Spotlight: Loch Raven Reservoir

The next time you fill a glass of water from your kitchen tap, there's a decent chance it started at Loch Raven Reservoir. The reservoir is part of a regional drinking-water system serving 1.8 million people, according to Baltimore City's Department of Public Works. 

For those of us in Towson, Lutherville, Timonium, Cockeysville, Phoenix, Glen Arm, and Parkville/Carney, the Loch Raven Reservoir Park is also the closest thing we have to a mountain getaway. Ten minutes after leaving I-695 (the Baltimore Beltway), you can be on a wooded trail.

The trail network is bigger than most people realize. Loch Raven offers somewhere between 50 and 70 miles of trails, and most of them are on the technical side: rooty, rocky, and hilly, which makes them popular with hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers. For hiking, the Merryman’s Mill Trail starts from the parking area on the north side of Dulaney Valley Road between Old Bosley Road and the reservoir bridge. Mountain bikers tend to head for the Glen Ellen trail near Dulaney Valley Road and E Seminary Avenue. You can bring Fido, too, as many of the trails are dog-friendly. 

If you'd rather be on the water, the Loch Raven Fishing Center is your spot. It's at 12101 Dulaney Valley Road in Phoenix and has two concrete boat ramps, and boat rentals run $35 for a standard boat and $66 for a premium. The center is closed Tuesday through Thursday, from Labor Day through the last Sunday in October. The reservoir holds bluegill, crappie, chain pickerel, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, white and yellow perch, and carp. The county also runs a Kayak Share program at the fishing center. One rule to know before you go: swimming is strictly prohibited. 

After a morning on the trails, Peerce's is a short drive up Dulaney Valley Road. It's a Baltimore County tradition going back more than 80 years, and it reopened under the brothers who ran the Ambassador Dining Room in Baltimore City and Ananda in Maple Lawn/Fulton, MD. The drive through the reservoir to get there is part of the experience, and the restaurant has a large patio with fans for sunny days and an outdoor fireplace for cooler nights. Sitting on the patio at Peerce's is one of the best ways to enjoy fall weather.

Right next door, Cloverland Park is getting a makeover. The county project includes a replacement cricket field, a new entry road, a 40-space parking lot, pavilions with team benches, bleachers, and stormwater management upgrades. The field, on track to open in spring 2027, will be the only field in Baltimore County designed specifically for cricket. 

Loch Raven Reservoir Park is truly a sanctuary for both visitors and wildlife alike. But all of this depends on clean water, and that part is on us. Every yard and street in these neighborhoods drains toward the reservoir. When it rains, stormwater picks up whatever's on the ground (fertilizer from lawns, weed killer, pesticides, oil drips from driveways) and carries it through storm drains into streams that feed Loch Raven. The recent diesel spill in Towson showed how fast that happens: fuel from a single generator went into the storm drains and reached a reservoir tributary within hours. Most of our impact is smaller and slower, but it adds up across thousands of homes.

The fixes are easy. Skip fertilizing before a rainstorm, and test your soil before adding more. Pull weeds by hand when you can. Sweep grass clippings and leaves off the street instead of blowing them toward the drain. Fix that oil leak in the driveway. And never pour anything into a storm drain, ever.

If you live near the reservoir or are thinking about moving closer to it, I'd love to help you find your spot. And if you have a favorite trail I haven't hiked yet, send it my way.