Oregon Ridge Park is located north of Baltimore in the town of Cockeysville, Maryland. Oregon Ridge has hiking trails, a Nature Center, a lake that allows swimming, and picnic areas. During the summer the lake is very popular. If you don’t want to swim, you can enjoy a nice view of the lake from the adjacent hiking trail. The other park trails also have overlook spots at the top of the ridge. The main overlook is the site of the annual Baltimore County 4th of July celebration with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and fireworks. In the winter, the slopes are popular for cross country skiing and sledding–in fact, the park used to be a ski resort.
The Nature Center at Oregon Ridge is one of the larger nature centers in the area and has a lot to offer. Inside the center there are exhibits that show local wildlife including snakes, turtles, frogs, and bees. Outside, many trees have been marked so that you can learn about the native species in the area. You can also see chickens and ducks outside next to the museum. Throughout the park there are archaeology exhibits about the mining that took place in the 1800s and the people who used to live here. The swimming lake itself is an exhibit of mining, because it used to be a quarry.
For more information about the park visit the Oregon Ridge website and the Nature Center website.
