Alpha Ridge Sanitary Landfill

Alpha Ridge Sanitary Landfill on Marriottsville Road is the long-term burial site for trash in that part of Maryland. Neighbors and haulers bring household bags and bigger loads here; it’s a fairly large, working landfill out in Marriottsville. Expect a no-frills, industrial sort of place rather than anything tidy or quiet.

There’s a scale and a small entrance booth - pull up to the booth first and then drive onto the scale, since tipping fees are charged by weight and you’ll likely stop again on the way out. The site is expansive with gravel and dirt roads, heavy equipment moving around, and visible piles or compacted cells where material is buried. Drop-off points and recycling bins (if present) tend to be grouped near the entrance side, so don’t wander onto the working areas. Lines form on weekends and during spring cleanup, so busy times mean a longer wait and more dust.