Day trips outside Baltimore--nature related

I%26#39;m going to be in Baltimore and would love to take a day trip out of the city. Something involving water (kayaking, rafting), light hiking, etc would be great! I need to see green!

thanks for any help.

Day trips outside Baltimore--nature related

I would recommend the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. They have 4 trails you can hike/walk. It has beautiful views of a couple lakes. It would be an hour driving from Baltimore. Cost wise, it%26#39;s free! The refuge falls under the Department of the Interior and is the largest refuge in the U.S. It has over 13,000 acres. I wrote a short article on it for tripadvisor.com You should be able to find my article under Laurel, Maryland.

Day trips outside Baltimore--nature related

there are numerous possibilities.

the hereford section of the gunpowder state park is great for light hiking...along a river gorge. rafting, canoeing or kayaking is possible there as well.

a little bit further are the catoctin mountains...cunningham falls state park is very pretty! and a bit more challenging. and still in easy driving distance from baltimore.

just north of westminster, there%26#39;s the hashawa/bear branch environmental area, that has several miles of trails, some along a little creek, some in the woods.

patapsco state park has several areas with some nice walks.....

all of these are in range for a day trip;.

even, if you want a LONG day trip, blackwater wildlife refuge near cambridge is within range....back when we were young %26amp; energetic, we did a few day trips for canoeing there.

Great Falls is a very nice park near Washington DC. You can hike boat there along the Potomac River.

nps.gov/grfa/…outdooractivities.htm

go east on route 40 to gunpowder state park on ebeneezer rd, they rent kayaks there. this is not a fast river but lots of open water

you can rent a kayak right at the inner harbor!

there is also a trail in timonium/hunt valley where you can bike or even ride in a tube. or go to western maryland and see the civil war battlefield of antietam, then stroll or roller blade the bike path

If you have a long day available, drive to Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania for serious white water rafting on the lower or upper Youghiogheny River. You can also do some rafting in Harpers Ferry, WV. I think the tubing in Harpers Ferry is better than the rafting. There are several companies that will rent you a tube and transport you to and from the river.

Quiet Waters Park in or near Annapolis is lovely. There is hiking and kayak rental. It is flat water and a smallish area to paddle.