Henryton and the HoCo Thru Trail

Patapsco Valley State Park

interactive map link

Just down the road from my parking for an excursion east of Marriottsville, I pulled into a gravel lot for an excursion west of Marriottsville. I wouldn't have thought this was a legal lot, tucked up next to the active train tracks, except that I found there was already one parked, another pulled in after me, and there's an information kiosk at the end. What I didn't find was either of the trails I planned to hike in a loop of sorts. The train came by right after I got out of the car for a start that was more extraordinarily loud rather than excellent. Wowsa did it ever screech and rumble.

Parking just off the railroad right-of-way access road by an informative kiosk.

My map showed a trail running off the side of the access road to the right and another crossing the rails to wander off left of the tracks. I looked for the one on the right, but couldn't find it. Something to worry about later since it was my planned return route. While pondering some structure on the far side of the tracks, I noticed the trail passing near it. That trail connects with the lot near the road, not near the kiosk.

The mystery structure and a bit of the growth that prevents easy access to the trail further from the road.

So I headed around to find myself on a well pounded in trail into the woods. This is the HoCo (Howard County) Thru Trail, which is not the same Thru Trail I was on when I hiked the eastern area. Throughout the day, it had a number of hikers, bikers, horses, and one hunter carrying his crossbow (weapon) through the non-hunting area. (He shouldn't have been doing that. Hunters have their own parking that allows them closer access to the hunting areas and weapons are not allowed in the other parts of the park, even for purposes of hunting.) It is clearly quite popular.

A retaining wall with some sort of storage built in? There was a much better view of this mystery structure from the trail.

The trail is a narrow but very clear dirt path obscured slightly by the falling leaves.

Not too far from the train tracks below. The South Branch Patapsco River is just a little further.

The trail climbs and winds and leaves behind the tracks somewhat. It also tends to stay higher than the areas that look like they might get a little swampy in other seasons. Colors were on display.

Just a few colors as the trail curves away from the tracks.

Trees around the little streams carving the gaps seemed to have more color.

Nearly a ridge top trail for a stretch.

The tracks retreated to the far side of the South Branch Patapsco River. It would make it a little quieter if another train came by, but none did.

Some tops still have leaves, and color.

South Branch Patapsco River very visible below.

My general plan was to make uphill explorations on the way out and stay by the river, sometimes on a different route than the HoCo Thru Trail, on the way back. The first upward exploration would be a short trail to a loop. I would, expectedly, pass into a hunting area and, unexpectedly, pass through a designated farmland. I had already passed the guy with his crossbow, so knew hunters could be out there, and I still didn't have any orange, which did make me hesitate. On the other hand, there would be an old geocache to be found!

Trail through the farmland. It seems to be fallow this year.

Looking around to the colored trees at the edge.

The farmland is unique enough to the area that there was a sign of explanation on either side. The second one was so far off the side of the trail that I almost didn't notice it. There were other indications that this trail has wandered a bit over the years. The trail up was pretty clear, but the trail down took some effort to follow. It was the nicer stretch though.

A bit of obvious trail makes me feel better.

Colors, sparse as they are.

Treetops.

Down again, I continued on, soon coming to a road. Since my plan to stay closer to the river on the way back required a couple crossings, I surveyed this one. Once there was a bridge, but no longer. Unlike my North Branch crossings, this one would involve wet feet.

Where once there was a bridge to span the South Branch Patapsco River.

The trail crosses the road only to join up with another road (more of a former driveway, now, but with nice new signs for the bridge limits) in order to take advantage of a decaying bridge to cross a larger unnamed creek. Past the bridge, I wasn't clear on which way I should go and took a trail toward the river. Apparently the other way is more official, turning off just before a chain across the old road.

A larger, but unnamed, creek.

More creek.

Lots of other folks like to come this way too.

South Branch Patapsco River.

More river.

It wasn't the first of the climbing trails that "spoke" to me, but the second. I'm not certain why this was so, but there turned out to be attractions along the way. Meanwhile, I had a little more river to walk past.

More of a reflecting pool than a river.

Snack spot under a tree pondering the gravel bars.

Traveling up along a gully now.

When the trail resembled a ditch, I tended to the high route, such as on the left.

I came upon bits of an old homestead. The barn (I expect) was only signed with the park rules: "Park closes at sunset. Alcoholic beverages, weapons, camping, fires, motorized vehicles on trails prohibited." Nothing about the structure history.

The old barn.

Looking from one enclosure to another in the old barn. Not for horses, I expect.

The little graveyard a short way off.

I continued upward. I came upon the same pipeline I've bumped into before and found it hard to find the trail on the far side. Once I did find it, it wasn't so hard to follow. However, the start had been heavily obscured.

Colors along the trail.

Trail signed "Highline" in a rather unofficial looking way.

Passing through the forest.

Passing the pipeline again.

I followed a trail paralleling the pipeline for a bit, and then along the pipeline itself before selecting a trail to travel back down toward the river.

I found northern cardinals again, and this time got a photo of one fellow. Not good, but recognizable.

It seems like a jungle out there.

Past more yellowing forest.

Down to find a stream running along.

My route down also offered up many choices for travel to the river. I went for a particularly circuitous one that would put me on the river near another former bridge and possible crossing.

Briefly on trail beside the stream.

The crossing to follow a trail marked "Colt 45" on my map looks a little like it gets a lot of bicycle use.

Good bye, pretty little water flow!

Less of a jungle where it is drier.

Getting to be very thin leaves at the tops of the tall trees.

Close enough to spot the river below.

A yellow flame of leaves against the sky.

One leaf turning red against the ground.

A tree stands, still leafy and red.

As I arrived at the HoCo Thru Trail once more, the pocket computer wasn't doing well with the position and the marked trails were a little bit off in shape, so I ended up wandering aimlessly the "wrong way" before finding my way down a gully of a trail to the side of the river.

South Branch Patapsco River as it slides past the remnants of a bridge.

This crossing does offer a dry foot option in the form of a tree crossing the river upstream. (There is even some Strava heat to suggest it is getting used.) However, I decided I didn't trust the long section of trail marked paralleling the tracks and railroad access road. Even if it was real, the memory of the pain of standing near a train on those tracks was still a bit fresh and I didn't want to repeat it. I decided to keep to the HoCo Thru Trail for now, traveling a section I hadn't been on anyway along with a short section I had been on.

A piece of HoCo Thru Trail that probably floods frequently.

The tracks are still really close to the trail.

A Carolina chickadee on a branch almost sat long enough for a picture.

I passed a trail marked "no horses" which might be a little steep before the horses of the day arrived via a crossing between the two I was considering. This one didn't appear to be any better than the other two, so I didn't opt for it. It wasn't very deep on the horses, but pretty much any crossing will do if opting to allow wet feet after.

Ruins along the trail.

Going this direction, the higher trail looks most reasonable as I neared the road and crossing. This one passes beside some ruins as the trail takes on the look of old road. It actually shows signs of being old road a few times along this stretch.

A huge brick lined stone chimney and hearth remain. Shortly before, a rock lined cellar also remains.

Bricks are frequently seen on the road to the house.

I headed down to the crossing with a little hope that I might be able to use the lip of the old improved ford to cross with dry feet, but that proved to be absurd. While I might be able to balance on it without the aid of my poles, there are long stretches where the water overtops the lip in just a little too much depth.

The ford from before the bridge, I think.

The trail goes up there on the far side of South Fork Patapsco River.

I pulled off my socks and removed my insoles leaving just my shoes to be saturated with water while crossing. Once on the far side, I walked up to the tracks and sat on an old platform to squeeze out my shoes and get everything in order again.

The Henryton Tunnel to the east. The trees on top are cute.

The tracks are an iron river flowing into the distance.

Once I was happy with the condition of my shoes, or more accurately satisfied they wouldn't be getting better any time soon, I headed off for this last, new bit of trail. The bit of trail that I couldn't find at the start. There's actually a few options of trail on the way. I didn't find the piece closest to the river

Someone plays here. This isn't even the only rope swing in the area.

I ended up passing through a cut in the ridge the train tunnels through before coming back around to those train tracks.

The flat left inside a large curve of South Branch Patapsco River.

For consistency, just as I was about ready to cross the tracks again, a train came by. I could hear it coming far off and paused long before it arrived. It was much less painful to listen to it from a distance.

The train comes screeching past at a distance.

I crossed the bridge on the road access side and then started looking for the indicated trail. Where it is shown on my map is a route down to the river and nothing else. The trail was a little further along. It is often dim, but never invisible as it travels between tracks and river.

South Branch Patapsco River from the railroad bridge.

The bridge looks a little smoothed by the passage of the river over the years.

A dim trail down into the strip of forest between tracks and river.

The lean, the leaves, something feels ideal here.

Walking along, well off the edge of South Branch Patapsco River.

A bit off of the tracks and their access road, too.

Still a fairly dim trail.

Now a little closer to the river.

The trail didn't seem so hard to see as I joined up with the railroad access road again, just a short distance from the parking area.

The last little piece of trail.

I had been worried I was a little late as I started back, but I finished with light and not too cold for having wet feet.


*photo album*




©2026 Valerie Norton
Written 16 Feb 2026