Explore the best rated trails in Arbutus, MD. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Enola Low Grade Trail and MA & PA Heritage Trail. With more than 107 trails covering 4583 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Maryland is home to two Paint Branch Trails, this one in Montgomery County and another farther south in Prince George's County. This Paint Branch Trail offers a well-shaded, paved pathway...
Providing an important urban link between the Crystal City area of Arlington and the western edge of historical Alexandria, the Potomac Yard Trail is a huge boon to the area for commuting as well as...
This paved sidepath runs parallel to Centreville Road/State Route 657, providing a safe route for alternative transportation along the busy suburban roadway in western Fairfax County. The trail runs...
The Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail provides a safe pathway for students, from kindergartners to doctoral candidates, to walk and bike to school in College Park, Riverdale Park and Hyattsville. The...
In Northern Virginia's suburban community of Springfield, Lake Accotink Park provides a wilderness escape amid the city surroundings. The 500-acre park features picnic areas, miniature golf, an...
The #8 Streetcar Path runs just a short distance (0.33 mile) along part of the route of the former streetcar system that once ran between Catonsville and Ellicott City. The streetcar operated from...
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The Cross County Trail is a multi-use trail that generally follows the various stream valleys in Fairfax County, Virginia. Some sections are wheelchair/mobility scooter accessible but not all...
The Gwynns Falls Trail is a 19-mile continuous corridor connecting dozens of west and southwest Baltimore neighborhoods with parks, historical and cultural landmarks and the urban business district....
The St. Michaels Nature Trail skirts the western edge of the scenic town of St. Michaels, Maryland, which was built on the site of a 17th century Anglican church that eventually lent the settlement...
This 3.45-mile paved trail follows the Magruder Branch creek, beginning at the Damascus Recreational Park on Kings Valley Road. It’s a relatively flat trail for most of its length, barring the steeper...
If you are looking to augment your physical workout with some intellectual exercise, look no further than the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail. The scenic, paved, 13-mile community trail is brimming with...
The Hollow Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway through scenic woodlands and valleys, offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The trail provides an important link between neighborhoods, schools...
The Strawberry Lake Way Bicycle Path is a 2.2 mile trail that is located between Laurel and Annapolis in Anne Arundel County Maryland. The trail starts at Piney Orchard Elementary School, and ends at...
The 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail is one of the Washington, D.C. Metro area's most popular trails. Just across the Potomac River from D.C. in Virginia, the trail links Theodore Roosevelt Island Park with...
The John Overstreet Connector is a 1.5-mile trail segment that links the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and BWI Trail. The shortbut vitaltrail is named after Overstreet, a retiree from Glen Burnie,...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
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Maryland's Indian Creek Trail is one of the shorter components of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, but it serves as a vital link between the town of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, and scenic Lake...
Annapolis' Poplar Trail runs for nearly 1 mile on a section of the old Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis right-of-way in the heart of Maryland's capital city. Although short, the trail is a vital part...
The Marvin Gaye Trail offers a paved pathway through the Deanwood, Burville, Lincoln Heights, and Hillbrook neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Just shy of 2 miles, it runs from Minnesota Avenue NE, near...
The Gettysburg Inner Loop is a network of multi-use trails and signed, on-street bicycle routes, paralleled by sidewalks for foot traffic, currently being built around the perimeter of the historic,...
Note: Per the York County website, "A section of the Heritage Rail Trail County Park will be closed starting March 21, 2016. The closure will begin at the Colonial Courthouse in York, south to...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
The Easton Rails to Trails runs from Dutchmans Lane in southern Easton, Maryland, to North Easton Parka large sports complexover 2.5 miles away. The trail opened in 1998 and has been a popular local...
The Burke Lake Loop Trail offers a nearly 5-mile route for a pleasant walk or bike, while enjoying the beautiful scenery around Burke Lake in Fairfax. Since the Burke Lake Loop Trail is within Burke...
The Catonsville Short Line Trail follows a segment of the former Catonsville Short Line Railroad, which ran from Charlestown to Catonsville. As of 2018, the trail runs between Shady Nook Avenue and...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
The Klingle Valley Trail spans just shy of a mile in a leafy, residential area of northwest Washington, DC. The trail opened in June 2017 and is accessible to the neighborhoods of Cleveland Park,...
Sitting on the corner of East Main Street and Alley 5 in Thurmont is a green and white one-story building. Murals decorate its walls, depicting the history of the famous Hagerstown and Frederick...
The Bluemont Junction Trail is a short paved trail that branches off from the popular Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) in the heart of Arlington. The trail was built on a spur line that once...
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Rock Creek Trail forms a winding path, at times narrow, through the urban greenway of Rock Creek Regional Park. The trail extends between Needwood Lake northeast of Rockville, MD, and the Washington,...
The Carl Henn Millennium Trail is Rockville's bicycle beltway. The 10-mile trail creates a circle around the city, providing a safe and convenient way to get around town or enjoy a leisurely...
The 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail is one of the Washington, D.C. Metro area's most popular trails. Just across the Potomac River from D.C. in Virginia, the trail links Theodore Roosevelt Island Park with...
The Broadneck Peninsula Trail is 1.2 miles of asphalt walking and biking pathway in east Annapolis. The trail runs parallel to College Parkway, from Green Holly Drive to Old Cape St. Claire Road,...
When complete, the Jones Falls Trail will extend 10 miles between Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Mount Washington Light Rail Station. Currently, a paved, off-road section runs from Cylburn...
The 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail follows the former route of the Georgetown Branch rail line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It begins in Silver Spring, Maryland, east of the Rock Creek Trestle,...
A winding line of asphalt meanders between Glenn Dale Park in Lanham to Annapolis Road. The trail is sheltered amongst the riparian woodland of Folly Branch. At the north end of the trail can be...
The first thing you may notice about the Trolly Line #9 Trail is the boardwalk that curves between the bluffs of massive rock. The granite was hand cut in the 1890s when the electric streetcar rails...
Between 1900 and 1935, the Chesapeake Beach Railway whisked vacationers from Washington, DC, to the grand hotels, beaches and boardwalk of the resort town of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Now tourists...
The Blake Lane Sidepath runs for 3 miles, linking Oak Marr Park and Recreation Center with neighborhoods, Oakton High School and other parks. Most of the trail is concrete and the width of a standard...
A winding line of asphalt meanders between Glenn Dale Park in Lanham to Annapolis Road. The trail is sheltered amongst the riparian woodland of Folly Branch. At the north end of the trail can be...
The Northwest Branch Trail—an integral part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System—runs between the Maryland towns of Hyattsville and Silver Spring, linking two bustling suburbs of Washington, D.C....
The Suitland Parkway trail is a short paved multi-use path that runs adjacent to Suitland Parkway in SE D.C. to the border with Maryland. Proposed construction may extend the trail to the Branch...
If you are looking to augment your physical workout with some intellectual exercise, look no further than the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail. The scenic, paved, 13-mile community trail is brimming with...
The Holmes Run Trail offers a scenic pathway through the heart of a busy residential area in Alexandria and adjoining Fairfax County, both suburbs of Washington, D.C. The trail, which is divided into...
Although it parallels Eisenhower Avenue, this paved pathway is not without its charms. On its west end, Alexandria's Eisenhower Avenue Trail begins in Hensley Park, which offers plentiful parking and...
The Savage Mill Trail in Savage Park travels along the rolling Patuxent River through the grounds of an old cotton mill. In the early 1800s, Savage was a major manufacturing center, harnessing power...
The 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail follows the former route of the Georgetown Branch rail line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It begins in Silver Spring, Maryland, east of the Rock Creek Trestle,...
The Wayne Gilchrest Trail, which opened on Earth Day in 2012, runs along the southern edge of the historic Maryland Eastern Shore community of Chestertown. The trail connects Washington College to the...
Central Maryland's WB&A Trail occupies the former Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railway corridor—hence its name—for its entire route. The railroad operated electric commuter trains...
The Northeast Branch Trail follows the levee along theyou guessed itNortheast Branch of the Anacostia River from the Lake Artemesia Natural Area to Baltimore Avenue/US 1 (south of Hyattsville). The...
Tucked in the meandering, wooded hills of the sprawling yet understated multimillion-dollar estates of Great Falls, just outside Washington, D.C., is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic...
The Kent Island South Trail is one of two popular recreational trails (along with the Cross Island Trail) on Maryland's Kent Island, the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. The trail runs parallel...
The Matthew Henson Trail runs along a paved surface (rough in places from tree roots) through a narrow band of forested green space between the Rock Creek Trail just south of Veirs Road and Alderton...
The Strawberry Lake Way Bicycle Path is a 2.2 mile trail that is located between Laurel and Annapolis in Anne Arundel County Maryland. The trail starts at Piney Orchard Elementary School, and ends at...
Rocky Run Stream Valley Trail is part of the countywide trail system. This trail runs from the Fairfax County Parkway to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. The distance along the trail from the Parkway to the...
The Cub Run Stream Valley Trail offers a paved route meandering through Cub Run Stream Valley Park in the Northern Virginia suburb of Centreville. Though it's surrounded by residential neighborhoods,...
The Broadneck Peninsula Trail is 1.2 miles of asphalt walking and biking pathway in east Annapolis. The trail runs parallel to College Parkway, from Green Holly Drive to Old Cape St. Claire Road,...
The Hanover Trolley Trail is being built along the 16-mile corridor of the York-Hanover Trolley Line that ran between the two cities in the early 1900s. Currently, about a quarter of that distance is...
The Vesper Trail, which opened in 2019, serves as a short but important connector between Tysons and northern Vienna. The pathway spans 0.4 miles between the Spring Hill Metro Station (on the Silver...
I just finished the (GAP/C&O) trail this past weekend and all was good. The dry couple of weeks helped a lot. Some ruts and only a few puddles, which is to be expected. Nice to see some of the new upgrades along the trail. Make sure you take extra water during these months. Sometimes the pumps don’t work. Great to see the trail patrol cyclists out riding as well.
My wife and I have done many plus 20 mile rides and rank this near the top. Plenty of shade Well maintained surface clean bathrooms. Hanover Junction excellent stopping place with bathroom and museum. Loved seeing train pull in. Ride from York has nice ascent and was a good workout. Even better ride back downhill.
I ride this trail on a regular since I can bike from my house. Nice shredded areas. The section behind post office is not maintained as well as others. There are many deer on this trail. For me in the distance its fine but to actually be on the path is a bit too much for me personally. It's been getting more and more populated with deer the past few months. Peaceful ride though.
Very rough trail. Even goes down to a little path before you get to new freedom.
I got on the trail after starting at the airport overlook. From there I went 7.5 miles out and back. Not ready yet for the full length. Only drawback is that there are many street crossings where you need to stop. Very well maintained and cert well marked.
Is there an actual bike path? Yes, complete with posted signs and symbols (albeit faded) along the path. Does it run parallel to MacArthur Blvd? Yes, although the bike path runs out at the Exxon just before you reach the Pallisades in D.C. However, whether it is OFFICIALLY named the MacArthur Boulevard Bike Path I will leave up to the general public. Also, the actual eight mile distance strecthes from the Old Angler's Inn in Potomac, MD, to somewhere between Norton and Norfolk Streets in the Pallisades.
If you are running at dusk or pre-dawn when starting at the Inn, I strongly recommend some sort of personal lighting. The first canopy made the path DARK. Not even the light of a full moon made it through the trees. The path does have some gradual climbs and declines going both ways; you'll see more climbs starting from the Inn and more declines when you run from the Pallisades. The bike path is well worn, and you'll have to watch for tree detritus in some of the more wooded areas, but it's still in decent shape. Lastly, no mile markers of any kind. One-mile mark is at the tuen onto Clara Barton Parkway, four mile just before Cabin John Park, five mile at the Exxon station.
The Bike Path runs along MacArthur Blvd, which is a substantially wooded residential area. There is a public restroom across the road from the Inn; it was open when I finished my run, but I don't know if/when it actually is open. There are also port-a-Johns at Cabin John Park (thank you, God!), and two Exxon stations along the route (neither were open on Sunday morning, and no guarantees when they are).
Overall the course is a good place to pace yourself. The gradual climbs will tempt you into going too fast, and the declines will let you open your strides if you want to push for those negative splits. There is one big uphill/downhill in the vicinity of the Little Falls Stream Valley Park area that you need to watch out for, especially if taking it downhill. The cyclists don't start to populate the Bile Path until 7:15~7:30 a.m. on Sundays, and they are courteous to non-cyclists.
My early Sunday morning run on MacArthur Blvd was a noteworthy experience. yes, this is a Bike Path, but runners are encouraged to give it a try.
Do not Bother. Not worth it! Not really a Rail Trail. It was like someone took a Grader back there "Years Ago" and it has not be touched since. 3 to 4 inches of standing water in some sections and not really much of a trail in other sections so you are basically riding through field like conditions with high grass. Never Again!
Nice flat trail, good for families with wildlife and decent shade. There is one tricky place to cross a busy road. Otherwise perfect.
Trail conditions are great, but the route signage is erratic and confusing. The paved trail is broken up way too much by traffic intersections, some of which are really dangerous. Wouldn't take time to ride it again.
The asphalt is broken every 4 feet with grass growing through it. It's only 4 feet wide. There are multiple steep slopes with little sight distance. Multiple locations with gravel out washes.
Bicyclists could not pass each other in opposite directions. Very large trees restrict bail-outs.
It has clear been abandoned by the FCPA.
I rode this trail from Oxon Hill Maryland through the Mt. Vernon Trail into Georgetown and it is a beautiful ride this morning. I road 30 miles that included this trail which is so so beautiful. Next week I am planning to ride all the way to Bethesda Maryland. I stopped at the sign that said welcome to Montgomery County and was told if I went 4 more miles I would have been in Bethesda.
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