Four Nearby Walks

Here is a meander around Shepherd Pratt and Towson University.  There is no cue sheet but it is a walk with many options as you checkout the featured points.  I started from a Shepherd Pratt parking area on a quiet Sunday afternoon.  Parking might generally be better near Auburn House in the event parking for Towson University.  I would still lean toward counter-clockwise the first time, easier to find the fence and the wooded section.

But from the Shepherd Pratt parking lot walk down the Charles street exit to the stream and turn left to walk along the west side of the creek. This is where the old ice pond was, there is a marker but the dam was removed. The path is dirt but wide and well drained. Go over the bridge and turn left toward the athletic fields. Unfortunately there is a locked gate and fence requiring a short bushwhack up the hill following the fence line to the parking lot.  Not bad during the winter.  Head down or left to the stadium and turn right or south toward Auburn House, the alumni facility. Across from the club is a large weeping beech, more interesting in the spring when leafed out.

Continue to Osler drive and turn left, better on the east sidewalk.  Around the hospital you will see a marked 1 mile path with paws on the sidewalk showing the way.  That's elective.  Turn right on Cross Campus Blvd and look for the entry to the Towson arboretum.  It is down hill, near the U store and a summer pavilion. There is a stone path and entry marker.  Some of the trees are identified with plaques. You will pass some historic old stone pavilions and run into another fence.  The trail narrows but does continue on up to the left, you will circle the stone buildings and come out on the campus itself. As seen on the map I turned right, found the main wide campus walk and returned down to Osler Drive.

You walk across the bridge, along some of the new dorms, trending a little left.  The walk could probably extend to the back road to GBMC and circle back to Shepherd Pratt.  But at the first dorms I hit 3 miles so shortcut up the steps on the left, between the dorms, seemed like about 100 steps, but you come out at the old Shepherd tennis pavilion. Go a little south to the main circle around Shepherd and return to the start.

(This is obviously accessible from Church of the Good Shepherd through the Winds but we are thinking mostly of one hour fitness walks)

Features
3.25 miles
some dirt paths and short cross country
A one mile timed walk ( ? St Joseph)
Towson arboretum
Auburn house / weeping beech tree
Towson campus, bridge over Osler
History of Shepherd Pratt on markers
Walking in the steps of F Scott and Zelda
Stops could be the U store/student center next to arboretum

Stream to the old ice pond,between Shepherd Pratt and Towson U

Weeping beech tree by Auburn House, play house in the summer

The cross campus walk back to Osler Drive

Rough map of the circular route. The narrow eastern dogleg is the Arboretum
The right angle above the stream is the cut through the woods ,short but no path.

The second map is just a sample of walks possible in the Riverwood area.  Parking is easy if you decide not to walk over.  The specific walk has three out and back legs with the 3 mile ending at the red marker. You will go around the school and then walk both sides of Roland Run, down to where Hailes/Rider Mill was from 1742 to 1824. (now the convenience store).  The second leg is dirt path but well drained.  I did the legs first along Thornton to the store, then the dirt path east of the Run, then the east road out almost to Joppa, returning to Thornton to make 3 miles.
Features
3 miles
very flat, nice for jogging
Historic site of mill
Some flood control work going on
Many adjacent options could include hills
Trees at the school are numbered, I may have a key if interested

sample of walks possible near Riverwood, generally good for all weather conditions. There was a grain mill at the current convenience store since 1742.  Roland Run valley was fertile.

The next map is a rarely used walk along Stony Run with a loop along Roland Avenue. You could start anywhere, in this case along Roland just below the Eddies shopping center.  I turned left before Cold Spring to avoid the traffic.  An earlier turn would go to Keswick and avoid most of Cold Spring.
At the bottom of the hill near the synagog there is a trail marker where you turn left or north.  The trail is wide and clear, a little muddy in places.  There are crossings to allow walking up the east side of the stream which might be dryer.  At Wynhurst you are in a parking lot briefly. You will see Friends Academy fields and the cathedral on the right.  At Gilman I took the cinder path up the hill and walked around the fields to complete a 3 mile circuit.   The old mulch walking path is missing between the track and the baseball field so you could do the parking lot side until the macadam path starts.  Try the bridge over to Roland Park School as a variation.  Check your pace on the track.

At Cold Spring and Stony Run you can turn south and go to Johns Hopkins returning by Roland Ave to make a 6 mile figure eight loop.

Features
easy access/parking
Stony Run
Cathedral view
Gilman School/Roland Park School
Bridge across Roland Ave
Numerous potential stops

Gilman field in the morning, follow the paved path around the baseball field

The path along Stony Run is the eastern portion. Continuing down to Johns Hopkins would be six miles. Using Roland Ave as a loop gives variety, better footing and can be used out and back by itself in bad weather.

Here is a map of Lake Roland trails, AKA Robert E Lee Park.  There is more information on the website.  There are four main entries, off Club Road by the bridge, off Falls Road south of meadow wood Park, the light rail parking and the lot above the dam.  There is a guided walk 9am Fridays, though often on hiatus in January and February. It starts at the ranger station near the dam.  In almost any weather you can walk up the pink trail to connect with Woodbrook Road, climb the hill, circle the neighborhood, stop at Starbucks or Eddies and return. Without some extensions that will be less than three miles.  Access from the Church of the Good Shepherd is possible, gets to the seven mile range and requires walking along Bellona or Charles.

 The blue trail is most accessible from Ruxton but can be muddy after a rain. In good weather take the blue to the red trail
and then either red or green /red to the dam.  That will be about three miles out and back. The little loop of yellow trail
near the stream and lake is high ground and adds variety.  With the right footwear its all good all the time.