Savage Mill Trail

Savage Mill Trail
	The Savage Mill Trail heading west from the trailhead.
Length	0.8 mi (1.3 km)
Location	Savage Mill, Maryland
Trailheads	Savage Mill
Use	Walking, jogging, biking, fishing, kayaking, and cross-country skiing
Hiking details
Season	Year-round
Months	Year-round
Surface	Asphalt, gravel, and dirt
Right of way	Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

Last updated February 20, 2019

The Savage Mill Trail is a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) rail trail that winds along the Little Patuxent River in Savage, Maryland. The trail was formerly part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's rail corridor through central Maryland, but the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department acquired the land in 1978.

Rail trail railroad bed converted to a recreational trail

A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway track into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding and snowmobiling. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various developments. The term sometimes also covers trails running alongside working railways; these are called "rails with trails". Some shared trails are segregated, with the segregation achieved with or without separation. Many rail trails are long-distance trails.

Savage is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Howard County, Maryland, about 18 miles (29 km) south of Baltimore and 21 miles (34 km) north of Washington, D.C. It is situated close to the city of Laurel and to the planned community of Columbia. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,054. The former mill town is a registered historic place, and has many original buildings preserved within and around the Savage Mill Historic District.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which would have connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. At first this railroad was located entirely in the state of Maryland, with an original line built from the port of Baltimore west to Sandy Hook.

Historical development

Historical significance

The Savage Mill Trail is located in an area that became a major manufacturing center in the early 1800s. Near the beginning of the trail is a textile mill that was built between 1816 and 1823. This mill along with other manufacturing companies in the area utilized the currents of the Little and Middle Patuxent Rivers to power their factories.

At the beginning of the trail is a Bollman truss bridge, which was used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad during the middle of the 19th century. The Bollman truss bridge was invented in 1850 and was the first system to be made entirely of iron. This bridge was built in 1869 and is the only remaining Bollman truss bridge of its design in the country. It is now preserved as a National Historic Landmark.

During the American Civil War, Savage Mill served an important role for the Union Army beginning in 1861. Despite a limited supply of cotton, the mill was used to manufacture canvas for cannon covers and tents. In addition, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line to Savage Mill transported federal troops who occasionally camped in the meadow on the north side of the railroad.

American Civil War Civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865

The American Civil War was a war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865, between the North and the South. The Civil War is the most studied and written about episode in U.S. history. Primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy over the enslavement of black people, war broke out in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina shortly after Abraham Lincoln had been inaugurated as the President of the United States. The loyalists of the Union in the North proclaimed support for the Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States in the South, who advocated for states' rights to uphold slavery.

During the American Civil War, the Union Army referred to the United States Army, the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. Also known as the Federal Army, it proved essential to the preservation of the United States of America as a working, viable republic.

In 2014, the State of Maryland announced that funds were granted to design a bike trail from Savage through the busy Route One Corridor to North Laurel. The next day an 11-year-old boy was struck in a hit and run along the proposed route.^[1]^[2]

North Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The published population was 4,474 at the 2010 census. This population was substantially less than the CDP's population in 2000, and was the result of an error in defining the boundary prior to tabulation and publication of 2010 Census results. The corrected 2010 Census population is 20,259. North Laurel is adjacent to the City of Laurel, which is located across the Patuxent River in Prince George's County.

Trail's history and evolution

The Howard County Recreation and Parks Department acquired the Savage Mill Trail in 1978. At the time, the rails had all been torn up and the pathway was completely made of dirt. Rangers from the Parks Department covered a majority of the trail with gravel in 1980, and a fresh layer of gravel is added every eight to ten years. The trail has not undergone any significant extensions or renovations since it was acquired by the Parks Department.

Trail development

Design and construction

The Savage Mill Trail winds along the Little Patuxent River through the grounds of an old cotton mill. A majority of the trail is flat and covered with gravel, and it is accessible for wheel chairs, bikes, and strollers. Towards the end of the 1-mile trail it turns into dirt before ending abruptly in the middle of a forest. A majority of the trail is surrounded by trees on one side with views of the Little Patuxent River on the other. There are a couple of picnic tables and benches located along the path, and the trail averages about 10 feet in width.

Trail amenities

Parking for the Savage Mill Trail is located along Foundry Street, where up to twenty cars are able to fit. From Foundry Street, it is a very short walk to the start of the trail. Once on the trail, visitors can enjoy a picnic lunch at one of two picnic areas overlooking the Little Patuxent River. There are also five intervals along the trail where visitors can access the riverbank via sets of wooden stairs or small pathways.

Community

Trail supporters

The Savage Mill Trail is managed by the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department. The Parks Department is responsible for all maintenance and repairs of the trail. In addition, the Department provides four rangers per day during the summer to monitor visitor behavior and ensure that the trail is kept in quality condition.

Special events

There are several annual cleanups that occur along the Savage Mill Trail. Every April, members from Project Clean Stream come to the trail and clean up trash along the Little Patuxent River. Then in September, members from International Coastal Cleanup come to the trail and again clean up the area along the Little Patuxent River. Finally, members of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab host an annual trail cleanup in late October or early November.

In addition to trail cleanups, the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department is in the middle of its 5-year Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas. Members of the local community are encouraged to hike Howard County trails, including the Savage Mill Trail, and take pictures of any nature that they find.

The Savage Mill Trail is also the location for occasional community group gatherings. Columbia Dogs on the Go, a local dog-walking group in Maryland, is one group that holds events for its members to walk their dogs along the trail.

Flora and fauna

There are ten notable bird species that inhabit the Savage Mill Trail.^[3] Each of these birds can be spotted along the trail between March and May with the exception of the great egret, which can be found between August and November. These birds include:

In addition, there are four types of mammals that inhabit the Savage Mill Trail and are most often spotted during the warm months of the year:

Finally, the Little Patuxent River is home to over seven species of fish. The Parks Department stocks the river with trout during the first week of October, the last week of February, and the first week of March. Fishermen can expect to find the following fish when visiting the trail:

Bluegill

Trees lining the Little Patuxent River, which runs adjacent to the Savage Mill Trail
Brown trout
Carp
Golden trout
Rainbow trout
Redeye bass
White sucker

In addition to wildlife, the Savage Mill Trail is home to seven different types of trees. White and red oaks line a large part of the trail, but all of the trees include:

Beechwood
Eastern white pine
Hickory
Northern red oak
Sugar maple
Tulip tree
White oak

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References

↑ Luke Lavoie (5 September 2014). "Howard, Laurel granted state funds for bike path projects". The Baltimore Sun.
↑ Collin Campbell (6 September 2014). "11-year-old bicyclist injured in Laurel hit-and-run Anne Arundel police searching for old, red minivan with tinted windows". The Baltimore Sun.
↑ "Savage Mill Trail". Birding Howard County, Maryland. Retrieved 7 October 2011.

External links

Coordinates: 39°8′4″N76°49′30.4″W / 39.13444°N 76.825111°W / 39.13444; -76.825111

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[1] Luke Lavoie (5 September 2014). "Howard, Laurel granted state funds for bike path projects". The Baltimore Sun.

[2] Collin Campbell (6 September 2014). "11-year-old bicyclist injured in Laurel hit-and-run Anne Arundel police searching for old, red minivan with tinted windows". The Baltimore Sun.

[3] "Savage Mill Trail". Birding Howard County, Maryland. Retrieved 7 October 2011.