Morgan Run Offers a Wilderness Experience, Just Down the Road

Despite our urban surroundings, there are still a few wild places left to explore in the area. This trail follows the Morgan Run creek with surprising seclusion and excellent opportunities for a truly natural experience.

Morgan Run Natural Environmental Area (NEA) is located just across the Carroll County line. To access the creek ravine trail, visit the trailhead off Klees Mill Road in Eldersburg. Morgan Run NEA features 1400 acres of natural land to explore. In addition to the creek ravine trail, there are additional trails that access plains and oak forest regions for a much different experience.

This trail may be fairly difficult to the novice hiker. As you hike along, the trail rises up to the top of the ridge overlooking the creek and then back down along the shore again. The trail repeats this pattern with steep grades and rocky terrain throughout.

While hiking is a great way to experience this area, there are other things to do during your visit as well. Some of the trails are open to horseback riding and the plains areas provide excellent place for bird watching.

For anglers, the Morgan Run offers great opportunities for fly fishing. You can find brown and rainbow trout hiding out under logs and outcrops along several sections of this trail. It is important to note that there is a strict catch-and-release policy in affect for this area and bait is limited to artificial lures only. Maryland state fishing licenses are required for anyone over 16 and trout stamps must also be purchased before your visit. For more information on fishing regulations and licensing, visit Department of Natural Recources' website.

In 1996, the MD chapter of Trout Unlimited installed a wheel chair access area at the creek ravine trailhead. This provides a place for people with physical disabilities to access the creek to fish.

Like nearby Soldiers Delight, this area is managed by MD Department of Natural Resources as a natural environmental area. This means there are no picnic tables, pavilions or any other structures located here. The trails are unmaintained and mostly unmarked which makes this a great place to visit and experience a truly natural environment.

As you hike this trail, or any trail for that matter, it’s important to minimize your impact on the areas you visit. A good set of suggestions for minimizing your impact on the natural places you visit are listed below. They are provided by Leave No Trace, a national non-profit organization advocating for more responsible outdoor recreation.

• Pack it in, pack it out: This is a no brainer but don’t litter while you hike. You could also consider taking a trash bag along with you to pick up any trash you happen to see.
• Preserve the past: Leave rocks and other artifacts where you find them. The goal is to make sure future visitors can enjoy those objects well into the future.
• Observe from a distance: Try not to disturb wildlife as you hike by keeping a wide distance between you and any critters you run into on the trail.