Fall Hikes with Anne Arundel County Sierrans
Joe Pepin
Hikers enjoyed both the Patuxent Wildlife Regufe and Catoctin Mountain
Park this past fall.
Patuxent North Tract is the less frequented and less developed half of
the Patuxent Research Refuge, a vast forested area on the western edge
of Anne Arundel County. This part of the refuge was once part of Fort
Meade and was used as a training area.
 The North Tract is criss-crossed by little
streams and old dirt roads,
and occasionally visible are the remains of a long-forgotten farm
village, intermixed with abandoned military hardware. The dirt roads
are ideal for hiking and biking; in fact, President Bush has been known
to take foreign dignitaries mountain biking along these old roads (the
tract is closed at such times).
This is a view of Rieve’s Pond, easily accessible from the Visitor’s
Center. This small pond is stocked with fish and is a favorite of
anglers. Another pond further to the west is Blue Heron Pond, and it
has an enclosed blind for viewing waterfowl.
The North Tract has many interpretive programs available for visitors.
On this September 9 outing, our group hiked out to Rieve’s Pond, then
to Blue Heron Pond for lunch, then back to the Visitor Center by
another route.
Catoctin Mountain Park is another Maryland area with Presidential ties.
It is home to the famous and historical Camp David, the retreat of
presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.
This is a view from Chimney Rock, one of several overlooks on the 25
miles of trails in this park. This year’s Maryland Sierra Club Jamboree
was held in Camp Misty Mount, one of the three cabin lodging areas
within the park. There are also three camping areas; the cabins and
some of the camping areas require reservations.
Trails also connect Catoctin Mountain Park to Cunningham Falls State
Park, which has a large and well-equipped family camping area. Just
outside Catoctin Mountain Park is the town of Thurmont, known for its
Fall Colorfest celebration.
On this October 14 outing, our group first hiked from the Charcoal
Trail parking lot up a short distance to Thurmont Vista. Charcoal and
iron smelting were historically important area industries. Then we went
on to Wolf Rock, Chimney Rock, and then back to the Visitor Center.
A
car shuttle brought us back to our starting place.
Plan on joining us when our hikes resume in the Spring of 2008!
|
|
