Wolf Den Run State Park Open House

The Maryland DNR hosted their second public Open House this past weekend that focused on the newest State Park, Wolf Den Run State Park. This meeting was held closer to the populace that is likely to come and enjoy the park, while the previous one was held closer to the populace that lives near it.

While I won’t recap many of the things we learned previously in our special first look trail ride I will share some of the new things we did learn.

First of all we had a good showing from the full size community including the following members from CORE:

  • Andrew & Cherie Taylor
  • Alex Hinson
  • Kirk Adams
  • Sam L
  • Robert Rixham
  • Buzz Vogel

Also present were several people from the Mid Atlantic Four Wheel Drive Association and the Maryland Off Highway Vehicle Alliance:

  • Preston & Emily Stevens (MAFWDA)
  • Mike Vincenty & Donna Edwards (MAFWDA)
  • Keith Holman (MAFWDA)
  • Ken Kyler (MDOHVA)

The Maryland DNR had a short presentation that laid out some new information.

After the presentation we had a short Q&A session. Then people were allowed to get up and review several maps of the new park and talk to Maryland DNR staff to get more information and provide feedback. Most of the CORE Members took advantage of this exchange and filled out forms that were provided to leave additional feedback as well as gleaned additional information about the park. The following is a summary of what we learned.

The park is open now, but not to OHV use yet.

  • First of all, the park is open now, but not to OHV use yet. However you may go to any of the entrance points marked on their maps and park outside of the gate at the small parking areas and walk in to explore the new parks.

  • The park is still on track to open to OHV use in the summer of 2019. However this will only be on Parcel A (our staging area in the fall) as the other areas are further assessed in the background.

  • A new Park Ranger has been assigned to the new Park! Additionally there are currently two job openings for more staff for the park. If you would like to apply you can do that through their jobs website.

  • They need to replace bridges on Parcels B and C. Because of this process those will be opened after Parcel A.

  • They are in the process of constructing a temporary bridge to replace the failing bridge which grants access to Parcel C. Soil issues at the site of the bridge are slowing that effort down.

  • They are in the process of installing new gates and signs to control access to the properties as well as limit access into neighboring properties on already established trails that cross the boundaries.

  • They are currently completing a Natural Resources Assessment. This is complete on Parcel A. The assessments for Parcels B and C are ongoing but will be completed this year. This assessment will also help determine what hunting will be allowed within the park.

  • The plans for this park are being completed in two stages:

    • Strategic Management Plan – a 2-3 year process that will be completed in the fall of 2019. This is the process to determine how the park will be managed and utilized.

    • Facility Master Plan – 10-20 year process. This will include determining future improvements based on use and input from users. A campground and the facilities within in are an example of what will be completed within the Facility Master Plan, but will not be completed at opening.

  • The Maryland DNR continues to request input. The easiest way to provide input is to fill out their survey located here. Results will be publicly posted.

  • The Maryland Department of the Environment is still in the process of reviewing all three parcels and will be involved in identifying areas where new trails could be added as well as determining trails that must be closed due to environmental impact. This means some trails could close even after the park is opened to OHV use.

  • The people directly responsible for the park are considering a trip up to AOAA in Pennsylvania to get a better idea of how other parks of this variety are run and what users want from them.

CORE would like to offer a special thank you to the Maryland DNR for hosting this informative Open House and continuing to take feedback on what the OHV community wants to see in the new park. Also thank you goes to the Maryland OHV Alliance for their continued close work with the Maryland DNR as this park moves closer to its eventual use for OHV recreation.

Photo Album: 01/26/2019 Wolf Den Run State Park Open House

Trail Report courtesy of Andrew Taylor. Pictures courtesy of Andrew and Cherie Taylor.

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