A reservoir for servicing residents of Baltimore and the surrounding areas, Loch Raven is a haven for water fowl and water dwelling animals. It also offers hiking and mountain biking trails throughout the surrounding woodland. There is no main location, and there are many trails, but my favorite spot is along Loch Raven Drive. Part of the road is closed 10-5pm during the weekends for recreational use. There is a useful website, lochraventrails.com, for finding the main hiking and biking trails, as well as providing additional information about the plants and animals in the area. I have hiked and/or biked almost all of these trails, and many of them countless times. Although truly wonderful anytime of year, Fall here is an almost magical season. The trees turn into various shades of orange, red, green, and yellow, and their leaves coat the trails like a multi-colored carpet.  

No matter the time of year, there are very few people off the main trails, and one often can feel completely alone. One of the nicest memories of Fall I have from this area is when I left the confines of the trails and headed over a hill down to the waters edge. I found a rock along the shoreline on which to sit and observe the sunset. The orange light from the setting sun only accentuated the colors of the leaves;  the only noticeable sounds were from a slight wind blowing in the trees, and the waves lapping on the lake’s edge. This moment of tranquility and natural beauty exhibits the characteristics of Loch Raven that make it a truly special place, and one that rivals any other location I have ever visited.

Aside from the common sightings of deer, beavers, woodpeckers, turtles, and other animals that inhabit the local region, I have also seen more rare animals, such as a mink who was swimming in the lake prior to walking on the shore a mere ~10 feet from where I was. In the last several of years, I have seen many bald eagles as well. The more mature bald eagles have white heads, whereas the juveniles are all brown with yellow splotches. On one occasion both eagles and diving ducks were catching fish on the lake and it made for quite an interesting spectacle. These ducks, called common mergansers, migrate from the north during the winter looking for bodies of water that are not yet frozen over. Unlike the resident mallards, these ducks are fishers, and can often be seen diving into the depths of the water in search for prey. On this occasion, a vast number of mergansers gathered on the lake and a feeding frenzy broke out. It was easy to tell when a fish had been caught; there would be loud splashing in the water as a group of ducks would try to catch the one who had the fish in it’s mouth. The pursued duck would then swallow the fish before it could get stolen. This happened over and over at a surprisingly high rate as they caught more and more fish. Unlike ducks, eagles hunt from the air, swooping down and grabbing the fish with their talons. They have to carry the fish in mid-air, which gives their fellow hunters a chance to take it away. 

Birds present all year round on the lake include mallards, Canadian geese, and sea gulls. Springtime is a season when the geese have their young,  and it is a common site to see a dozen or more chicks within one grouping of adults.