WASHINGTON — Travel one trail at Black Hill Regional Park in Montgomery County, and you’ll see everything from bald eagles to blue herons.
But your feet will never touch the ground.
That’s because the trail, which takes you along the 17 miles of coastline of Little Seneca Lake, is the newly reconfigured Water Trail.
Use a canoe or kayak and you’ll be able to get within feet—even inches—of wildlife you might never otherwise notice.
Lynette Lenz , a park naturalist, said the guide is available at the park website, BlackHillNature.org You can download the map and take it with you when you rent a kayak or canoe near Black Hill’s visitor’s center.
The self-guided tour highlights areas along the coastline that include areas where the resident bald eagles like to rest. Lenz said that was one of her favorite features. A pair of bald eagles have raised families there for years. “I’ve been following them since I came on board back in 2006,” Lenz said.
Lenz said the male bald eagle is with his third mate and has produced 17 eaglets. He’s become a familiar presence. But does he have a name?
“Jokingly we kind of call him ‘The Man.” Lenz said, laughing.
This year, The Man and his mate fledged three eaglets. “They’ll probably continue to hang around until the end of this month learning how to be an eagle from mom and dad, and then they’ll really start to explore the area,” Lenz said.
The water trail map includes information about the formation of the lake, the history of the region, and a reminder that park users can make a real difference in preserving the area—and keeping wildlife safe–by picking up trash when they see it.
“I hardly ever get in my boat without taking a bag with me so I can pick up trash along the way,” said Lenz.
Among the most damaging and dangerous things people leave behind: fishing line. Raptors such as ospreys and the bald eagles can get tangled in it, and so can small mammals. “If everybody picks up just one piece, it’s really going to help us out,” Lenz said.
You can plan your trip along the Black Hill Regional Park Water Trail here. A map of the trail is available here.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report
