Patapsco-Rockburn Branch

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April 28
Sunday

The last QOC event of the month will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at Rockburn Branch County Park. Full course (white through blue) details are now below. Registration and map pick-up is at the pavilion on the west side of the park, accessible from the Montgomery Road entrance (directions below). If you drive in to the east side of the park from Landing Road, you will be able to walk to the west side, but there are no connecting roads. Timing is the usual: register anytime between 10:30 - 1:15, start anytime between 11 - 1:30, and make sure to be back no later than 3pm.

Any youth or large groups attending, please contact the Event Director so that we can coordinate pre-registration for your group; the group registration and waiver form is part of the information on our Group Leaders page.

There will be two starts, one for White and Yellow, and the other for Orange through Blue. The White-Yellow start is in the field by the pavilion. The remote start for the advanced courses is on the east side of the park, across Landing Road, approximately 1 km walking distance along trails and paved surfaces. All courses finish back near the pavilion.

Please be extremely vigilant when crossing Landing Road. It is a 2-lane road with high-speed traffic in both directions. Competitors on Orange through Blue will cross Landing Road to get to the start, and their courses will cross back again near the finish. Both crossing points have a good line of sight for oncoming traffic. White and Yellow courses do not cross the road.

Rockburn Branch Park is relatively flat, with many athletic areas and ball fields, and a complex trail network through wooded areas. We may be sharing these areas with other users of the park, including frisbee golfers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders, so please be respectful of their activities. The advanced courses on the other side of Landing Road will run through the terrain we have traditionally reached from the Avalon parking area by the Patapsco River. The courses stay up on the high ground, however, and do not reach the steep, rocky hillsides by the river.

Additional information:

• The parking lot closest to the pavilion holds ~60 cars. If it's full, head to one of the other lots (map here), or the nearby school, or even the east side of the park.
• Map scale for white and yellow course maps is 1:7500, all other maps are 1:10000. White through brown are on letter size paper, green is on legal, and red and blue course maps are printed on 12x18 inch paper.
• Dogs are welcome, but please keep them on a leash at all times, and they are not allowed in the Rockburn picnic or sporting areas.
• Both sides of the park have a playground.
• Special Amenity! This park hosts a Skills Park - check out several YouTube videos (like this one) or the website for why this attracts mountain bikers from across the region. Note that bike helmets are required by law in Howard County.
• There are no entrance or parking fees at this venue.
• Have any questions? Just use our handy Contact Us form.