Explore the best rated trails in Lake Shore, MD, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Metropolitan Branch Trail and Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail . With more than 113 trails covering 4617 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.
My wife and I rode this trail today and we both agree, it’s at the top of our list of rail trails. The views of the farms, the creek (I would call it a river), York College and others make this ride so enjoyable. We are from Maryland and have taken the Torrey C Brown trail several times so we wanted to see how the HRT was in comparison. We parked at Seven Valleys and rode north to York (about 10 miles). The trail is in great shape and with the leaves off the trees, it helped to provide views all along the route. We stopped for lunch at the Iron Horse Restaurant in downtown York where Summer took great care of us. It’s only 3 block up main from the HRT. If we get some more mild weather this winter, we will start in New Freedom and ride north. It will be well worth it.
Checked it out while we were in the area, and it was nice! Wide/paved walkway. Wasn’t crowded or desolate. Decent amount of activity. Beautiful streams and scenery. Highly recommend!
Q: If I bike ride the short 1.8 mile Ben Cardin trail in Maryland, should I bother continuing on to Delaware's Michael N. Castle trail?
A: Most definitely! Why stop after just two miles?
Q: Is it as flat and easy as the Ben Cardin trail?
A: It's mostly long, flat and occasionally curves as it parallels the not perfectly straight canal, but there are three places where the trail leaves the canal and climbs up the side of the hill. There it's curvier and takes you through woodlands and by a marina.
Q: Are the hills strenuous?
A: For regular, fit bikers and old guys like me with a Swytch pedal assist system, no. For others I would say yes.
Q: How strenuous?
A: One is steep enough to warrant two switchbacks. I also encountered a middle aged couple at the top of one of the hills resting, recovering, and acting like, What have we gotten ourselves into? I also observed another young, fit woman jogging who had to stop halfway up the hill, bend over, and put her hands on her knees.
Q:Is it picturesque?
A: Yes, lots of interesting photo ops of bridges, the canal, birds, woodlands, salt marshes, watercraft, charming homes, and historical sites.
Q: So if I start in Maryland and reach 5th Street in Delaware City, that's where I turn around?
A: Technically, that's the end of the Castle Trail, but why stop there? Cross the road and continue for another mile or so along quiet Canal Road and the Delaware City Marina to old, historic Delaware City, Battery Park, and Delaware Bay! You'll regret it if you don't!
Q: Are there any rest stops or restrooms?
A: There are restrooms at South Lums Trailhead on the trail and at Battery Park. There are also benches consistently along the canal about every 250 yards!
Q: Is it safe? What are the trail users like?
A: The friendliest and most polite you could ever hope for!
Q: As a former educator, what grade would you give this trail?
A: An A, but not an easy A. You'll have to work hard to complete those six inclines (assuming you're traveling the entire distance and doing a round trip).
Officially, this Maryland trail is only 1.8 miles, perfect for the fine folks of Chesapeake City or tourists to take a stroll out to the state line with Delaware and back. In fact, as I sat on the deck of the Ship Watch Inn across the canal from the path's trailhead the evening before I rode it, I saw so many people doing just that.
The 3.6 miles round trip is perfect for walkers since it is flat, quiet, and picturesque. When I started my bike ride the next morning at sunrise, all I encountered were runners and friendly dog walkers.
However, those of us on bikes aren't going to stop after two miles, so be sure to combine this with the Delaware portion of the canal trail for an additional twelve miles.
AND . . . don't stop after those twelve miles. Since you've already gone that far, continue across 5th Street in Delaware City into the park and then bear right toward Canal Street to travel another mile or so to historical Delaware City, Battery Park, and Delaware Bay! Total round trip of thirty miles.
WARNING: If you decide to continue on to Delaware City, there are three hills on Delaware's Ben Cardin Trail. Thank goodness for my Swytch pedal assist!
The trail is great starting at Cumberland. Pretty smooth and scenic. Not very far in there were quite a few detours as the trail was damaged in many places. I wish there had been more amenities along the trail. The last 40 miles into DC were surprisingly bad, with muddy rough conditions and detours. The trip was memorable and challenging and we were proud to raise money for theplummerhome.org for homeless veterans.
We found this trail to be one of the worst trails...simply because once you're off the established paved biking/walking trail (which isn't very long), there's absolutely NO SIGNAGE where the next leg of the trail is. For that matter, there's no signage ANYWHERE that the trail even exists. Finally, the trail starts then has a break, then starts again, another break...etc. I've been riding the W&OD trail for years and that, my friends, is a great cycling trail. The ICC Trail should be revisited by planners.
Day1: DC to Williamsport. Day 2: Williamsport to Cumberland. This was an amazing ride with beautiful fall scenery. Trail was well maintained and easy to navigate. It was mostly hard parked gravel with lots of historical sites and great views. Paw Paw tunnel was open. The trail thru tunnel is uneven and wet. Met some great people along the trail. I’ll definitely ride the trail again in the summer.
We took the Amtrak bike train to DC. Had to switch trains in Philly. Between Harrisburg and Philly we had to remove the front wheel and hang the bike. From Philly to DC they were stored in the baggage car and didn't require tire removal. The ride through DC was fantastic and much easier than we expected. The trail got a little confusing to get out of town but once we did we found the trail in much better condition then we expected. We stayed along the way in a hotel and a lock house. My favorite part was the area around the pawpaw tunnel but the trail was in very poor condition in spots. At one point when I tried to go my rear wheel would just spin and the bike wouldn't move. Very mucky and muddy. I'm sure it all depends on the amount of rain they had recently. It completed the ride from Pittsburgh to DC for me. I had ridden the GAP trail about 6 years prior. The only reason I didn't give it a five star rating is because of the mud in some areas. Overall it was great.
I was on this trail for the first and last time yesterday. My wife and I did a 21 mile round trip from the south end on a gorgeous day in October. This might be the prettiest trail I have ever seen. But the trail surface was a mixture of smooth, hardbacked dirt (nice) to something like a washboard. My wife sprained a muscle in her hand just holding on to the handlebars. I usually like to go back and finish a trail that I have only partially completed, but we won't be going back to this one.
I had never been on the Heritage Trail but I wanted to get a least 50 total miles in so I started at the parking lot near MM 16 and rode south. I crossed the border into MD and what a difference a State Line can make! I was not impressed at all with the ride on the Heritage but The Torrey was much more rural, did not have near the road crossings and you are for the most part riding beside a beautiful creek in a serene wooded environment instead of beside RR tracks in an environment that felt more industrial. I'll be back to complete the Southern end, for sure.
All I wanted to do was get from the Springfield Metro Station to Springfield - by Sydenstricker/Rolling Road. It's really unclear (or at least on both my GPS apps) on how to get back. Bike baths just kept ending and there was no sign (that I could see) indicating an alternate path, I had to weave thru neighborhoods guessing - but again w/no real signs and sometimes it just felt like it kept leading me again and again to the parkway. A few more signs, a bit more clarity. I've never struggled with a path so much and I bike all over MD, DC and VA. I seriously went around in circles around Hooes and Rolling for over 1.5 hours. I finally just biked on the emergency lane on the Parkway to get to Backlick.
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