The Wilderness

Many B&B's offer superior facilities, friendly and accommodating hosts, and excellent, if not gourmet, breakfasts. Virtually all B&B's, to my mind can be nit-picked, whether fairly or not. Ellen Sawaya and The Wilderness will always stand head and shoulders above the rest in our view because of her more than accommodating cheerfulness and willingness to work with us during a trying time when our son was undergoing serious surgery. Yes, the facilities were far above par, the food service more than met our needs, and the amenities were well laid and thought out. Our thanks and appreciation to Ellen, who made our stay a bright spot in an otherwise difficult trip. Thank you, Ellen, and you can bet your bottom bippie we'll return for second helpings not only of your bright and pleasant companionship, but the delicious cakes and homemade breads you leave out for your travel, and in our case, life weary guests.

We very much enjoyed our visit to the Wilderness, everything was just lovely.

Thangs to Ellen Sawaya, we had a lovely stay in her old lovingly restored former country manor. A positive experience beyond the usual.

We had a lovely time during our stay at the Wilderness B&B. Ellen was a hostess, lovely to talk to and a pleasure to deal with. The breakfasts were wonderful. The rooms were beautiful and everything we needed was provided for us. My favorite "room" was the porch...it was so relaxing to sit out on the porch and listen to the variety of birds and look at the beautiful settin. Can't wait to visit my son so we can stay at the Wilderness again.

This is great older home with a very personable owner. So much better than any hotel I though about going to. The cake is delicious and was very nice surprise. Thank you for sharing your home

This is a lovely old house with large rooms, very comfortable beds, delicious breakfasts, and a very hospitable hostess. I recommend it.

The Wilderness is a very cool 18th/19th century home located about 10 minutes west of Baltimore City proper. I took my wife and 5-year-old daughter there for a night, mostly because my wife and I are always hunting for a place to get away. We usually wouldn't bring our daughter along to a place like this, but the chips fell where they did, and actually I'm glad she got to experience the place. The house and grounds are very appealing visually, and because the house is utterly surrounded by the dense woods of Patapsco State Park, we felt much further from home than we actually were (we live 5 min away). And although the house itself is more-or-less period furnished, it's never oppressive--in other words, this is a house that wants to be enjoyed, not gawked at like some untouchable snapshot of a bygone era. The photos on the site represent the place well, although the rooms were MUCH larger than I expected. For me, the ultimate test of a place like this is how well I sleep. You can be at the greatest place on earth, but if you can't sleep, it's not a good time. I can honestly say that I slept as well here as I do at home, which is a rare and wonderful thing. The beds are comfortable and the rooms reasonably-well appointed, and the owner (Ellen) I'm sure would do anything to make sure you were comfortable. Breakfast was really good - my only regret is that my appetite wasn't bigger! My daughter liked playing with the cats, who were very friendly, and she also I think liked the dollhouse like qualities of the house. She also liked wandering around the grounds and checking out the wildlife. One thing I would recommend: if you bring a young child or you're the type that likes to watch TV for relaxation, bring a portable DVD player with you because there's no cable TV here (and there shouldn't be), although there is wifi Internet. We do this automatically when we travel, mostly for my daughter. Overall a great time, highly recommended.

LOVED this place!!! The owner/hostess was so generous with her home, we felt as though it was ours. The breakfasts were delicious and healthy and on the day we left she evven made us a go-to breakfast!! The propertyt is amazing so historic and set in the most beautiful forrest setting. The wildlife and views were a treat every day. Hope we can return again very soon.

The house is beautiful, with huge suites, large windows, etc. Our hostess was very friendly and a very good cook - the orange chocolate cake in the afternoon was a particular treat. She made our 9-year-old son very welcome as well. The location is great for hiking and visiting Ellicott City. We enjoyed our visit and hope to return.

The Wilderness was a very special experience for my wife's birthday weekend getaway. Quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but then convienent to Ellicot City and Baltimore/Washington. Ellen was the best host we have experienced in our B&B stays and in reflection we honestly felt more like family than guests. We highly recommend a stay at The Wilderness.

Quiet, comfortable, and excellent breakfasts.

Very nice, close to home, get away. Food was unique and declicious. the whole house was beautifully decorated and the bed was comfortable. We were made to feell right at home by our hostess. We have already recommended it to friends.

The Wilderness Inn is over 100 years old (and has had only four owners in all that time!). The suites are delightfully decorated and spacious. Lots of light from those big windows.. Very comfy bed. The grounds are lovely and surrounded by woods, so it's a peaceful, quiet place. The innkeeper, Ellen, is very friendly and a pleasure to talk with. She also makes the best chocolate cake in the world! Snacks are always available, and breakfast was excellent. I spent two nights and wished I could have stayed longer.

we love this place 2nd time we stayed here.Both times were great.very relaxing ,clean and close to hiking.

A glimpse into the past right in our own backyard. We live in Catonsville but needed a local place to stay while our house was being worked on and this turned out to be a great find.. So glad we stayed here and will definitely recommend the Wilderness to friends and family.

I grew up in nearby Catonsville and had no idea that this wonderful BnB existed. It is perfectly located for a visit to Baltimore. The house is beautifully maintained, with modern renovations that preserve the antique look and feel. We had a two-room suite with a private bathroom accessible from both rooms, so my kids got their own space while my partner and I got privacy. Ellen provides a "continental" breakfast on weekdays (quality cereals, fruit, zucchini bread, coffee, juice -- the presentation was excellent) and cooks on the weekends. We had pancakes, eggs, sausage... It was served on the lovely enclosed back porch. Deer could be seen in the yard. An excellent Mediterranean restaurant (Dimitri's) is at the top of the road -- half is a sports bar, great for couples, and the other half is a family-friendly dining room. Historic Ellicott City is 5 minutes away (by car) and Baltimore's Inner Harbor is only 20 minutes away. You can do the city by day and then come home to a county house. Highly recommended.

We stayed at The Wilderness to stay close to family, but not too close. It is very convenient to Baltimore and the freeway system. The suite that we had (Sullivan) was large and comfortable. The AC was wonderful at night. We drove to Patapsco park which is only a few minutes away and took a nice, long walk in a beautiful setting. The breakfast was delicious and Ellen is a gracious host. Will definitely stay again when we have family events in the area.

This beautiful B&B near Ellicott City is perfect for a weekend away from DC. Our innkeeper, Ellen, was so fun to talk to and easy going. Ellicott City had great shops and hiking-perfect for my retreat weekend. I am definitely coming back soon.

We went for the first time to celebrate our 22nd anniversary. We had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, and the room we stayed in was spacious and beautiful. We stayed in the gold and blue suite, which has a view of the back yard. It is surrounded by woods and is very peaceful.

The rooms and setting are wonderful. Beautiful setting, and Ellen is a very gracious host. We'd like to make this a recurring event. The location is very convenient to Baltimore, Annapolis, not to mention the historic town of Ellicott City.

Ellen was very hospitable and made us feel at home right away. The room was roomy for two people. Beautiful and relaxing house and grounds. Cats were very friendly. The breakfast was great!!!!! Ellen took into consideration all my breakfast requests.

Ellen has a gorgeous property, and really interesting and fantastic decor. My wedding party and I spent a great deal of time looking at all of the historic relics in amazement. The cats are so sweet, and I slept sweetly. We were very happy the day of my wedding to have the most yummy, and filling breakfast to start our day off right. Ellen is extremely sweet, and a pleasure to chat with, but was also unobtrusive to our morning wedding tasks. I live nearby and would confidently recommend the Wilderness Bed and Breakfast to those looking for a nice place to stay when visiting

Do not include my name.

Yes, this house is my dream, more than I expected before....

We really enjoyed our stay at The Wilderness. The Inn is just beautiful with period furnishings and gardens. Ellen made our stay inviting, especially with a delicious breakfast. The beds were very comfortable, and while the antique chairs or settees are lovely, they aren't the most comfortable to sit in for a long period of time. I would certainly recommend The Wilderness and hope to return.

It was a great experience...the whole house was impeccable, the cats gave to the house a sense of ownership, the surroundings outside and inside was a step in the past...for a minute I was day dreaming on the activities at that time, the food cooked in the old stove in the kitchen, the rooms decorated with candor, the white vintage dress left out hanging at a room's door as an evidence of time...it was perfect

My two daughters, mother, and I stayed at the lovely "Wilderness" on a spur of the moment get-away. It was a delight from the moment we drove up the long driveway and caught sight of the beautiful old house. We stayed in the Blue and Gold Suite, which was very spacious and easily accommodated the four of us. (In fact, the only slight downside was having to pay extra for my two daughters, age 7 and 12). Ellen had left us an afternoon treat, and then we explored Ellicott City. The breakfast the next day was delicious - homemade, somewhat unusual goodies - in a good way -- made even better by the location on the back porch, surrounded by her flowers and birds at the bird feeder. A true country retreat - hard to believe how close to Baltimore!~ I would definitely return. Ellen runs a first class B&B and is the epitome of hospitality.

Facebook, twitter, e-mails, internet chatter, incessant digital cacophony of life...it all disappears in a flash when you spend a little time at The Wilderness. So restful and peaceful, I could while away the day just sitting on the patio watching the endless parade of goldfinches and hummingbirds, reading the paper on the lovely wraparound porch, or just laying about in the lovely Sullivan Suite, reading a book, feeling the muscles and mind relax. Aaaaaaaaaah. Thanks, Ellen.

I came in town for a wedding this month and spent 2 nights at The Wilderness. I love old houses, and this one is well preserved and beautifully decorated. The bed was really comfortable - I wish I had one like it at home. Food was very good, lots of sweet things when I was there - although it's my understanding that Ellen (the inn keeper) will cook for special diets when requested. All in all, I highly recommend this B&B, the location is great and the house/suite very very nice. Although I don't travel to this area very much, I would definitely stay again if I return for some reason.

was a nice quick escape from the daily grind.. close to Ellicott City for some nice dinner and drinks... house was quiet and grounds were nice..

Nice large room in an old house, with central air. Very comfortable bed. Furniture age appropriate but not in very good condition. Every old chair had worn out springs, and was uncomfortable. Freshly prepared baked goods daily for serve yourself breakfast. Very private, rural setting.

[Resource Id: InnkeeperResponse, Set: reviews]
Your point regarding the chairs in one of my suites is well taken. I've made some repairs and will spend a few weeks/a month this summer hunting for some comfortable, but period appropriate easy chairs for one suite. The other 3 suites have comfortable seating available. I appreciate your feedback!

Really enjoyed Ellen, the proprietor. She was very welcoming and such a pleasure to get to know. The surroundings are just beautiful.

The suites were very spacious and beautifully decorated. Ellen is a kind and caring host. The property is so wonderful and peaceful. Breakfast on the porch was delicious and was only topped by the sweet symphony of nature outside. We will be back! Thank you Ellen.

This was our first visit to The Wilderness B&B, but it won't be our last. The innkeeper is a wonderful person - not intrusive, but friendly and helpful. The house itself is a treasure, and the bed was VERY comfortable!

Our suite was spacious and lovely and the inn was an excellent location, convenient to all our destinations but off the main road in a gorgeous wooded area. Ellen was a marvelous host especially considering there were some difficulties with our reservation (which seem to have been my fault(bad spam filter!!!)) We will definitely recommend!

My husband and I were highly impressed during our stay at the Wilderness. The rooms were large, clean, tastefuly decorated. Ellen was wonderful. Breakfasts were freshly made and tasty. We are just waiting for a reason to stay again.

Wanted to spend a weekend away at the spur of the moment this fall, and we found The Wilderness on the Bed and Breakfast website. We arrived at night time, and were glad we took directions Ellen sent us, since it could have been tough to find without them. We walked into this fabulous entry way and it was love at first sight! The house is great, Ellen is friendly, the food was tasty and her little black and white cat was just wonderful. I'm not sure if we'll be back soon since it was a splurge for us, but we had a great weekend and have recommended it to all of our friends. We want to see it at Christmas time, it must be just wonderful. Thanks for a great weekend!!

we had the family in town for a celebration and put them up at the Wilderness -- Ellen was very accommodating, the B&B was lovely, and the family was thrilled.

very nice and spacious room; great location; continental breakfast could have been better-ok that it was a cold breakfast but granola, better fruit, juice selection, etc

My husband, our Rotary exchange high school student, and I stayed at The Wilderness recently for the first time. I found it on the internet as we needed a place to stay when visiting my mom at Charlestown. The house is beautiful and inviting. Our suite was perfect since our student could have her own room. Breakfast was delicious - just perfect. And, Ellen was delightful - a great time. Hope we have a chance to visit again!

Loved the house, loved the decor, loved the garden and the environment. Altogether lovely!

Although only 5 minutes from our home this beautiful spot provides us an idyllic sanctuary that takes us completely out of the hectic day to day and connects us to another time where we can sit, talk, breathe and relax.

Great location and pricing. Breakfast was smaller than I thought it would be but it was spot on delicious.

Our short visit at the Wilderness was very relaxing. The property was beautiful, our suite was large and very unique, and the innkeeper was more than accommodating. We enjoyed breakfast and great conversation with the other visitors while taking in the amazing view from the cozy screened-in porch. We would love to visit the Wilderness again!

My husband and I stayed at the Wilderness Inn for 2 nights in August and had a very nice visit. The house is old and well maintained and the rooms are oversized. Our suite consisted of 2 huge rooms and a gigantic bathroom. The bed was comfortable. Ellen was available without being intrusive and prepared lovely breakfasts for us, everything was made fresh. We were the only guests at the time which was nice. We sat on the screened porch off the kitchen and enjoyed the view of the lovely garden while we ate. The Inn is tucked away on beautiful grounds, very private but you are only 5 minutes away from Historic Ellicott City and Patapsco State Park. We would definitely stay here again and would recommend it to others. One caveat...there are 3 full size cats in residence (not in the individual suites). We are cat lovers so for us that was a bonus.

Every year, I get together with some high school buddies for a couple of days. The Wilderness B&B was a perfect location and Ellen was a great hostess. Rooms were clean and beautiful. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed sitting on the back porch and retelling stories going back 40+ years. This would be a great location for a golf trip too as room arrangements are perfect, reasonably priced and there are some nice courses nearby. Very nice place.

We are repeat guests at this beautiful home. Easy to come and go as you please. Or relax in the beautiful parlor or back porch. The forested grounds are full of all kinds of plants and flowers. Our host Ellen is like family to us now since we visit several times a year.

What can I say? Ellen has a beautiful home, and is very accommodating. Breakfast was a house special, beautiful, and very delicious and refreshing. The room was cozy, quiet, and just a nice retreat after a night on the town.

This was a fabulous place to celebrate our 29th anniversary. It was 5 minutes away from historic Ellicott City. We loved the decor, spaciousness and seeing deer outside our window. In the morning a lovely breakfast awaited us on the porch. We would recommend this place to anyone seeking a seeking a stylish b and b in the countryside near a major city.

This Victorian treasure was conveniently located and the room was comfortable, clean & affordable. Great hostess made the stay a pleasure!

Food & service wonderful.

The place was beautiful. Very peaceful inside a state park. Breakfast was delicious and the hostess was very helpful and friendly. It is also very convenient -it is located 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore and BWI airport.

The place was beautiful and perfect for what we needed it for. Breakfast was fantastic and the hostess was so friendly and nice. We really could not have asked for anything better. We live in the area and will definitely be back.

you will step back in time into a less complicated, more gracious, and quiet time. With comfort and delicious food, beautiful setting, creative comforts are met and you leave refreahed!

what a wonderful place! we loved walking around the grounds and sitting on the porch for our breakfast. a great way to relax! we enjoyed visitng with Ellen - she made us feel right at home - even got a great recipe from her! of course, the resident kitties were very hospitable, too!

Seven members of my family stayed in this beautifully restored mansion buried deep in the quiet woods off the winding turns of Thistle Rd between Catonsville and Ellicott City. There were other guests too -- and yet there was lots of room for everyone. The grounds are visited by humming birds and we heard a hoot owl -- it was a full moon. The owner is a very gracious, welcoming, and easy going hostess. Breakfast can be taken on the screened dining porch off the kitchen, or on the veranda you can see in the photo. The chocolate cake and cookies at bed time were great too.

A 200 year-old family home located in the middle of a state park managed by a creative and warm host.

The Wilderness allows one to feel the peace and quite away from all the hustle bustle of the daily grind. The space inside and outside of the home is so large and spacious one can kick back and pretend that they are truely 100's of miles away from civilization. It is so nice then to get rejuvinated and go out to dinner in near by Baltimore or Ellicott City.

It is like going into a different era and country even though it is only a few miles from Catonsville. The rooms are immaculate and very elegant. Ellen, the keeper is very friendly and informative and a great host. Her baked treats are fantastic! I would recommend the Wilderness to anybody who wants peace and quiet in an old historic mansion..............

I can't imagine a nicer place! The lovely setting, and the beautiful home, just took my breath away. Then, I went inside and felt like I had time warped back to another era. Fabulous! The chocolate cake was out of this world good. The Wilderness certainly has my vote for the best B and B!

This is the most ideal place in an ideal and tranquil setting! The owner is wonderful and quite helpful and her home-made baked goods are to die for! The inn is an old and beautifully restored home and the grounds are exquisite. I can't wait to return to the Wilderness!

This Inn is a find, as we are so lucky to have found it. We travel frequently to Catonsville to visit family and we look forward to our stay at the Inn. The house is full of history, and you are made to feel welcome and comfortable there and Ellen is a wonderful hostess. Thank you for sharing this wonderful house with all of us.

beautiful home, grounds, and garden. wonderful breakfast and baked goods which were always available.the hostess was very nice.

It meticulously kept. Food-great. Hostess was gracious and informative. Directions given by hostess excellent.

Less then a quarter mile from civilization, yet it feels 100 miles back in the woods, quiet, peaceful, in a house filled with old time luxury. The rooms are just wonderful, and Ellen is a great host. If you are looking for a peacefull, relaxing, place to stay, you cannot beat the Wilderness.

A wonderful place to relax. Beautiful house, great rooms, wonderful baked goods, friendly owner, and even more friendly cats. We really enjoyed our stay

[Resource Id: InnkeeperResponse, Set: reviews]
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your very complimentary review. I'm honored to be your first B&B experience, and trust you will have many more relaxing and enjoyable stays in B&Bs in the future. However, the kitties do want to be your favorite kitties in the world, so they hope you don't meet friendlier felines in the future.

If your business or pleasure takes you to the Baltimore area, I can think of no finer place to stay. If you're looking for peace and quiet in an elegant, rural setting that's also close to a major urban area and quaint smaller towns, I would recommend The Wilderness and Ellen's warm hospitality. It was a wonderful stay!

This 1799 home is elegant and home-like at the same time. Ellen's hospitality is warm and comfortable. A most enjoyable experience.

The Wilderness is a beautiful home, but more importantly it is comfortable and Ellen provides a warm, inviting atmosphere. Sitting on the screened in porch in the back overlooking the wooded area makes all the tensions of the world fade away.

We have stayed at many B&B's over the years and rank The Wilderness as our favorite. We love the elegance of the home and grounds and Ellen's gracious hospitality and delicious goodies. Our stays at The Wilderness have always been a delight. Thank you Ellen.