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Description: This is a pretty easy romp in the woods. It's close to Baltimore and a great place to take the kids and Fido. It's also a good place to go when you have cabin fever real bad or are trying to rehab an injury and a stationary bike or treadmill just doesn't seem to cut it for you. The starting point also offers a pretty nice Nature Center with live snakes and amphibians, an indoor beehive and numerous taxidermy displays. If you are in moderate condition it should take you no more than 2 hours to complete the longest possible circuit of 4.2 miles which is described here.

Follow signs to the right to the Nature Center.

Printable/Downloadable Map

Trail Notes: From the Nature Center cross the bridge and turn right onto the red blazed Loggers Tr. In 0.63 miles pass tan blazed Ridge trail on the left. In another 0.15 miles cross a gas pipeline swath.

In about 0.09 miles turn right onto the white blazed Short Cut Trail. If you miss this simply turn right onto yellow blazed Ivy Hill Trail at the next trail junction. If you turn right on the Short Cut Trail turn right onto yellow blazed Ivy Hill Trail in 0.15 miles.

In another 0.3 miles cross another pipeline swath. Descend for another 0.37 miles to a side trail on the left that leads to a small pond, a nice lunch spot.

After a break continue on the yellow blazed Ivy Hill Trail. Keep a sharp eye as the route leaves a woods road, turning left and crossing Baisman Run.

The trail will cross the run a couple more times before joining S. James Campbell Tr (also yellow blazed). Ascend 0.81 miles up S. James Campbell Trail (blaze color unknown at this time), crossing a gas pipeline swath again, to it's junction with red blazed Loggers Trail.

Bear right onto the Loggers Trail and take a short spur out to the top of an old ski slope and a view of Hunt Valley. Note the concrete foundations for the lift cable.

Continue along the Logger Trail for another 0.41 miles to yet another pipeline swath. Turn left (uphill) and walk a short distance before turning right onto orange blazed Lake Tr. Cross a one log bridge with hand rail and rejoin the logger trail at the other end of the lake. Bear left onto it and follow it back to the Nature Center.

Printable/Downloadable Directions and Trail Notes

Critique this outing

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Name: ejmcclary Hike: Oregon Ridge
Date: 3/2/08 Rating: 3

Critique: Thanks a lot for the great directions; they got me through this trail perfectly in an hour and a half - first time I've ever been to this place. The most confusing part to me was at the first gas pipeline swath where we cross it, I wasn't sure to go left or right. Go right and then walk straight till you get to the white blazed Short Cut Trail.

The side trail to the lunch spot is not required since you can get there by staying on the yellow path; however the side path definitely gives more challenge as it is a scramble downward towards the end.

You will also be required to cross the stream about 4 times, but they are all very easy crossing over rock. Be prepared to get wet just in-case you fall in for those cold days. This is a very beautiful trail with lots of water, ponds and trees, by far one of my more favorite very close by parks.

When I got there the handrail and the two logs towards the end were very sturdy and showed no signs of significant structural damage. I couldn't get a crack out of them no matter how much I hopped...

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Name: Raven Hike: Oregon Ridge
Date: 10/14/07 Rating: 3

Critique: The trails are beautiful, but the left turn to stay on Ivy Hill trail is not easily visible when there are leaves on the trees -- a branch completely covers the sign until you're right on top of it, and the side trail you must take looks like one of many, many other adjunct trails not noted on the map. If you miss the turn, you'll climb up a fairly steep hill, only to hit Ivy Hill Road (paved), which is the park boundary. Then you'll have to turn around and hike back down that steep hill.

In addition, when you get to the end of the loop and back on the Logger's Trail, the "Turn left (uphill) and walk a short distance before turning right onto orange blazed Lake Tr."... you'll see the right onto Logger's Trail before you get to the Lake Trail. If you take the Logger's Trail, there are a few steep descents and ascents that might be challenging for some hikers. (There's a scramble uphill where one is well advised to use handholds, for example.) The one log bridge at the end of Lake Trail is currently two logs, both fairly rotted, and a wobbly handrail. It's precarious, and I hope they replace the logs with ones that don't crack under your feet soon.

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