October Updates
Hollofield Area Campground is Closed for Renovations
Please be advised that the Hollofield Area Campground is not accepting reservations for the 2025 season due to a long-anticipated renovation.
While the Hilton Area campground will remain open for the season, campers should be aware the campground has a limited capacity and offers only camper cabins and non-electric, tent-only sites.
Soldiers Delight Visitor Center Hours of Operation
Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Stop in to learn about the unique Serpentine Barren ecosystem and visit your favorite animal ambassadors! Due to resource constraints, park management may occasionally need to adjust staffing on short notice to meet operational needs across the park. We appreciate your patience and continued support.
October Programs and Events
 Fall Colors Hike Series
October 15: 10-11:30 a.m. at McKeldin Area, Tall Poplar Trail
October 19: 10-11:30 a.m. at Avalon Area, Grist Mill Trail
Join us to enjoy the colors of autumn! View the foliage and enjoy the beauty nature has to offer! Be prepared for a moderate to rigorous hike on variable terrain - not a hike for beginners! Weather permitting. Signup encouraged.
October 4: The Quest for Hues
10-10:45 a.m. at Hilton Area, Nature Center
The quest given to you takes you on a journey that is full of colorful wonders! Find the colors of fall with the help of paint chips with your little one! Limited to 20 participants, signup encouraged.
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October 4: Cryptid Conservation Hike
1-2:30 p.m. at McKeldin Area, Basketball courts
Leave no trace! Bigfoot’s been doing it for years! Learn about Maryland’s cryptids and the importance of leaving no trace on a guided hike through the Plantation Trail. Limited to 20 participants, signup encouraged.
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October 5: Flocking South: A Migratory Birding Hike
8-9:30 a.m. at Daniels Dam
2090 Daniels Road, Ellicott City
Warblers and kinglets and raptors, oh my! Join this birdwatching hike to search for autumn visitors as they travel south, and learn about some of the amazing feats of migration in the avian world. Binoculars can be provided. Signup required, limited to 15 participants. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Weather dependent.
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October 6: Full Moon Hike
6-8 p.m. at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
There is magic in the air as the full moon shines upon our trails. Join us for a naturalist-led hike along our Serpentine Trail and enjoy what the moon will bring! Limited to 15 participants. Serpentine Trail is 2.5 miles long with uneven, rocky terrain and slight elevation changes. Signup required, limited to 15 participants.
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October 8: Witch Bottles and Folklore
3-4:30 p.m. at Avalon Area, Shelter 106
Join a naturalist in building a historic witch bottle and learning more about Maryland folklore. This program includes topics that may not be suitable for younger participants, ages 13 and up recommended. Signup required, limited to 15 participants.
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October 10: Patapsco Valley History Ride
10-noon at Avalon Area, William Offutt Johnson History Center
Patapsco Valley’s history is full of creation and destruction, and its future is full of promise. Led by a naturalist, you’ll take a mostly flat and paved 6-mile bike tour of the Avalon Area to discover the past, present, and upcoming potential of the areas that make up Maryland’s oldest state park. Participants will need to provide their own bicycles and safety gear. Signup required, limited to 15 participants. Weather permitting.
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October 11: Tricks and Trails Scavenger Hunt
2-3 p.m. p.m. McKeldin Area, Ranger Station
Get into the Halloween spirit with a nature inspired spooky scavenger hunt on the trails! Join this guided hike on Spring Glen to discover where the natural and unnatural worlds meet! Signup encouraged, limited to 20 participants. Great for kids!
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October 12: Frankentoys
11 a.m. - noon at Avalon Area, William Offutt Johnson History Center
Make your own Frankenstein’s monster-inspired stuffed animals with your little one! Discover beginner sewing with needles and thread and learn more about Patapsco’s history with the textile industry and the importance of textile recycling. Signup encouraged, limited to 20 participants. Great for kids!
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October 12: Intro to the Outdoors: Campfires
5-6 p.m. Hilton Area Youth Group Sites.
Responsible fire building is a chemical process, an engineering problem (are you cooking, signaling, or trying to stay warm?), and a social connector. A naturalist will lead you through multiple types of campfires, different ways to light them, and how to follow Leave No Trace principles related to fire. Sign up encouraged, limited to 20 participants. Weather dependent.
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October 18: Our Closest Neighbor: Luna, the Moon
6:30-8:30 p.m. at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
Do you dare to reach for the stars and touch the lunar surface? Come explore the trials and tribulations of Earth’s most intrepid explorers from early lunar observation to the achievements of the Apollo program! Signup encouraged.
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October 24: Quoth the Raven
5-6:30 p.m. at Soldiers Delight, Aviary
Meet us upon this midnight dreary to create your own blackout poetry from Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest work and be beguiled by our resident ebony bird, the raven. Be thrilled with fantastic terrors, while learning more about two famous Maryland residents: Edgar Allan Poe and his stately inspiration. Signup required, recommended for ages 16 and up. Limited to 15 participants.
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October 25: All That Slithers
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
Many people believe snakes to be creepy, strange, even dangerous animals - but is that really true? Join a naturalist to learn about the real lives and importance of snakes, create snake crafts, and meet our very own Scales & Tales snake ambassador to demystify these misunderstood creatures. Signup required, limited to 20 participants. Rain or shine.
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October 26: (Broom) Stickin’ Around
10-noon at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
Join us in Red Dog Lodge to create your own witch’s broom! Learn about the spooky history of Soldiers Delight and the natural history of the trees your broomsticks come from! Ages 10 and up, signup required. Limited to 15 participants. Rain or shine.
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Save the date for these upcoming programs!
November 2: Sustainable Wind Chimes
1-3 p.m. at Avalon Area, William Offutt Johnson History Center
Get crafty with park naturalists by creating homemade wind chimes using invasive species and found objects from here at the park. Signup required. Limited to 15 participants.
November 2: Mining History Hike
2-4:30 p.m. at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
Join Volunteer Ranger and mining historian Johnny Johnsson on a 2-mile Mining History Hike to the historic Choate chromium mine. The history of mining in Soldiers Delight will be supplemented by demonstration of mining artifacts. Participants will have the opportunity to pan and buddle chrome sands (kind of like panning for gold). This program is a great family program for the ages of 10 and up, parents are welcome. Signup encouraged, limited to 25 participants.
November 14: Guided Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Hike
1-3 p.m. Avalon Area, Lost Lake
Join a naturalist in learning more about traditional ecological knowledge and the impact Indigenous ways of knowing have on current natural resource management and parks projects. Grist Mill is a paved trail accessible to wheelchair users and strollers. Signup encouraged.
November 15: NAHM Storytime and Craft
10:30-11:30 a.m. at Soldiers Delight Visitor Center
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a child-focused storytime and craft! Appropriate for all ages. Signup encouraged.
A message from our Friends...
Friends' October is packed with can't-miss events at PVSP! On October 11, join us and our Korean community partners in the Hollofield Area for Korean Community Day, where we'll dedicate a new meditation pavilion with live music and performances.
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The following weekend, October 18-19, the Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League State Finals return to the Pickall Area, with student athletes competing on the Schools Out Loop.
We close the month on October 25 with the Patapsco 50K, now in its 12th year, challenging runners on rugged trails-including many of the new routes built near CCBC.
Sign up for the Friends Newsletter on their website!
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ADVISORY: Avian Influenza in Maryland
Highly Pathogenic H5 Avian Influenza (HPAI), often called “bird flu,” should be considered endemic throughout Maryland’s wild bird populations, especially waterfowl and raptors. Risk to human and pet health is low and outdoor activities are safe, but some precautions are advised. Anyone who sees sick or dead birds in the wild should not handle or move the birds, but should report them by calling 1-877-463-6497 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or leave a voicemail) or if in a Maryland State Park, they can also be reported to a park ranger.
Unless otherwise noted, events are held rain or shine, free and fun for all ages; donations are always welcome. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
Dress for the weather/activity, wear sunscreen and insect repellent, bring plenty of water and snacks, and remember to check for ticks.
Please call 410-461-5005 for additional information or to register.
Patapsco Valley staff also manages Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area and Morgan Run Natural Environment Area.
Join Patapsco Heritage Greenway for 2025 events. Learn more on their website.
Save Our Pollinators!
Donate today to support butterfly and bumblebee
habitat and education in state parks!
Donations in any amount are a helpful way to make a difference. Thank you!
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 Annual Pass Available for Purchase
$75 for Marylanders; $100 for out-of-state visitors
Our annual State Park and Trail Passport grants unlimited day-use admission and boat launching at state parks, and a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions and boat rentals.
To enhance convenience and value, this year's pass will arrive in a self-contained packet with a detachable hang-tag, and will be valid for a full year from the month of purchase.
Our network of 75 state parks include more than 900 miles of trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding, as well as unique water access and camping facilities.
First Responders & Law Enforcement Discount:
$40 off the Annual Park Pass, which provides unlimited day-use entry to all Maryland State Parks, plus free boat launching and discounts on concessions and boat rentals.
Offer good for Maryland residents only.
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