Maryland Trails
Parks and wilderness areas located throughout Maryland
In our travels, we have explored several of Maryland's state parks, forests and designated natural areas. The diversity of Maryland's terrain makes for a wide variety of activities and scenery at their many excellent state-run facilities. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding in addition to a wide range of water sports. Many of the parks have camping facilities and cabins for extended stays.
Featured below are the Maryland parks that we have visited so far. We are planning more excursions to this beautiful state in order to continue exploring more of their wonderful parks and state forests. As we visit these places and create maps of the trail systems, we will update this article, so please check back with us from time to time for more information on Maryland's outdoor destinations.
Greenbrier State Park
Located in the Appalachian Mountains midway between Hagerstown and Frederick, Greenbrier is a beautiful state park with a wide variety of outdoor activities. It features a man-made lake with a small beach where you can enjoy canoeing, kayaking, fishing and swimming. Bring a picnic lunch when you go - this park has hundreds of picnic tables all along the lake. Greenbrier also has a large campground which is nestled into the woods and has many cozy, private sites.
The 12 miles of trails are enjoyed by hikers and mountain bikers alike. Most of the trails are intermediate level but be aware that several of the trails have long stretches of challenging, rocky sections. The Bartman Hill Trail connects to the Appalachian Trail which passes through the park.
Patapsco Valley State Park
One of the most popular state parks in Maryland, Patapsco Valley State Park comprises over 16,000 acres of land along 32 miles of the Patapsco River. Eight individual recreational areas are available for visitors to enjoy. The Avalon section of the park is located in the southern suburbs of Baltimore, and is easily accessible to much of eastern Maryland. This section offers several group picnic shelters, a campground, playground areas, fishing, and kayaking.
MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts), the local mountain bike club, has does a great job of maintaining the singletrack trails here. The large network of trails has everything from rocky steep ascents, courderoy roads, and log jumps for the advanced rider to smooth, wide singetrack for the novice mountain biker. In addition, paved and gravel paths along the river can be enjoyed by the more casual rider.
Gambrill State Park
Located just outside of Frederick, Gambrill State Park is situated on rugged Catoctin Mountain. The park has several overlooks along the park road that allow vistors to get a bird's eye view of the surrounding area. The campground is located at the base of the mountain and connects to the 13 mile hiking and biking trail network that spans the park.
With several miles of mostly rocky trails, Gambrill attracts expert mountain bikers who can maneuver around the various sized jagged rocks that are present on most of the technically challenging trails throughout the park.
Rosaryville State Park
Rosaryville State Park is a day-use park located about 1/2 hour drive south of Washington DC. A historic and stately mansion called Mount Airy is located on the premises. Parts of the building are estimated to date back to the 1670s. The facility is available for renting out for weddings and other special occasions.
The trail system consists of a main loop that is about 11 miles in length with some additional doubletrack and singletrack trails that branch off of this loop. The Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts contributed their efforts to the design and development of the trails and now help to maintain them. If you have ridden on other MORE trails, such as Lorton, Wakefield, and Fountainhead, you will notice a similarity in the trails at Rosaryville. The main loop is smooth, nicely flowing singletrack with plenty of banked turns. This trail also includes a stretch geared toward the technical rider with a handful of interesting skinnies and jumps. This is a fun trail system and we highly recommend a visit here.
Cedarville State Forest
Cedarville State Forest is located just a few minutes from Rosaryville State Park, With its flat terrain, the trail network at Cedarville State Forest is a perfect place for beginner mountain bikers to hone their skills. The trails are mostly wide, smooth singletrack or doubletrack trails with occasional narrow sections and rocky / rooty areas. They wind their way through serene forests, around a fishing pond, and past a portion of the Zekiah Swamp.
All trails at Cedarville are multi-use, shared by hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. Cedarville also has a campground, archary range and fishing pond. If you are a history buff, be sure to stop by the 1950's Charcoal Kiln located along the Heritage (blue) Trail. A kiosk at the site explains the charcoal production process that was used.
Fair Hill
Formerly a privately held piece of land owned by William duPont, Jr., Fair Hill was purchased by Maryland and made availabe for public use in 1975. There are now more than 80 miles of multi-use trails on this 5600 acre property, which consists of gently rolling terrain, with both wooded areas and open fields. The singletrack trails and wide farm roads on the property are popular with equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers from both Delaware (Newark is 10 minutes to the west and Wilmington is a 25 minute drive), and also from the Baltimore area (1 hour to the south).
Having been primarily used for equestrian purposes in the past, Fair Hill houses several horse stables, areas for horse training and competitions, including the Fair Hill Race Track. Over the years, mountain biking has become popular on the property, seeing many biking events throughout the year, including group rides, festivals, and the annual Fair Hill Classic Mountain Bike Race. The Delaware Trail Spinners are actively involved in volunteering to maintain the trails there.
Seneca Creek State Park - Shaeffer Farm
The Schaeffer Farm Trail Area is a section of Seneca Creek State Park located just outside of Germantown. This 12 mile network of singletrack trails is very popular with mountain bikers. The smooth, hard packed trail surface through gorgeous open forests and farmland are a true pleasure to ride. The gently rolling terrain makes for a variety of climbs, fun descents, and many trails etched into hillsides with wonderful views of the surrounding forest and farmland.
Seneca Creek State Park - Clopper Lake
Clopper Lake Day Use Area is located within Seneca Creek State Park. The beautiful 90-acre lake is surrounded by a 3 1/2 mile singletrack trail that allows for frequent glimpses of the water. The Clopper Lake area offers a variety of activities including fishing, boating, hiking, biking, and picnicking. There are several additonal miles of natural surface trails in this section of the park, plus access to the 26 mile Seneca Creek Greenway trail. (Note that the Greenway is hiking-only within Seneca Creek State Park.)
