Page 24 - Baltimore County 2023 Quality of Life Guide & Business Directory

QUALITY OF LIFE: SEE & DO
OREGON RIDGE
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Baltimore County’s beautiful parks invite you to hike and bike along miles of trails amid pristine
landscapes. The county also boasts more than 200 miles of shoreline along the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay that make it a destination for swimming, boating and kayaking.
Want more outdoor fun? Baltimore County’s golf courses are beautiful all year long, and the north of the county is a major destination for equestrian sports.
Nature Experiences
You’ll find more than five miles of beautiful hiking trails at Cromwell Valley Park near Towson. The park is known for its native plants, live animal exhibits and beehives. You’ll also encounter historic homesteads and outbuildings, preserved as a monument to early settlement and industry.
Local nature centers provide a great opportunity for both children and adults
to gain environmental literacy. The most popular ones are the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, which allows visitors to explore 210 acres of woodlands, wetlands and meadows; the Oregon Ridge Nature Center in Cockeysville, with its extensive wildlife and nature displays; and the Lake Roland Nature and Environmental Education Center, which invites visitors to encounter live animals in a building that was constructed using renewable materials.
Other scenic parks that attract anglers, hikers and bikers alike are Patapsco Valley State Park, Oregon Ridge Park and Loch Raven Reservoir.
Golf
Baltimore County is home to five public golf courses: Woodlands and Diamond Ridge in Windsor Mill, Fox Hollow in Timonium, Greystone in White Hall and Rocky Point in Essex. At Fox Hollow, there is also a nationally ranked top 50 driving range, The Fox Hollow Training Center. Annual passes and other discount programs that offer access to all courses make Baltimore County’s public facilities an amazing value.
In addition, you’ll find numerous private clubs that are happy to welcome new members (or guests accompanying members), such as the Sparrows Point Country Club, whose 18-hole course is considered one of the most challenging in Maryland.
On the Water
In the summer, you won’t lack for places to go swimming or boating. Rocky Point Beach and Park in Essex has beautiful vistas of the Chesapeake Bay, a sandy swimming beach, 18 picnic areas, two playgrounds, a sailing center, a fishing pier and two boat ramps. You’ll also have a great view of Hart-Miller Island State Park, which is only accessible by personal boat. The journey is well worth it though: the island’s western shore offers safe mooring, wading and access to a 3,000-foot sandy beach.
Another popular swimming beach is
at Gunpowder Falls State Park’s Hammerman Area. Food concessions, picnic pavilions, playground and canoe/ kayak rentals make it a great place for a warm-weather outing.
Equestrian Sports
One of the county’s most treasured outdoor traditions is the steeplechase, and the
horse farms of northern Baltimore County have produced some top racing contenders over the years. (There’s a reason why the headquarters of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association are located in Reisterstown!) Each spring, spectators flock to the Maryland Hunt Cup in Worthington Valley, and in the fall, the Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs raises funds for the Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s charitable foundation. For those who prefer getting on horseback themselves, countless farms and stables in Baltimore County offer lessons.
SHAWAN DOWNS
OREGON RIDGE
22 Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory