The BICO Monthly Outings Summary

May, 2005


DATES:
May 14,
2005

and 

May 22, 2005

TEAMS:
College Gardens Community Center

and

Choice

ACTIVITIES:  Hiking
DESTINATION: C&O Canal at Great Falls (Potomac, MD) -

Often a favorite place for hiking with BICO, the Great Falls section of the C&O Canal National Historic Park offers well maintained trails.  The Park also offers the opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn about our nations transportation system in the early 1800's.  

Educational Activities for Youth: Hiking on the Billy Goat Trail.  There are also lockhouse tours, lock demonstrations, and ranger talks during the Spring and Summer.

DIRECTIONS: From Baltimore Approx. 1.25 Hours

Take I95 South towards Washington, DC.  Take Exit #27 onto I495 West towards Sliver Spring.  Take Exit #41 onto Clara Barton Parkway towards Great Falls, MD/Caderock.  Continue on MacArthur Boulevard to the Park.



GETTING IN:  $5 per vehicle!!
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY: National Rehab Hospital Collingswood
299 Hurley Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
(301)762-8900
OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:  Choice Team:  C&O location very good, multifaceted. Hike went well including detour on the Billy Goat Trail.  Watch out for tow path maintenance thru fall 2005.    College Gardens Comminity Center Team:  Ranger who presented program was good with kids.  We did a scavenger hunt with kids that they enjoyed a lot.





DATES:
May 20-22, 2005

TEAM:
Digital Harbor High School

ACTIVITIES:  Camping and Kayaking
DESTINATION: Pokomoke River State Forest and Park (Snow Hill, MD) -

With 14,753 wooded acres in the Southwestern section of Worcester County, between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City, the state forest is famous for it's stand of loblolly pine and for it's cypress swamps which border the Pocomoke River. Pocomoke means black water, and there is good fishing in these waters. The river originates in the Great Cypress Swamp in Delaware and flows southwesterly 45 miles to the Chesapeake Bay.

The park's combination of swamp and upland offers a great variety of plant and animal life, including white dogwood and pink laurel in the spring, river otters and bald eagles, and over 50 species of fish.

Available activities include camping, hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming.

DIRECTIONS: From Baltimore Approx. 3.25 Hours

Directions from I95 S EXIT 49A, which is I695 S
towards I 695 E / ANNAPOLIS/GLEN BURNIE

Go  3.4  miles and then Take EXIT 49A to get on I-695 S towards I 695 E / ANNAPOLIS/GLEN BURNIE.  Go  17.3  miles and then Take exit towards US 301/US 50 E / ANNAPOLIS/BAY BRIDGE.  Go  4.1  miles and then Take LEFT EXIT 4 to get on I-97 S towards I 97 S / ANNAPOLIS BAY BRIDGE.  Go  17.3  miles and then Take exit towards US 301/US 50 E / ANNAPOLIS/BAY BRIDGE.  Go  0.8  miles and then Turn LEFT to get on JOHN HANSON HIGHWAY heading EAST.  Go  4.1  miles and then JOHN HANSON HIGHWAY becomes US-50 E.  Go  19.8  miles and then Take exit towards US 50 E / OCEAN CITY.   Go  0.3  miles and then Go STRAIGHT to get on US-50 heading EAST.  Go  64.5  miles and then Turn RIGHT onto MILL STREET.  Go less than .1 miles and then Turn SHARP LEFT onto W CHURCH ST.  Go  0.2  miles and then W CHURCH ST becomes E CHURCH ST.  Go  0.1  miles and then Turn RIGHT onto N BAPTIST ST.  Go  0.1  miles and then Turn LEFT onto MAIN STREET.   Go  0.3  miles and then Turn RIGHT onto SALISBURY SNOW HILL RD.  Go  7.1  miles and then SALISBURY SNOW HILL RD becomes HIGHWAY 12.  Go  10.4  miles and then Go RIGHT to stay on HIGHWAY 12.  Go  0.2  miles and then Go STRAIGHT on US-113-BUS.  Go  2.8  miles and then Go STRAIGHT to get on US-113 heading SOUTHWEST.  Go  0.4  miles to End Point (3461 Worcester Highway, Snow Hill, MD)
GETTING IN:  Family Camping Sites are $25 per site.  If possible, opt for the Youth Group Camping. Youth Group Camping Sites are available at Shad Landing and Milburn Landing. Advance reservations are required for all youth groups. Groups with a Maryland Youth Group Pass camp free.

Park# (410) 632-2566
Call 1-888-432-CAMP(2267) for reservations


Swimming at the pool is $3 per person without a youth pass, and $2 per person with a pre-registered youth pass.

NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY: No Hospital within 25 Miles.  Please refer medical emergencies to Park Rangers.
OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:  Some of the youngsters had never been canoeing and/or kayaking before this trip and all of them enjoyed it.