You’ll be surprised that an area such as Soldiers Delight can possibly exist as you drive to get there. It’s located in a bustling suburban area in Baltimore County, Maryland, just off one of the busier roads in the county.
Hike An Oasis Of Calm
Once you arrive, you’ll next find yourself amazed that Soldiers Delight is a quiet oasis amidst rampant development. Four trails loop through the Soldier’s Delight area, offering woods and panoramic views of grassland along the way.
You can begin your hike from the Visitor’s Center, where you can park until sunset. At the center, you’ll have access to water and bathrooms. The Serpentine Trail lies just behind the Visitor’s Center. The loop can be picked up either directly behind the Center, or on the right-hand side of the entrance to the Center.
Access The Trails Of Soldiers Delight
The Serpentine Trail is 2.5 miles in length and carries you through a grasslands area. Known as a “serpentine barrens,” it’s home to a variety of rare plants. The rock beneath is called serpentinite and is made up of heavy metals. This has created a heavy metal-rich soil that makes it challenging for the area to support a raucous conglomeration of plant varieties to survive. This is what makes the area barren—the inability to nourish plants due to the thin, nutrient-poor soil.
The trail offers a vast expanse of meadowland—considering the area it’s in-that looks out over a variety of grasses, putting you in mind not so much of Maryland terrain but maybe that of a Midwestern prairie. There are also areas that are going through prescribed burns to remove an invasion of Virginia pines in order to return the serpentine ecosystem to its natural state.
Along the Serpentine Trail are two small stream crossings. There are small logs and rocks available to cross upon, so your shoes should remain dry if you step easy. The trail will then meander uphill, taking you past several areas that have gone through a prescribed burn, characterized by charred wood and scorched earth.
The other three trails can be accessed just north of the Visitor’s Center by crossing Deer Park Road at the overlook parking lot. The Choate Mine Trail can be picked up across the road either north or south of the overlook. Which end you choose will depend on whether you wish to immediately see the Choate Mine and airshaft, used to mine chromite until the mid-19th Century, or if you’d like to delay gratification. The south entrance closest to the Visitor’s Center will bring you directly to the mine.
The north entrance of the Choate Mine Trail will also bring you to the mine, but it can also be used to launch your hike from the opposite end and bring you to the mine last. Either access point will lead to all three trails, which you can add on to your trek in order to extend the length of your hike.
End your hike as close to sunset as possible. Picnic tables behind the Visitor’s Center will give you a front seat view of the setting sun, and eat dinner by nature’s remarkable version of candlelight.
Desiree Smith - I am a freelance writer and editor specializing in health and wellness topics, and have an enduring love of the outdoors. I most recently ...
