K9 Trailblazers Dog Hiking Club 
Saturday, June 28, 2003 Hike Information 
Patapsco Valley State Park, Daniels Area

Where:
When:
Participation Limit:
Hike Description:
(map)
What to Bring:
Rules:
Cancellation Policy:
Directions:
Contacts:

Where: 

Our June 28th hike will be held at Patapsco Valley State Park's Daniels Area. This is a section of Patapsco Park that was once home to a thriving mill town until economics and Hurricane Agnes closed the mill and wiped most of the area clean.  Highlights of the hike will include a cave, some spectacular views of the river valley, the Daniels dam and fish ladder, and a peak at some of the hidden history of the area.  

The Daniels section of Patapsco is located near Ellicott City, MD. Directions are listed below. We will be meeting at the trailhead parking lot at the bottom on Daniels Rd.

When:

Please contact one of the hike organizers to RSVP and receive the meeting time.

Participation Limit:

This hike will be limited to 12 hikers and their dogs.

The Hike:

This hike will be ~6 miles

 We'll start off on the "Camels Den" trail which will take us past the cave for which the trail was named.  We'll also see the foundations of a few of the houses that used to stand near Daniels.  We'll then travel up a moderate, sometimes rocky switchback through the woods to the top of the ridge for a glimpse of the geology of the area, plus (trees willing) some nice scenic views of the Daniels Mill, and the river valley.  After another moderate climb to a scenic overlook at the highest point on our trail, we'll descend back into the river valley and hike along what used to be the original track for the B&O railroad.  The track has long been pulled from the trail, but we'll see several signs of the trail's original use. This portion of the trail follows the river and is wide and flat with some muddy spots.  We'll follow the trail to the Davis Tunnel, and the point where the current CSX railroad crosses the Patapsco.  Here we'll cross the tracks (which have a very low usage) and continue following the original rail line and then loop back around and over the tunnel.  After a break, we'll head back to the trailhead following the old rail line the entire way.

Trail Map

For more information on the Daniels Area of Patapsco, click here.

What to Bring:

As usual, come prepared to hike. This means appropriate footwear, a hat, and sufficient water for you and your dog (a quart for each of you). This is rocky at times and likely to have muddy parts.  Good hiking shoes are required. Be prepared for hot weather.  It's probably best to dress in layers, so if it's cool when we start, you can stay comfortable as you and the day warm up.

Rules:

Basically the main rules we have are that dogs need to stay on leash and under control, and that you scoop your poop. Please bring a 6-8' standard leash for your dog.  This length is required by the park and also keeps people form getting rope burns from Flexi leashes.

Cancellation Policy:

We'll be hiking rain, snow or sunshine unless there is severe or dangerous weather. Cancellations will be announced via e-mail.  If the weather is too hot, too cold or too wet for you on the day of the hike, don't be afraid to sit this one out. We want you to have fun! We have planned other hikes, so if you don't think you'll enjoy yourself this time, just wait for the next hike. Please contact me if you do plan to cancel.

Directions:

From the DC area, take I-95 north to Rt 32 west (toward Columbia).  Take 32 to 29 North.  Take 29 north just past I-70 and turn Rt. at the light (Rt 99 - Rodgers Ave)  Before recrossing I-70, turn left on Old Frederic Rd. and then left again on Daniels Rd.  On the left, at the bottom of the hill by the river is the trail head.  If parking is full, there should be space to park slightly further down the road by the dam.

From Baltimore:  Take I-70 from the Baltimore Beltway to Rt 29 north and follow the directions above.  OR take Rt 40 west from the Baltimore Beltway toward Ellicott City.  Before reaching Rt. 29, turn rt on Rogers Ave.  After crossing over I-70, turn rt onto Old Frederick Rd. and follow the above directions.:

Contacts:

If you have any other question about directions, or anything else about this hike or the hiking club in general, please contact me (Jeff Bolognese).