Shervettes Corner

Liberty Reservoir Cooperative Wildlife Management Area

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The Liberty Reservoir Cooperative Wildlife Management Area sits just north of Patapsco Valley State Park. Instead of surrounding a river, it surrounds a lake, or rather a reservoir. The land and lake belong to the City of Baltimore to keep the people hydrated. It is managed by Maryland Department of Natural Resources as more green space. There's also some Environmental Police, but I saw no evidence they're very active. Those who enjoy the green space don't have enough respect for those who provide the green space to keep their dogs, which are required to be leashed but rarely are here, out of the drinking water as requested.

On Old Liberty Road after the gate, a few of the area rules and a second block.

Access to this section of Liberty Reservoir seems to be fairly restricted by the small amount of legal street parking along Old Liberty Road. One side of the road was still empty as I parked, but filling as I squirmed around the barriers and made a bee line for the lake, following the old road nearly until it is buried in the reservoir water that inundated it long ago. My plan was to wander the edge all the way around, then return via some shorter inland route. Along the way there are geocaches to find. That's confusing because the WMA rules state there is no hiding geocaches, but apparently it is easy to get permission.

Liberty Road crosses the reservoir with some fall colors on display below.

Colors on display nearby and across the water.

At the bottom, fire road turns north and a clear path winds south along the shore. The path seems the most utilized route, but there was bike tread on the road.

A well beaten in track down near the water.

The reservoir shore folds frequently.

Many colors along one inlet.

A red bellied woodpecker makes a way up a tree.

There's evergreen pine trees just a short way up.

The trees present their contrasting leaves.

The geocaches were generally inland a little, so I wandered trails that were less beaten down, though still pretty obvious and with trail work showing. Half of them weren't on my map. I managed to follow them pretty directly to my goal, then double back to keep a complete circuit along the water.

Many colors in just one leaf.

Water view framed by colors.

Looking up through a roof of gold.

And out through reds.

Delicate color along some inner trail.

A view out from one of the arms of the reservoir.

As has been happening, the clouds started to move in as the day moved toward afternoon.

More wandering through thinning, yellowing leafy trees.

Rounding past thin fingers of lake water.

Where once flowed the smallest of streams.

A rainbow of trees.

Every shade of yellow.

Eventually the trail ran into a fire road that heads out to a southern point. This point had several good sitting logs for lunching and a view of the dam, so I pondered that view a while with snacks.

The dam holding back the waters of Liberty Reservoir.

Easterly from the end of the fire road.

Westerly from the end of the fire road.

Then I continued on along the edge, or thereabouts. The eastern side seemed to have steeper drops to the water, so sometimes I was a bit higher up than on the west side. It also might have had a little more color.

Looking out through colorful leaves.

Colors sometimes high up.

The water may be just a little more expansive here where the North Fork Patapsco River once flowed.

Why be one color when you can be two?

The nearby colorful trees.

The far off colorful trees.

The clouds seemed to thicken in a threatening way, so I checked the weather report. It stated no chance at all of rain or thunder, but it also claimed I was looking at a mostly blue sky. I could find some, but not much.

Along some higher trail by the lake.

Baltimore's 10 foot wide sippy straw sticking out into the water.

At one bit of trail, I got caught up on a higher route that wasn't even on my map, so I wasn't sure I was on the wrong trail. Eventually it gave me a release down to the trail below showing that it indeed was.

Coming around to where the Liberty Road bridge is visible again. The other bridge.

The water line is quite distinct.

Above another little bay.

Reds have been missing a bit.

Liberty Road across Liberty Reservoir.

Interesting profile of the tree tops back the way I came.

Thick patches of red forming, but much yellow left.

I came to the end of trail beside the reservoir and turned inland to find my way back. Now the missing trails made choices confusing. It's mainly true that any way will do, but some of the ways actually lead onto private property. I made it back with limited clipping of private land.

Traveling inland toward the pines.

The inland trails have some encroaching vegetation.

Almost back to the far side, which might be Snowdens Run.

My way back was only a little inefficient. It's not so bad being inefficient on a walk.


*photo album*




©2026 Valerie Norton
Written 21 Feb 2026