Oregon Ridge Park is a park in
Cockeysville, Maryland. The park features walking and hiking trails,
nature center, picnic and recreation areas, a lodge, and
cross-country skiing and sledding.
The park is the location of an annual
Fourth of July
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
celebration, which includes a concert by the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
History
The site for the park was originally owned by
John Merryman during the 1800s.
The park was built on the site of some abandoned
Goethite
Goethite (, ) is a mineral of the diaspore group, consisting of iron(III) oxide-hydroxide, specifically the "α" polymorph. It is found in soil and other low-temperature environments such as sediment. Goethite has been well known since ancient t ...
(iron ore) and
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
quarries
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
dating back to the 1830s.
One of the quarries has long since filled with water. It was then used for many years for swimming, with an added sand beach.
The park was previously used for
downhill skiing in the 1960s, but warmer temperatures in the region and the cost of artificially producing snow made this usage impractical.
Remnants of the lifts are still present, and the main slope is used as a seating area for outdoor concerts.
In 1990, the park acquired the Merryman Tract, which includes the valley of the
Baisman Run,
expanding to the south of the original park area.
Gallery
File:OregonRidgeTurtles.jpg, Turtles at Oregon Ridge Nature Center
File:OregonRidgeFarm.jpg, Outdoor animal exhibit
File:OregonRidgeJulyFireworks.jpg, Fireworks on 4th of July
File:Oregon ridge music stage.jpg, The main stage
External links
Oregon Ridge Park home pageOregon Ridge Nature Center home pageEntrance to Oregon Ridge on Google Street View
References
{{Nature centers in Maryland
Cockeysville, Maryland
Parks in Baltimore County, Maryland
Nature centers in Maryland