A very easy-access section of the Patapsco Valley State Park- you can drive right into the middle…read more I'd rank it as perfect for introducing people to a "natural" state park without the distractions of overly developed amenities. Great trails, enough elevation change for solid workouts, some sections with lovely old trees. There's a long stretch of a beautiful stream (Saw Mill Branch) and some areas that give you that lovely isolated feeling of being in the woods. There's campgrounds (way better than "backyard camping") and driving in from the gate on Hilton Ave puts you in a good spot to immediately start hiking. There's also trails leading in from a number of the surrounding neighborhoods. The paved path by the river is pedestrian and disabled friendly. A historic rail route runs parallel to the river and train spotters can get some unique views as well as see the famous Ilchester Tunnel. PVSP is one of my favorite things about living in central MD, and each section has some unique things. Explore them all - but this (Hilton) area is particularly accessible for beginners who want the full experience.

This is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Maryland. I had a marvelous hike there on my…read morelast trip by Cascade Falls. It was beautiful! The waterfall isn't that big but it was still enjoyable to see. There are some rough spots to navigate if you're expecting an easy hike. But overall, it is definitely worth the trip!

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

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!

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.

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'.

We absolutely adore this place! Mother nature story time is one of my girls favorite things every…read moremonth. It's very well done and organized. We just had our daughter's 5th birthday party at the nature center and it was so fun. Jaelynn, one of the naturalists, does an incredible job and is so knowledgeable! I always tell everyone I meet about this place. It's truly a hidden gem.

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!

We spent our Fourth of July at Terrapin and it was absolutely wonderful! From being welcomed at the…read moredesk (I am so sorry I can't remember his name!), to our awesome guides Justin and Jasmine, to Scott who helped at the swing and doing the belay to get us down - we truly enjoyed the whole experience (despite the unbearable heat this weekend). Justin and Jasmine made sure we stayed hydrated, and regularly brought us into the air conditioning to avoid overheating. They ensured our safety every moment we were there. The rope course was insanely fun, the giant swing and zip line were a blast and our favorite part was honestly the rock climbing! Justin and Jasmine were fantastic - we will definitely come back (preferably not during a heat wave haha) and hope they will be our guides again - every single person today made it memorable for my family! Thank you so much!!!

We have enjoyed this camp for years, but 2026 brought parental concerns over hearing that children…read moregrouped up to 12 years old were sharing bathrooms if another identified as the opposite sex. This should be an opportunity to identify a solution comfortable for everyone affected by providing single use options, as opposed to telling my daughter "it's ok because he identifies as a she". It caused an uncomfortable situation for girls and concerns for parents. No young girl should feel uncomfortable or anxious using the restroom.

So reading the existing review tells me this is clearly a case of separate but NOT equal. It is…read moreapparently a haves and have not's. If you start this trail at TH9 (MedStar Hospital, Hanover St.) you will have a totally different point of view. From that end of the trail you come to this conclusion. It is a "usable/livable "trail" in the same way that SouthWesternUbranaIllionoisTechCommunityCollege is a University like University of Maryland at College Park. I can only say-yikes-. You start out behind the hospital, on a thin strip of badly maintained asphalt, badly maintained, bone shaking, gear stripping asphalt. You pass dismal folks fishing (with visible rats in the water) -I don't think I would do that. I get it, I have a Biology B.S. I know they share the habitat-but to actually see them swim by your bobber? You then parallel the stench of Middle Branch, past a train station and an urban setting that screams out post apocalyptic movie set or thrash rock video. I turned around and rode back quickly to my car, lest some toxic zombie from the old Troma movies leap out of one of the scary blind turns I had to navigate. Maybe there is a middle stretch through the "tonier" neighborhoods the website (and City Paper) gush about...but from an overall standpoint the part I saw is scary. I say that as a big, strong, combat veteran black guy. I guess your point of view depends on where you sit and what you see. Hooray-- Brown v. Board of Education

This portion of Gwynn Falls Trail is located between the Horseshoe Casino and M&T Stadium in…read moreBaltimore City. I assume it is part of the T7 to T8 portion of the trail. I visited twice before reviewing to be fair. It is unkempt and dreary. In the shadows of the casino is a tent city with people living in the woods. Despair is overwhelming. Trash and debris fills the water around the casino. There is potential to be a beautiful park but it would require a lot of attention and commitment.

What a fun area at Patapsco!! My daughter is 2 and could play on most of the structures. A nice…read morechange from the typical playgrounds we visit, though they have a traditional playground as well which is nice. They have an entire wooden "playground" and tons of tire play structures.

3.5 stars! A nice park with lots of open space.. it is good for all ages. My kid had a blast! It…read morehas a clean bathroom and a couple different play spaces! It was a little outdated in some areas but still very sweet!

Great selection of paddleboards and excellent service. Also have kayaks, leasing, lessons, and…read moretrips. Store is cute and personnel wonderful and informative.

I rent kayaks from here. The current price for a single-person kayak is $26 for 2 hours (which…read moreincludes kayak, paddle & life-jacket), then $8 for every hour after that. The kayaks are already lined up at the launch point until the day is over. Go play, then after you return your rental gear, go pay. The Susquehanna River is a gentle river...the water is more like that of a bay or a lake. There are beaches and islands to explore. There are marinas and and docks so there is some traffic areas with boaters and jet-skiers, but it isn't daunting...just stick to the river bank until you're comfortable...you will be paddling in the middle of the river, soaking up the view like a pro before you even realize it! The staff is really, really nice, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend spending the day on the Susquehanna and Shank's Mare. note: the launch point is directly across the shop where there is public parking, picnic tables, docks, fishing, duck feeding, etc.

This was so much fun! Hands down all the gold stars will go back!! My 11 year old son loved it too!read more

Overall, we had a great experience. Scott checked us in quickly and was pleasant to talk with. We…read morewere lucky enough to have the mountaintop camping site to ourselves since no one else booked for this week( likely due to the extreme heat and 4th of July holiday). The bathhouse was clean and had hot water. Most campsites only have lukewarm or cold water. There were also an abundance of toilet facilities and they were well maintained/cleaned. The view of the Potomac was breathtaking and the only downfall was that the camping sites are relatively close to each other both on the mountain and at the river's edge. I do recommend this center, however, and we will likely return when back in the area!