Liberty Reservoir in Maryland

Trip Overview

Paddled from the boat ramp on Oakland Mills Rd to the bridge at Rt 140 (Westminster Pike). Although this was flat water, the trip took a total of over 6 hours continuous paddling. I had previously gone as far as the Nicodemus bridge. This was about twice the distance. Very calm, & with temps in the 70s there were plenty of boats out. (Plenty being a relative term on a body of water this large - the reservoir is actually like a private lake.)

Lots of wildlife. I saw the usual abundance of herons, a couple hawks, a fox walking through the woods.

The only difficult part of canoeing at Liberty is how easily you can end up on the wrong "finger", causing lost time while you backtrack. Fortunately I had Googled and printed a map to take with me. This and the numbered signs that a Boy Scout installed for an Eagle project made for an error free day.

All-in-all, a great day on a beautiful body of water.

Accommodations:

Boat ramp with adequate parking for trucks & trailers. 1 spot-a-pot.

Fees:

$60 permit required, giving you access to Liberty, Loch Raven, & Pretty Boy reservoirs.

Directions:

From Eldersburg, MD:

East on Liberty Rd to a left on Oakland Mills Rd. Boat ramp is about 1/2 mile on the right.

Resources:

Satellite Google map is very helpful.