Explore the best rated trails in Dunn Loring, VA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park and Catonsville Short Line Trail . With more than 120 trails covering 4644 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.
This is probably the most I could handle on a bike ride. We rode the GAP and C&O back to back like many do in 8 days. It was great fun but the C&O is noticeably rougher, fewer port-a-Johns and very scarce potable water sources. On our 7th day from Williamsport to Brunswick we ran out of water midway and rode the remaining 25 miles without water. Fortunately the shade offered by the beautiful canopy of trees made it bearable. We made sure to load up on extra water on our final day. The mix of loose sand that caught us by surprise & the larger stones on the trail made for a more challenging ride than expected. On the one rainy day we had from Cumberland to Little Orleans, some of the puddles we encountered offered a new sense of “oh dear” as we didn’t know how deep the hole we were riding thru when there was no room to go around the puddle.
My first time on this trail today and I was not disappointed! Each trail has a personality and I would say that the WB&A is the back country cousin of the the more metro B&A trail over by Annapolis. Lots of tunnels and bridges make this interesting, and the steep, serpentine descent on pristine new blacktop going south to the new bridge was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. A super ride out and back. I parked at the Electric Ave Lot at mile 1. The map shows a restroom (Jiffy John), but I didn't see any on my trip today. The closest one starting at the southern end was at the parking lot at 8609 Race Track Rd, Bowie, MD. The splash park did not have an external restroom that I could find.
We started at Lake Needwood which had great parking. The trail is not well maintained. It is bumpy most of the way south. It looks like there has been some attempt to patch the asphalt but the transitions were not smoothed out so many jarring bumps. Also tree roots have pushed up the trail which is not unusual but given all the other bumps it was annoying. Also be aware that from Lake Needwood - it is downhill so if you are returning to the same spot, you will have an uphill climb which is not too bad.
there are some really old bridges that go over the C&O. the highlight is the paw paw tunnel. better to walk through it. once you hit little orleans, i suggest going on the western maryland trail. it is fully paved and nice.
hancock is a great town
Even though the trail is in an urban setting it is surprisingly lush and beautiful. There is actually a marsh land half way that is a gorgeous place to rest and take some photos. The trail is smooth and pretty flat. Nice enjoyable easy ride.
Multiple spots to stop. Most of the trail is shaded. There are some beautiful spots to stop on either end of the trail. Never over packed. I always see a ton of wildlife, which my kids love. It's not hard to bike, mostly flat.
I started riding this trail in 2018 and rode it 3-5 times a summer. It was a great trail that allowed you to get 12 miles in before riding the Cross Island Trail just 3 miles away. The tree roots have been bulging the asphalt for the past 7 years and now it is so bad I don't know if I will ride it again. For the first 1-2 miles from the start of either end the roots have the asphalt bulged up over two inches. Even riding with a suspension seat post the trail jars your spine unless you are standing on the foot pegs. Since the roots are so numerous this means you would be on the pegs 50 percent of the time. With the financial state that Maryland is in I doubt this trail will be repaired any time in the foreseeable future.
The western end is paved and is a nice as any rail trail anywhere. Just short. The eastern end has a boardwalk section and then drops you on a gravel section. The gravel is a little big for my liking. I was on a road bike riding 30s but did fine. This section goes through a cut in the mountain made to get the railroad a level grade.
I kept hearing how beautiful this "trail" was. Most of the "trail" was city streets even before you get in to Baltimore. It was also poorly marked. Keep a GPS handy, or just give up on the trail and ride through whatever Baltimore streets you feel like riding.
It does take you past the Baltimore Zoo which was nice. It also takes you right in to Inner Harbor which is also a good place to hang out for a bit.
The trail is 100% paved and takes you along the Anacostia River. I like that this trail has a good mix of city elements and natural beauty. The Kenilworth aquatic gardens are a wonderful stop early in the trail, you get to see a lot of swamp flowers. Later, closer to Dc you are taken up to the Fredrick Douglas memorial bridge. The large white arches of the bridge are breathtaking. There are many places to eat diner once you make it to Dc. I stopped at Gordon Ramseys fish and chips. Great trail!
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