Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group (A Nonprofit Charity)
Holiday Weekend: Cromwell Valley Park and Loch Raven Reservoir! A Moderate 3 Mile or Moderate to Easy Side of Strenuous 6.8 Total Miles with Optional Post Hike Meal
An opportunity for pleasant hiking within 371 acre Cromwell Valley Park, as well as adding a more strenuous jaunt in Loch Raven! Keep your eyes open for abundant wildlife. It is a stream valley park composed of pasture, cultivated gardens, open fields, woods, hedgerows, orchards and wooded piedmont hills. There are many species of raptors such as the Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Great Horned Owl, which prey on a healthy population of small mammals such as rabbits, deer mice, and meadow voles. Songbird populations include Baltimore Oriole, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Bluebird, and many others. Belted Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons are often seen around the stream, Minebank Run.
The valley has been settled since the early 1700s. Some iron ore mining took place in the area with the largest of at least four mines located at the streams starting point - hence the stream’s name. Due to an easily quarried supply of Cockeysville marble, the valley became a production area for agricultural lime. Lime kilns were built, and used to heat the marble by firewood, eventually creating lime powder. The powder was then collected and bagged at the base of the furnace. The lime kilns in the valley operated until the 1920s. The remnants of several of these are still visible in the park today!
Trail Information
Nearby City: Parkville, MD
Length: Total of 6.8 Miles with a 3 Mile Bailout Option (Choice of 3 or 6.8 Total Miles)
Trail Type: Combination
Trail Surface: Packed dirt, short stretches of asphalt and gravel
Scenery: Mature woods, Minebank Run, and plentiful wildlife
Exposure: More shade than sun
Skill Level: Your Choice of a Moderate 3 Miles or an Easy Side of Strenuous 6.8 total miles.
Season: Year-round
Trailhead Elev: 260 feet
Top Elev: 460 feet
Facilities: Restrooms and water in park office
Special Comments: The hike described here leaves Cromwell Valley Park and includes several miles in adjoining Loch Raven Watershed property; if you prefer an easier and/or shorter hike, stay entirely within the park and bailout/leave before we hike over to the Loch Raven portion of the hike.
Park Fee
There is no park fee for this hike.
Gear Suggestions
Click Here for suggestions regarding what to wear and what not to wear for hiking the trails.
Weather Information
We hike rain, snow, or shine. Click Here to view the forecast for the area where we will be hiking.
Hike Pace
The goal for this hike is to maintain an average moving pace of ~ 2.5 mph. This is the pace used in most hiking publications to represent the pace of an average hiker. We strive to offer a variety of hikes and paces so we can always have something for everyone no matter their interest and/or ability.
Our RSVP Policies and Group Etiquette
Click Here to review our RSVP policies and group etiquette.
Carpool Suggestions and Information
Note that you are responsible for knowing how to get from carpool locations to the venue. Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is not responsible for transportation to and from events or carpools. Suggested carpool times and locations are provided as a courtesy because many members are either new to the area or unfamiliar with a particular hike or venues location. Please use the Comments section below, or reach out via e-mail to make arrangements for carpooling needs and/or offerings.
Baltimore Area Carpool Suggestion - Savage Station
To carpool or caravan from the Baltimore area, people can arrange to meet at Savage Station. Click Here for directions and additional information regarding carpooling from the suggested Savage Station location.
DC Area Carpool Suggestion - Centreville
To carpool or caravan from the metro DC area, people can arrange to meet at the Centreville Park and Ride. Click Here for directions and additional information regarding carpooling from the suggested Centreville Park and Ride location.
If you can drive or want to carpool from any particular location, please post your offer to help those in need of a ride, and those looking for a ride, in the comment section below. Click Here for a list of suggested carpool locations, each complete with a physical address, GPS coordinates, driving directions and additional carpool information.
For those who need a ride, reach out to the drivers. Make friends, and support the environment — by just offering a ride!
Directions to the Trailhead
Click Here for Directions to Where We Meet for this Hike
Meet & Greet and Sign-In — 9:45-9:55 a.m.
The Hike is at 10:00 a.m.
Carpool meetup time from Savage Station is 9:00 a.m.
Carpool time from Centerville is 8:15 a.m.
Please remember we are a volunteer supported organization that values fellowship and camaraderie while practicing good hike etiquette and Leave No Trace principles. Our hikes are led by generous, dedicated, and qualified MAHG members who volunteer as leaders for Mid-Atlantic Hiking Groups volunteer leadership team. Hikes also have a volunteer “sweeper” to help ensure that no hiker is left behind. MAHG volunteers and members are very supportive, encouraging, with a focus on safety while enjoying the excellent camaraderie and benefiting from the many health benefits of hiking and unplugging from the stress of day-to-day life.
Sharing what we know and learning from each other is an important part of MAHGs core values, as is our dedication to the conservation of our natural resources and our commitment to the organization's mission. Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is a volunteer supported tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, and donations ARE tax deductible. Tax ID: 47-5141831.
A Well-Mannered, Leashed Fido is Welcome on this Hike!
Let’s have fun out on the trails and see you there
Mike:
• Click Here to Chip In Now and Help Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group in Serving our Mission.
• Donations to Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group are Tax Deductible: Tax ID 47-5141831. Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charitable organization.
• Click Here to Learn more about Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group’s Mission.
• 100% of Every Dollar Goes Directly to the Expenses of Serving our Mission.
, MD - USA
Monday, January 2 at 10:00 AM
1
Price: 3.00 USD
https://www.meetup.com/Mid-Atlantic-Hiking-Group/events/235493573/