Patuxent Branch Trail
This 3.5 mile trail (250.7 acres) connecting Lake Elkhorn with Vollmerhausen Road in Savage offers easy walking in a scenic and historic setting along the Little Patuxent River.
Amenities: Paved parking lots are available at the Pratt Bridge (Guilford Road) and at the southern end on Vollmerhausen Road where a lot is shared with Wincopin Trail hikers. Facilities: Portable toilets in both the Pratt Bridge and Wincopin Trail parking lots. None at Lake Elkhorn. Trails: From Lake Elkhorn to the Pratt Bridge, the wide path is paved; from that point to Vollmerhausen Road, it is packed crushed gravel. At both ends of the Pratt Bridge, clusters of informational signs with maps, text, and photographs detail the area’s industrial history.
Handicapped Access: The paved northern half is the easier section to navigate. Parking in the Pratt Bridge lot on Guilford Road provides the best handicapped access. (There is no public lot immediately adjacent to the trail at Lake Elkhorn, although hikers often use the southernmost portion of a business lot on Broken Land Parkway, especially on weekends and holidays.) At the trail’s southern end, there is a relatively steep slope of several hundred yards (with sidewalk) between the lot, which is shared with Wincopin Trail hikers, and the southern entrance to the Patuxent Branch Trail. Overall, the trail is mostly level with a few gentle grades.
Habitat: The restored Pratt Railroad Bridge (ca. 1902) divides the 3.5 mile Patuxent Branch Trail almost in two. North of the bridge the paved path consists of wooded wetlands and some second-growth interspersed with occasional openings, a few boardwalks cross wetland, and short bridges cross tributaries as the trail winds behind business parks along the east side of the sandy-bottomed Little Patuxent River. The trail passes beneath several heavily trafficked highways, eventually going through a tunnel beneath Broken Land Parkway to emerge at the west end of Lake Elkhorn. South of the railroad bridge, the trail continues after crossing the river to the west side where packed crushed gravel replaces asphalt. In this section, mostly mature deciduous trees dominate much of the floodplain and climb some of the steep slopes that were once granite quarries. A few isolated remnant native pines still exist; occasional planted conifers and ornamentals are seen in spots along the entire trail. Scattered openings in both sections provide a limited view of the sky. These open areas have enabled an extensive variety of invasive plant species to become established. The more shaded southern section has more native species.
Layout: The Patuxent Branch Trail is built on the bed of a narrow gauge railroad that served the area’s granite quarries moving stone from Guilford to Savage along the banks of the Little Patuxent River. A sewerline runs along the river, although not always on the same side as the trail. In both sections, dirt or paved paths lead off east and west to businesses or houses in Kings Contrivance and Allview Estates. This is one of the few properties in the county with mileage markers, a helpful addition. It would be hard to get lost. Large maps of the trail and the surrounding neighborhoods are posted at each end of the trail, at the Pratt Bridge, and in Savage Park. Where paths enter at small wooden bridges, take advantage of the viewing potential of the river upstream and down. Traffic noise, particularly in the northern section can be annoying. Despite that distraction, the trail is popular with hikers, bikers, and family groups (some with buggies or strollers), as well as nature enthusiasts. Because the trail is shared with bikers sometimes traveling at higher speeds, it is prudent to stay near the edge of the trail or step off for extended scanning.
Most of the wetlands lie in the northern section where the gradient is low and the river placid. In the southern section, the river becomes much rockier as it approaches the Fall Line; the floodplain becomes more narrow; and wooded slopes on each side of the river are steeper. Combining a walk around Lake Elkhorn with an extension along a portion of the Patuxent Branch Trail offers a fine combination of habitats. At the southern end, it is possible to connect with trails in Savage Park by following Vollmerhausen Road east to Patuxent Valley Middle School. Go along the west edge of the school property to the rear of the building for the connection.
Compilers: Joanne Solem and Tom Miller
