North Point State Park Hike (PQ)

I think each new park quest that we complete winds up being my favorite.... This will be a long entry, but I have so much to share because I found it so incredibly interesting! Today, on this heat-index-of-107 degree day, the we chose to partake in a 2.3 hike to complete our Park Quest at North Point State Park (Sans hubby! yes... as I was hiking the trail carrying an extra 30lbs of 2 year old on my back and my 4 year old trailing behind me I was asking myself "am I CRAZY!?").  Don't worry we took extra precautions of using a trackable hiking GPS so hubby knew where we were along our trek, and brought plenty of water & food  along "just in case".We got the hike done by 11am including stopping for a snack break along the trail. I will certainly say, this quest would have been more enjoyable had the heat index been a little lower! Waterfalls of sweat aside, I'm very proud of us! I will say the payoff here was worth it, the history of this place itself was right up my alley -- and we had the opportunity to see a great horned owl in broad daylight.

One of the oldest farming fields in western hemisphere

This state park, yet again, was probably one that we might not have visited if it weren't for Park Quest. Our family tends to gravitate to the more hilly/mountainous trail parks. But, in this quest, it was almost as if we were walking in the footsteps of the thousands of people who used this park from it's earliest inhabitants (9000 years ago, yes NINE THOUSAND!) and up through  its golden years as an amusement park in the 1920's -- this fact made it very intriguing.


We had to follow a series of clue-stops on trails that took us through various parts of the park. Along the trail, we were asked to look at plant life/vegetation and identify certain types of native and invasive plants (sassafras, poison ivy/oak, wineberry etc.). We walked past one of THE OLDEST farm fields in the western hemisphere (photographed left) this field has been continuously farmed since the 1600's!  

The trail here used to be the trolly line, and ahead behind the
fence was the trolly station.

As we continued our hike we learned about the history of the area, which was used in the early 1900's as an amusement park. An eerie feeling when we learned that the narrow hiking trail we were walking on used to be a trolly line that took people from baltimore to the amusement park (left). The area of shrubbery photographed right used to be the bandstand. 


The only reminders that this area now overgrown with vegetation, was once an amusement park are the remaining fountain, the visitors center, and of course the old, unkempt remnants of a sidewalk. It was here at the fountain that we saw a rarity -- a great horned owl, sitting in the center of the fountain in broad daylight. A., did have a question... If owls are nocturnal, why was this one out during the day? We asked the park rangers -- they weren't sure, they thought there was a possibility that he was sick or injured... We hope not! Click photos to enlarge.

The great horned owl in the
center of the historical fountain

This was once a bandstand

imagine this sidewalk when the park
was in use in the early 1900's. Once
connecting parts of the park, now over-
grown with shrubbery and trees.

Below, photographs remnants of the sidewalk that used to connect the different parts of the amusement park, and also historical photographs of the fountain, trolley station when it was in use, and parts of the amusement park.

View of area in 1906 -- Notice how few
trees compared to now!

Trolley station when it was in use

View of the fountain & visitors
center

Old advertisements for Bayshore
Park

Our journey through the past continued as we came upon our last stop -- the crystal pier (now in ruins), stretches out 1000 feet into the bay, and was once hustling & bustling with buildings, people, & games.

Crysal Pier Then

View of Crystal Pier today

At the base of the pier looking
 out towards the end of it

Below our PQ Passport stamp

And for our memories, the original Quest description:

Baltimore's Bucolic and Historic Gateway

Introduction To Quest

The North Point State Park Quest will allow participants to explore the history of the North Point peninsula: from the time of European settlement, to the War of 1812, to Bayshore Amusement Park, up to the present-day. Park Quest participants will participate in a scavenger hunt/self-guided tour where they will find traces of Maryland history, as well as learn about the unique role the Chesapeake Bay plays in our environment.

Quest Information

North Point State Park welcomes Park Quest participants daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quest participants are encouraged to visit Wednesday through Friday in order to see the Takos Visitor Center. When arriving at the park, please notify the gatehouse attendant that your party is participating in Park Quest, so that they can provide your party with instructions. Quest participants are strongly encouraged to visit on weekdays, as the park often fills to capacity on summer weekends. If the park is filled to capacity, you may not be able to complete the Quest.

Quest participants will obtain a scavenger hunt form that will give clues as the whereabouts of several historic sites and natural features. Each site will have a letterbox. These stops will include the trolley station, the Crystal Pier, a water fountain and the site of the former Bayshore restaurant, among others.

Park Information

North Point State Park is located in Baltimore County on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and is surrounded by beautiful and fascinating natural and historical resources. It consists of 1,310 acres off North Point Road in Edgemere. The Defenders Trail was used during the War of 1812 and passes near the park. North Point was also the site of Bay Shore Amusement Park, a popular destination for summer visitors from 1906 through 1947. Visitors can see the original trolley station and water fountain, which have been restored. North Point is rich in natural beauty. Come see how Mother Nature reclaimed the land where the amusement park once stood. The park has scenic views overlooking the water, a wading beach, a fishing pier and hiking trails that lead you around the park and through protected Wildlands.