Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP) Avalon/Orange Grove
5120 South Street, Halethorpe MD 21227
Amenities: Visitor center, restrooms, picnic shelters, playgrounds..
Special Attractions: In addition to birds, this was once an industrial area where the river was used to power textile mills. There are several informational signs. The Thomas Viaduct, swinging bridge, visitor center, and railroad artifacts are all remnants of this era. Level paved trails on both sides of the Patapsco River, extensive picnic areas and playgrounds, an historic swinging bridge, rich history, plus miles of trails on the wooded slopes make this one of the most popular sections of Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP). It is a fee area.
Handicapped Access: There are accessible restrooms at Avalon and Orange Grove. The large, paved Avalon parking lot has good views of the lawn and meadow, as well as the wooded slopes behind. There is a level 0.2-mile section of paved and gravel trail leading downstream from the parking area. At Orange Grove there is a large, paved parking lot; two handicapped parking spaces are also placed at the entrance to the River Road Trail, which is level and paved for most of its length. The pedestrian swinging bridge may be crossed to access the paved wheelchair accessible 1.7 mile Grist Mill Trail. This riverside trail has level to moderate slopes. (The southern end of the Grist Mill Tail may also be reached by driving to the Lost Lake area on the Baltimore County side.)
Habitat: Most of the Avalon/Orange Grove Area is wooded floodplain forests along the Patapsco River or upland tulip poplar and oak deciduous forest on moderate to steep hillsides. There are areas of coniferous forest at some stream cuts. There are multiple small stream valleys entering the river. Avalon has extensive mown grass and meadow areas.
Layout: There are more than eight miles of trails along the river and in upland forest in the Avalon and Orange Grove areas in Howard County west of the river. Another nine miles of trails are in Baltimore County on the east side in the Hilton and Glen Artney areas.
This section of the park south of Ellicott City extends downstream from the pedestrian bridge crossing at Ilchester Rd almost four miles to the Patapsco River bridge at US 1. The Patapsco River in this area forms the boundary between Howard County and Baltimore County. There is only one entrance by car to the Avalon/Glen Artney/Orange Grove area of the park, and this is from South Street in Relay. This gated entrance is just 50 yards north of Washington Blvd. (U.S. 1). The 1.2-mile entrance road starts at the south end in Baltimore County, passes under the historic Thomas Viaduct railroad bridge and the high Interstate 95 bridge, and ends at Gun Rd. (a T junction with a stop sign). At this point, the land on both sides of the river is known as the Avalon Area. It is named after the historic community, long since vanished in a flood save for the viaduct and a historic house containing the Avalon Visitors Center, which is open 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends.
Howard County Layout (west side) – Turn left at the T junction (Gun Rd.); almost immediately cross the Patapsco River into Howard County and turn right at the dead end (River Rd.), which parallels the west side of the river. The paved road is multi-use for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as vehicles. This section of the Avalon
Area contains picnic shelters, a playground, and restrooms. A pay telephone is located here. One and a half miles farther along River Road is the Orange Grove Area with picnic areas and restrooms. An historic swinging bridge over the river provides a pedestrian crossing. From this point north, the road is for pedestrians only. It
continues as a partly paved path 0.7 miles upstream along the river, ending at the historic Bloede Dam (now removed).
Extensive acreage upslope from the Avalon and Orange Grove areas contains more than 8.0 miles of connecting trails. Trail maps are posted on informational signs outside each restroom. Wooden signs mark trail entrances. Before the entrance road opens at 9:00 a.m., early morning birders can access the park from several other points in Howard County: Ilchester Rd. on the north (parking on the shoulder in Baltimore County after Ilchester Rd. crosses the Patapsco River and becomes Hilltop Rd.) and Landing Rd. on the park’s west side (shoulder parking). Both are described in more detail below.
Baltimore County Layout (east side) – A right turn at the entrance road T junction (Gun Rd.) leads to the Avalon Visitor Center. Continue along the park road on the east side (Baltimore County) to Lost Lake. The 1.6 mile paved Grist Mill Trail continues upriver to a pedestrian bridge which crosses back into Howard County at Ilchester Road below Ellicott City.
The upslope Glen Artney Area, containing picnic areas and more than five miles of trails, is reached from Lost Lake through a railroad underpass and park roads. Farther north in Baltimore County, the Hilton Area is connected by more than four miles of trails to the other areas; it is reached by road from a separate entrance. Before the entrance road opens at 9:00 a.m., early morning birders can access the park from several other points in Baltimore County. Gun Rd. dead ends at a small parking lot just outside the park near the Avalon Visitor Center. Birders can park on Hilton Ave. and walk into the Hilton Area which connects by trail to the Orange Grove Area. A
parking lot on Hilltop Rd. gives access to the river by way of the Buzzard Rock Trail.
For more information on this state park, see Patapsco Valley State Park.
Compilers: Scott Berglund and Steve Schwemmer.
