Vision
The Patapsco Valley State Park Climate Resilience and Master Plan is a stakeholder-led effort to establish a comprehensive climate resilience and master plan for Maryland's oldest state park.
Project Background
Patapsco Valley State Park extends along 32 ​miles of the Patapsco River, encompassing 16,043 acres and eight developed recreational areas. The park is nationally known for its trail and recreational opportunities and scenery, with over 200 miles of trails.
​
​The Patapsco Valley State Park Climate Resilience and Master Plan will establish a strategic “roadmap” to help the park withstand climate change while identifying opportunities for future park investments and conservation. Rebuilding native ecosystems and enhancing park infrastructure will provide more opportunities for recreational activities and a resilient park to explore and play in. A resilient environment means a happier and healthier park!
Improve Park Infrastructure & Adaptability
Connect Diverse Communities
to Park Resources
Enhance Visitor
Services & Relations
Restore Park
Ecology & Wildlife Communities
This project is supported by a grant from the
Context Map
Why Patapsco Valley State Park?
Patapsco Valley State Park is a gateway park within the state of Maryland, showcasing to many first-time state park visitors what Maryland State Parks have to offer with its Mid-Atlantic river valley geographic features and nature- and water-based recreation. The Park also provides a green respite and recreational access to many residents living within the more urban areas of the Baltimore Metropolitan Region. Because the Park is centrally located within one of the largest metropolitan areas of the State and integral to multiple communities and park users, preserving features of and access to the Park is key!
Credit: Friends of the Patapsco Valley State Park
Credit: Friends of the Patapsco Valley State Park
What is Climate Resilience?
Climate change is impacting Maryland's parks, where park lands are experiencing increasing and worsening storms, flooding, high heat days, and wildfires. Patapsco Valley State Park continues to experience extreme flooding along the Patapsco River, which threatens trails, bridges, historic structures, and park facilities.
Climate resilience refers to a community’s ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related hazardous events and changing conditions. This master planning effort will identify climate resilience strategies that will preserve Patapsco’s treasured places and prepare the park to withstand future climate events.
What is a Master Plan?
A master plan is a long-term, comprehensive framework for assessing current conditions, anticipating future needs, and directing park investments and initiatives. The previous master plan for Patapsco Valley State Park, completed in the late 1970s, responded to severe flooding and destruction caused by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. This new plan will specify the investments and interventions required to preserve the park’s natural resources and amenities for future generations.
Credit: Friends of the Patapsco Valley State Park
Project Timeline
OCTOBER 2021
Project Outreach Launch
How can you play a role in this process?
NOVEMBER 2021
Stakeholder Workshop #1
MARCH 2022
Master Plan Report and Summary
DECEMBER 2021
Stakeholder Workshop #2
MARCH/APRIL 2022
Stakeholder Workshop #3
JUNE 2022
Design Completion of Pilot Projects
Request for Proposals
Center for Watershed Protection is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for the development of a concept-level Master Plan for the State of Maryland's Patapsco Valley State Park.
​
To be considered as eligible, the firm providing a submission must be properly licensed in the State of Maryland to practice planning, engineering, landscape architecture, and architecture. Firms must demonstrate experience in master planning, and project teams should include planning, landscape engineering, landscape architecture, and historical and cultural resource expertise.
​
Center for Watershed Protection requests that interested parties respond to the solicitation by 4:30 P.M. ET on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
Resources
The links below provide information about past and ongoing planning efforts within PVSP.
Previous PVSP master plans
Other ongoing projects adjacent to PVSP
​
-
Brooklyn Baybrook Community Action Plan
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Climate Resilience Information and Links
Literature about Patapsco Valley
​
Contact Us
Would you like to be involved and/or contacted about Patapsco Valley State Park community events? Please fill out the contact form below!
