Perryman

Perryman’s landscape includes a conservation story built through years of local organizing. In September 2023, Harford Land Trust transferred 32-acre Perryman Woods to Harford County Parks and Recreation. The land trust had acquired the property in 2018 with support that included Aberdeen Proving Ground’s compatible-use buffer program. The transfer placed it under county management for passive recreation and open space, with a conservation easement protecting it.

A lake and woodland connection

The woods adjoin Forest Greens Lake Preserve. The land trust’s account of the earlier preservation effort describes residents working with the organization in 1992 to protect woodland, wetlands and a spring-fed lake near the Bush River. The land had previously been subdivided into small lots and had also been used for a golf course. This history makes the open space legible as something the community worked to retain, rather than simply land that happened to remain undeveloped.

The woods contain upland forest, wetlands and seasonal pools. Treat that as a reason to use appropriate existing access and respect the habitat, not as a promise of a particular wildlife sighting or a fully improved walking circuit. Confirm current entrances and conditions with county Parks and Recreation; preserved acreage alone says little about surface quality, facilities or accessibility.

Water beneath the landscape

The county’s 2025 water-quality report identifies the Potomac Group Aquifer as the water source treated by the Perryman plant. It adds another dimension to the local landscape: water resources are below ground as well as along the river and lake. Consult the actual report and water provider for a specific service address.

A first exploration of Perryman can begin with these documented public-land resources. Keep private fields, industrial properties and military land distinct from county parkland; nearby open ground is not automatically an invitation to enter.