Loch Raven Reservoir: Scenic Winter Lakeside Hiking & Bald Eagle Watching

About this adventure

Loch Raven Reservoir in northern Baltimore County is a breathtaking 2,400-acre freshwater sanctuary ringed by dense pine and hardwood forests. Winter offers the quietest, most pristine conditions of the year, with unobstructed vistas across the deep blue waters and snow-dusted shoreline. On weekends, Baltimore County closes a scenic 1.6-mile section of Loch Raven Drive to motor vehicles between Morgan Mill Road and Providence Road, converting it into a wide, completely paved, traffic-free paradise for families walking with strollers, wagons, and bicycles. Winter is also peak season for observing majestic American bald eagles perched high in shoreline pines or hunting fish over the water. Well-marked, gently rolling forest paths like the Glen Ellen Trail offer scenic waterside walks for active families.