The Hogan family from Crofton, enjoyed a brisk winter walk at Greenbury Point Trail in Annapolis. Nice trail with beautiful views of the Bay and Bay Bridge.
Submit your own Adventure of the Week here and keep an eye out for your adventure to be featured in one of our next Weekly Outdoor Adventure Guides!
Weather (Click Here)
Before you hit the trails or set up camp, make sure to take a second glance at the weather for this weekend!
Today's Moon Phase according to NASA (Click Here)
Waxing Gibbous: "The Moon continues to wax. Once more than half of the disc is illuminated, it has a shape we call gibbous. The gibbous Moon appears to grow fatter each night."
Hiking (Click Here)
Merkle Natural Resources Management Area and Visitor Center, Prince George's County
There are four hiking trails at Merkle that explore the upland forests and marshes of the Patuxent River. Our trails are open to hikers only. Bikers and equestrians may only use the Critical Area Driving Tour. For more opportunities, visit nearby Rosaryville State Park or Cedarville State Forest. All trail distances are round-trip and measured from the Visitor Center (except Lookout Creek Trail).
Paw Paw Trail - This is a flat, family friendly trail that weaves past streams and ponds and through forests and fields. Look out for paw paw trees along the trail that grow green, oval shaped fruits. Paw paws are the largest fruit native to Maryland and were a favorite dessert of President George Washington. This trail is 1.2 miles long and is rated easy. The trail is blazed yellow.
Popular Springs Trail - This is a relatively flat trail that connects the forested areas on either side of the main entrance road of Merkle. Named for the native poplar tree, this trail passes Merkle’s champion yellow poplar which measures 116 feet tall and nearly 17 feet in circumference. Poplar Springs is 3.0 miles long and is rated easy/moderate. The trail is blazed red.
Mounds Trail - This is a hilly trail that follows along the top of a ravine and offers views of Lookout Creek. Its most unique features are the large, man made mounds of dirt known as “ha-has” that give the trail its name. While their exact purpose is unknown, they are believed to be either early boundary markers or defenses built by soldiers during the War of 1812. This trail is 2.3 miles long and rated moderate. The Mounds Trail is blazed blue.
Lookout Creek Trail - Named for Lookout Creek which feeds into the Patuxent River, this flat, figure-eight shaped trail winds through forests and wetlands. Hikers will enjoy a beautiful view of the water and encounter various species of waterfowl and wetland vegetation. This trail is .72 miles and can only be accessed from the Critical Area Driving Tour (CADT). Lookout Creek Trail is blazed white.
Hunting (Click Here)
Be sure to consult your Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping for season dates and bag limits.
Chapel Point State Park, Marbury, Charles County
The area provides suitable habitat for quail, squirrels, doves, rabbits, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and waterfowl. Game hunting is permitted during the seasons established by the Wildlife and Heritage Service. Chapel Point has a small accessible hunting area. There are three established hunter parking areas. Sign-in boxes are located in each of those areas. A maximum of 45 hunters is permitted at any given time.
Hunters may enter park property an hour before sunrise provided that they are engaged in legitimate, authorized hunting activity.
- General hunting permitted in 550-acre designated hunting area with daily sign-in required.
- Hunt from Vehicle provisions for disabled hunters.
History of our State Parks (Click Here)
Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area
Queenstown, Queen Anne's County
For over 300 years, Wye Island was privately owned and managed for agricultural use, including tobacco and wheat farming. Two of the most noteworthy owners were William Paca and John Beale Bordley. Both men inherited their parts of the island through their wives, daughters of Samuel Chew. Mr. Paca, third governor of Maryland and one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, owned half of the island north of Dividing Creek. Mr. Bordley, a distinguished lawyer and jurist, owned the island's southern half. In the 1770s, Mr. Bordley gave up his law career to devote his life to farming, experimenting, and writing. Fields once devoted to tobacco now produced abundant wheat. Bordley strove to make Wye Island totally self-sufficient. Orchards and a vineyard were planted; blacksmith and carpentry shops were built, as were looms, a large windmill, and even a brewery.
Eventually the island was sold off into separate farms. The most influential owners were Glenn and Jacqueline Stewart. Ultimately they owned a majority of the land and turned Wye Island into a cattle ranch. The Stewart's built the hunting lodge (Duck House), which remains today on Granary Creek. In the mid 1970's the encroaching threat of residential development forced the State of Maryland to purchase the island to ensure its preservation.
If you would like to learn more about Wye Island, you may want to read the book "WYE ISLAND" by Boyd Gibbons which describes the history of the island.
Animal Cams (Click Here)
This week tune in to see the Katamai Bear Cam at Katamai National Park in Alaska.
Beach Cam
In the winter months we all long for the beach. Take a look at whats going on at your favorite East Coast beaches right now.
