Appreciating Assets

When touting Maryland as a sports mecca we first tick off the most obvious assets -- our central location, transportation and hospitality infrastructure, and top quality facilities and programs that make us an ideal destination.  All are important factors in making us a desirable choice for hosting major events and tournaments that attract spectators, families and friends.

Yet many of our most valuable venues, also responsible for attracting visitors, group activities, and even events, are the ones we were blessed with through geography, climate, and concern for quality of life.

It is our natural resources -- the parks, the rivers, the bay and the ocean, that give Maryland tremendous character and appeal for all lovers of the outdoors.  Field and stream sports and the rugged individual challenges that take place year round are being given an additional boost -- and promotion -- through a partnership with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and North Face, a retailer specializing in adventurous outdoor wear.

Credit First Lady Michelle Obama with drawing attention to the problem of childhood obsesity and the importance of outdoor exercise for health and fitness.

This, in turn, inspired North Face to initiate the "Explore Your Parks" program, a partnership with the Maryland and Virginia State Parks, American Hiking Society and The National Park Trust, to encourage families to get outdoors and enjoy state parks in the Washington, DC, area this fall.

Maryland State Parks have been recognized as having some of the top trails in the United States for viewing fall foliage, and in 2009 alone, they had more than 10.1 million visits on their 780 miles of trails, which includes paved surfaces like the Allegheny Highlands, to the crushed stone of the Torrey Brown to the rugged footpaths in the Appalachians. 

When it comes to trails, Maryland does have it all, including water routes for canoes and kayaks.  But this partnership with North Face, and the energy of Superintendant of State Parks Nita Sentina, is prompting a greater emphasis on these assets as a Maryland attraction.

Now there is an online site, and an iPhone App that highlight 10 trails—five in Maryland and five in Virginia--within easy driving distance of Washington.

On Saturday, the "Explore Your Parks" program will kick off in Gaithersburg at the Seneca Creek State Park from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. with family friendly activities and guided hikes. 

Ms Sentina is also planning a Trail Summit in October to initiate a non-profit trails coalition similar to ones in Virginia and Pennsylvania.  This comes after a series of regional meetings to determine what trails already exist, which new ones are on the horizon, how they are used, and how they can be connected into a statewide plan and regional attraction.  Guest speaker will be the legendary Dr. Torrey Brown, former secretary of DNR whose vision was responsible for the popular rail trail in Baltimore County that now bears his name.

Trail advocates and outdoor explorers are heartened by the interest being shown by a top state official in these hidden gems.  There is a direct correlation between the natural assets in Maryland parks and the visitor industry and we are pleased it is getting more notice. 

The good folks in the "trail towns" (another clever promotional idea we borrowed from our friends in Pennsylvania) along the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage will tell you of the economic rewards they reap from catering to the thousands of trail explorers who pass through.

Good business, better health, exhilarating entertainment -- all good reasons why Maryland is Here to Play.