailhead is in the corner of the parking lot of the county health department on Truman Parkway, across the road fromthe department offices.
6. Beverly- Triton Nature Park
This county- owned park is located at the end of the Mayo Peninsula. The Pond Trail iswell marked with orange blazes painted on tree trunks and colorcoded arrows on way mark posts at the intersections. It starts out as a hard- packed gravel road. On the far side of the pond, you reach the open Chesapeake Bay. There’s a delightful walk along the beach with a view of the mouth of West River and the southern tip of Kent Island.
5. Glendening Nature Preserve at Jug Bay Sanctuary
The Glendening Nature Preserve is one section of Anne Arundel County’s Jug Bay Sanctuary. You’ll find an excellent visitor center at the sanctuary proper near the end of Wrighton Road. There is an admission fee of $ 6 per vehicle. Pets are not permitted. The Glendening preserve has no admission and dogs on leashes a re-welcome. There are two entrances to this section of the park, the southernmost one on Wrighton Road before you get to the entrance of the sanctuary, and the main entrance on the north side where Plummer Lane meets Maryland Route 4. Miles of paths crisscross through the woods along the Patuxent River.
4. Bacon Ridge
Drive- up General’s Highway to Crownsville Road and cross over I- 97 on Hawkins Road, where you’ll find the trailhead for Bacon Ridge on the right. Bacon Ridge Natural Area is 630 acres of permanently protected land through a conservation easement between Anne Arundel County, Maryland Environmental Trust and Scenic Rivers Land Trust. My buddy Max, a 90- pound bulldog, and I walked the southernmost of the two loops. Itwould seem that the trail was blazed artistically to let both hikers and bikers enjoy this beautiful forest.
3. Waterworks Park
You’d never believe that there are nine miles of trails winding through 600 acres of dense hardwood forest in an area tucked between General’s Highway and Defense Highway. There’s a wide berm along Housley Road near the Stone Point Apartments where a dozen or so cars can park. The hard- packed trail runs through property managed by the City of Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department. It starts out along the deep gully of the headwaters of Broad Creek and winds through a forest of oak and holly mixed with huge yellow poplars and beech trees.
The trails comprise four loops and five connector trails over steeply rolling terrain. One loop takes you across a little foot bridge over the outfall of the dam at Waterworks Park and up around the 80- acre field of solar panels that covers the old capped- off Annapolis landfill. Fromt here, it goes all theway up to Hone ysuckle Lane. And then you can go on even farther to connect with Anne Arundel County’s Bacon Ridge trails in Crownsville.
2. Hog Island Trail at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Hog Island is on the campus of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center ( SERC) in Edgewater. SERC is one ofmy favorite places on the planet. Just 10 miles south of Annapolis, it covers 2,660- acres of forest, field and marsh nestled along the 15 miles of the Rhode River shoreline.
In addition to providing longterm, cutting- edge ecological research on the issues impacting anywhere on Earth where land meets water, SERC also offers public education programs and access to trails that crisscross the landscape and bayscape. Pets are not allowed on the campus, which is not only an active research center but also a wildlife sanctuary.
SERC is located on Contees Wharf Road off of Muddy Creek Road. You first check in with the guard at the gate. Bring along a photo ID, which is sometimes required. Followthe signs to the Reed Education Center to park at the trailhead. It’s important to check out the visitor advisories at www. serc. si. edu when you’re planning your visit.
1. Quiet Waters Park
This ismy number one pick, partly because it’s the one I visit the most, but mostly because it offers several miles of unpaved paths through the woods in addition to the five- mile paved trail looping around the park. One path marked with a red blaze winds itsway along the bank of Harness Creek. You can follow the creek from where it emerges as a trickle through the skunk cabbage to the bluff where you can see its tidal expanse merge with South River. This trail has some splendid topography, touching the creek in spots and then rising to reveal inspiring views of the cove where sometimes you’ll see a sailboat or two anchored peacefully.
Thank you tomy many walking companions, both two- legged and four, especially my emotional support spouse, Louise White— not to mention all the adorably adoptable dogs I borrowed from the SPCA who tagged along in lieu of our late Irish setter, Bonnie.
There’s more information about these and other trails on a free app called All Trails. I also like to use Gaia GPS for its downloadable topographical maps. You can find all of this year’s columns atwww. capital gazette. com. Search for “Holland” and they’ll all pop up. Let me knowabout your favorite local hike, or one you’d likeme to cover next year. Email me at arundel happy trails.com.
And in the immortal words written by Dale Evans, “Happy Trails to you!”