Soldier's Delight Serpentine Barrens Maryland Natural Environment Areaeauty Spot

Want to see geologic features, ultra rare flora and fauna, and early American industrial know how, then you must make a visit soon!

To be perfectly honest - I'd prefer if nobody heeds my advice and goes to visit this site, my own personal getaway, unless it's one of the day's I'm not visiting! Given my extreme love of this site, that means I'm here fairly often. Not to say I mind exchanging hello's with the great, friendly people who frequent this unique resource area, but I enjoy getting swallowed in it's haunting landscape, especially at dusk when one can relax at the main trail head pull off and watch the stars come out.

I have always preferred natural resource management areas to your cookie cutter local parks, which has to cater to those who just want to transport their living rooms, including noisy children, gastronomical suicide diets and loud music to the "great outdoors". Natural resource management areas are there to preserve some slice of land, however large, because it has some element worth protecting.

In the case of Soldier's Delight, this Natural Environment Area is comprised of 1,900 acres of serpentine barren. The area has over 39 rare, threatened, or endangered plant species as well as rare insects, rocks and minerals. Rare grassland plant species are threatened by invasion of Virginia Pines. Currently, a five year effort of removing 1,000 acres of pines and prescribed burning are underway to return the area to natural serpentine habitat.

Planning your visit -

There are seven miles of marked hiking trails. Equestrians and cyclists are prohibited due to the sensitive nature of the area. The visitor center has meeting rooms, a reference library and exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the area. The visitor center is located at 5100 Deer Park Road in Owings Mills, Maryland. Call in advance to get current visitor center hours and upcoming events.

Soldiers Delight NEA is located in Baltimore CountySoldiers Delight is reached via I-795, to Franklin Blvd. west, right at Church Road, left on Berrymans Lane, then left on Deer Park Road.Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area
5100 Deer Park Road
Owings Mills MD 21117
GPS 39.40944 76.83537Contact Soldiers DelightPhone: (410) 461-5005