Capture Winter at Liberty Reservoir Dam

The Liberty Reservoir Dam is just a short drive off of local main roads such as Marriottsville Road. Take Liberty Dam Road down the hill - there is ample parking in pull-offs and parking areas near the bottom of the road. The surrounding area is casually sloped, with plenty of locations to walk around and frame up different views of the reservoir.

This special place exudes a placid, lakeside feel which is rare to come by in the Baltimore County. The subtle washing of water over the dam (when it's running) adds to the ambiance. In winter, the water's edge offers some really stunning ice formations. These can be really fun to shoot, and make for some really nice reflection images.

Hook-up your zoom lens and scan the shores, as winter migrations bring some beautiful species to this spot. I laid down a mat to sit on and watched as mallards, mergansers, snow geese, and others made appearances out on the water. The light here is spectacular in the early mornings and in the late evenings. I stuck around one afternoon taking pictures of the ice and the birds and finished the day watching the sun slowly descend into the trees on the shore opposite the park. The determined bird enthusiasts could check eBird or similar online resources to time their visit with rare species.