Oregon Ridge

Oregon Ridge Park has been owned and operated by Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks since 1969 and encompasses 1,043 beautiful acres. Constructed in 1983, the Nature Center houses wildlife and nature displays to delight all ages, as well as the library, gift shop, and an auditorium for classes and meetings. The Oregon Ridge Nature Center was created to promote a better appreciation for the environment by offering recreational and educational programs to the public. The Park offers hikers several great trails for nature walks and hikes of varying times and levels of difficulty. The Nature Center is run by full-time naturalists and volunteers who team up to provide such activities as moonlight hikes, bird watching, bee keeping demonstrations, and maple syrup making, to name a few. Special events, including lectures on environmental issues, are offered throughout the year. In the 1840's, Oregon Ridge was the site of mining and quarrying. Today, you can still see the evidence: a narrow valley beneath the bridge is all that remains of an open pit iron ore mine, dug by miners in that era. B.C.P.S. offers elementary educational programs such as animal classification and maple syrup making in order to take full advantage of this environmental gem.