From Traillink.com
The Patuxent Branch Trail is part of a 20-mile trail system over
and around the rolling hills of Howard County that follows a former
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line along the Patuxent River. The
trail begins in Savage Park. Follow signs along the trail
indicating the direction to Lake Elkhorn. When you reach Vollmer
Hausen Road, turn left and stay on the sidewalk to find the trail
where it picks up on the other side of the road at the bottom of
this short hill. A crosswalk eases you across this busy road. A
little more than half of the trail is paved, and the other half has
a gravel surface. A small portion of the trail includes a bridle
path. Ten bridges help keep you dry as you travel through this
flood plain. The most impressive, the 1902 Guilford Pratt Truss
Bridge, is a symbol of Howard County's two most important
industries-the railroad and the granite quarry. Signs along the
trail explain the historical significance of both industries, and
the trail will take you straight through the grounds of a quarry
that operated until 1928. The rail-trail ends at Lake Elkhorn, but
picnic facilities, a playground, parking, a boat slip, and a
walking and biking path around the lake may keep you going. Or you
can head back to the Savage Park entrance of the Patuxent Branch
Trail and pick up the flatter and shorter Savage Mill Trail that
begins just a few blocks away.
To access the Savage Park entrance from Interstate 95, take MD
Route 32 (Patuxent Parkway) east, and then turn right on US Route 1
(Baltimore Washington Blvd.), heading south toward Laurel. Turn
right on Gorman Road, and then turn right on Foundry Street. Turn
left onto Washington Street and follow it to the end, where you
take a right onto Fair Street, which ends at the park. Take the
road in the parking lot to the right until it ends at a smaller
parking lot at the trailhead. To access the Lake Elkhorn entrance
from Interstate 95, take MD Route 32 (Patuxent Parkway) west and
then take the Broken Land Parkway north toward Owen Brown. The lake
(and a parking lot next to the playground and boat slip) will be on
your right.
 Kid Friendly  Lunchtime
Cache  Poison Plant Alert  Thorns
 No
Wheelchair Access  Dogs Allowed
 Restricted hours
 Bicycles
permitted on paths  Snakes
 Swimming Nearby
 Accessible
in Winter
 Mud!  Fire Danger, No Campfires
 Beware of Muggles!  Bring a pen or pencil  Ticks
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