Patapsco Valley State Park is a scenic area of dense woodland that follows a 32-mile (51-kilometer) section of its namesake river. The immense park contains eight individual recreation areas, with picnicking, mountain biking and canoeing among the main activities. Bring your family to spend a day in the park to be closer to Maryland’s plants and animals.
Go hiking with your friends to encounter some of the park’s most spectacular attractions. Stroll along the Swinging Bridge over the river for a rush of excitement. Snap photos of your group beside the enormous pillars of the Thomas Viaduct, an extensive many-arched railroad bridge.
Let kids clamber over the climbing frames and hefty wheels of the Tire Park playground. Enjoy snacks and refreshments at one of the picnic pavilions, against a scenic backdrop of the river. Go horseback riding and mountain biking in the western McKeldin Area. Try kayaking in the Daniels Area. In the Avalon Area, follow the Grist Mill Trail in the Orange Grove section, which once held a flour mill.
Make your way to the Avalon Visitor Center, housed in a 19th-century stone abode, to learn about the region’s intriguing history. The park is one of Maryland’s oldest, having been founded in 1907. Inspect the re-creation of the 1930s forest warden’s office, among other exhibits.
Pay a fee to enter the park for the day. Patapsco Valley State Park is in the northeastern suburbs of Ellicott City in central Maryland. It is just west of the Baltimore Beltway and surrounds the Patapsco River on its journey southeast from the wilderness of Maryland.
Drive west from Baltimore for 13 miles (21 kilometers) to get here in 20 to 30 minutes. Visit nearby sights, such as the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, the Woodlands Golf Course and the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus.
