Between school and extracurriculars, our adventures took a dip this fall. We squeezed in hikes and playground time when we could. On a sunny October afternoon, I was feeling stir crazy, so I dragged the family out to the Piney Orchard Nature Preserve in Odenton, MD for a short hike. I’ve blogged about this place before, and we had been here at least twice the previous spring. What a difference the seasons make!
Like our last visit, we parked in the small paved lot on Sandy Walk Way, off Piney Orchard Parkway in Odenton. Trail access begins across the street. There are no restrooms, FYI.
We set out on the paved Lone Wolf Trail, stopping at Red Maple Swamp Observation Platform. This time of year, though, we discovered there was no swamp!
We continued down the path, and turned onto the trail that leads to, and then circles, Duck Cove Pond. This is where the pavement ended.
The pond was beautiful in the fall light with the colored leaves everywhere. We circled the pond slowly. Pebble busily collected rocks that she then tossed into the still waters. We saw beaver lodges, but no beavers, and no waterfowl either.
We turned left onto Wood Duck Way, and left again onto Fox Den Loop. We spotted a garter snake, which Stormy attempted to pick up, but it was too fast for her. We also spotted an egret fishing in the marsh.
There were few other hikers, and all three girls had a blast exploring. Stormy turned every fallen log and stump into climbing obstacles. Pebble found a gorgeous red leaf, and Rainbow spotted some pretty yellow flowers.
We didn’t circle all of the Fox Den loop, but took the Piney Path over to the Heron Loop which led us back to Wood Duck Way.
It wasn’t a strenuous or long hike, but the fresh air and family time made it priceless! Plus the light this time of year gives everything a golden hue. There were also some great hills for the kids to roll down right next to the parking lot. Happy trails!
