We have not done this walk since last fall. Hard to believe! It's really beautiful and feels far removed from civilization even though it's so close to Columbia.

The trail we will be walking is about 1.5 miles through a wood-chip covered path. The trails are wide and well-marked, and consist of several loops throughout the park. There are some elevation changes, but nothing too challenging. If it rains the day before, the trail is often muddy, so you might want to prepare for a doggy clean-off after the walk before getting back in the car. You can print out a Savage Park trail map before coming if you'd like a preview.

There are some interesting old ruins of bridges and dams that you'll see along the trail, and they are good vantage points for beautiful views of the river. You may hear the sound of nearby I-95 on part of the walk, which might affect your feelings of remoteness, but we just pretend it's the sound of a rushing river and we're happy.

After the hike you can take a short drive (1.5 miles) over to the other part of Savage Park and walk the Savage Historic Mill Trail and/or stop at the Savage Mill Center for lunch, pastries or coffee at Bonaparte's Bakery. There is outdoor seating in an enclosed patio area.

Please note that the meeting time is 9:00 am.

LOCATION

The parking lot for the Wincopin trails of Savage Park is located on Vollmerhausen Road, a short distance downhill from the Patuxent Valley Middle School. If you're using a GPS or Mapquest, you can get there by entering: 9271 Vollmerhausen Road, Jessup MD.