The Daniels area of Patapsco is one of the coolest hikes you can do in Maryland. Daniels was a town formed in the early 1800s as a mill town but was abandoned and eventually mostly destroyed by a storm in the 1970s.
There are still some ruins you can see along the hike (You can find more historical information and photos about this mysterious place on the Daniels’ Wikipedia page). The parking lot is very small so I recommend going early, and if you can go during the week, that’s even better. You park at the Alberton Road Trail Parking and follow Alberton Road until it clearly turns into a paved trail. The hike is flat and mostly paved.
Follow along with Google Maps as you hike, because at a certain point, you can see when you are standing down the hill from Saint Stanislaus church which you have to check out by cutting up into the woods. This is the best part of the hike. It is right before St. Alban’s Chapel where the trail curves downwards like a U if looking at the map.
The 1800s church is made from stone and there is a very old cemetery behind it. You can also explore a few early 1950s cars that are abandoned in the woods nearby. After checking out the church and getting back on the trail, you can see another abandoned church although this one is covered in graffiti.
We hiked until we hit the dam and then turned back. You actually wind up on the opposite side of the bank from the official Daniels area of Patapsco which has different parking. The fall is a great time to go explore these woods and ruins.
Address: 8106 Alberton Rd, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 (Park at Alberton Rocks Trailhead Parking)
Cost: Free
Distance from Annapolis: 45 minutes
FALL for the Annapolis Town Center