Explore the best rated trails in South Gate, MD. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the MA & PA Heritage Trail and Meadowlark Connector Trail. With more than 101 trails covering 4556 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.
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
The West Campus Access Road Trail, the newest rail-trail in Washington, D.C., travels through the sprawling former campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital, now set to become the new home of the Department...
The Fairfax County Parkway Trail parallels Fairfax County Parkway/State Route 286 on its route across Fairfax County, Virginia. While the paved trail varies in width and condition, most of the trail...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
Oxon Run is the name of a tributary of the Potomac River in southeast DC, which lends its name to both the trail system and park in which the trail loop is found. The trail on both sides of the...
The Stringfellow Road Sidepath runs for three miles through Chantilly and Centreville in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The asphalt and concrete trail connects multiple neighborhoods to various...
The Ox Road Sidepath is a paved trail that runs parallel to Ox Road/State Route 123 in Fairfax County. The trail runs from George Mason University's main Fairfax campus to just south of the former...
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...
Running parallel to Beulah Street from Franconia to Fort Belvoir in southeast Fairfax County, the paved Beulah Street Sidepath provides a link to numerous neighborhoods along its route. A parallel...
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...
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Prince George's County's Paint Branch Trail (not to be confused with Montgomery County's Paint Branch Trail farther north) runs for 3.5 miles between Lake Artemesia and Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park...
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...
This bike and pedestrian path threads through the park of the same name. The trail exists in 2 sections: the northern segment begins in the Fairland Recreational Park and winds south, eventually...
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...
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The Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) is one of suburban Washington, D.C.'s most popular rail-trails. The heavily used trail is frequented by commuters and recreationists alike, and is a...
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...
Maryland's Susquehanna State Park is recognized for challenging hiking and biking trails, camping facilities, rock outcroppings, boating, a museum and restored historical sites. But none of these...
The Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
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 Mount Airy Rail-Trail will one day span nearly 4 miles across the town of Mount Airy and through a scenic, wooded area. The first completed section of the trail covers a half mile and is surfaced...
The Custis Trail is a popular urban route that links Virginia's D.C. suburbs with the District itself, connecting to both the W&OD Railroad Regional Park Trail at the latter's 4-mile marker and the...
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...
Prince George's County's Paint Branch Trail (not to be confused with Montgomery County's Paint Branch Trail farther north) runs for 3.5 miles between Lake Artemesia and Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park...
Burke VRE Trail lies within Pohick Stream Valley Park and provides an important commuting and recreational corridor, connecting a shopping center, residential neighborhoods, and a Virginia Railway...
The separated multi-use Rosewick Road Sidepath provides a direct link for both recreation and transportation between the southern Maryland communities of St. Charles and La Plata. The path runs...
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 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...
The Henson Creek Trail is located in the southwestern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, and connects the growing District of Columbia suburbs of Fort Washington and Oxon Hill with the...
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,...
Black Hill Trail offers a wooded trek with gentle inclines through Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. The trail is primarily paved, though a short section in...
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...
Maryland's Cross Island Trail spans Kent Island, east to west, in Queen Anne's County, providing multiple points of access to everything from libraries and schools to ball fields and the waterfront....
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...
The Folly Lick Branch Trail begins in Herndon, a northern Virginia suburb. The paved pathway begins off Herndon Parkway and winds northeast along the Folly Lick Branch stream through a residential...
The 11-mile BWI Trail was primarily designed for area commuters; however, the trail also makes for a great recreation venue. Despite being close to BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport, much of the trail is...
Located just 18 miles south of our nation's capital, the Indian Head Rail Trail offers a unique natural outdoor experience, seemingly far removed from urban development and its associated chaotic...
Maryland's Cross Island Trail spans Kent Island, east to west, in Queen Anne's County, providing multiple points of access to everything from libraries and schools to ball fields and the waterfront....
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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...
The Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
The Windsor Hills Conservation Trail is a short hiking trail through the Windsor Hills neighborhood of Baltimore. Built partially on a former streetcar line that once connected the area with 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 Custis Trail is a popular urban route that links Virginia's D.C. suburbs with the District itself, connecting to both the W&OD Railroad Regional Park Trail at the latter's 4-mile marker and the...
Following the route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Metropolitan Branch rail line, the Met Branch Trail is a busy urban rail-with-trail that shares a corridor with Metro's Red Line, MARC commuter...
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
The Anacostia Tributary Trail System includes a number of trails linked together and managed by the National Park Service. The trail include: the Anacostia River Trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, the...
The Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
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...
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...
Cameron Station Linear Park is the quintessential neighborhood trail. Located in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington, D.C., it offers a pleasant paved pathway frequented by joggers, dog walkers,...
Located in the northwest section of Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park is the oldest and largest urban park in the national park system. Established in 1890, Rock Creek Park offers more than 1,700...
Oxon Run is the name of a tributary of the Potomac River in southeast DC, which lends its name to both the trail system and park in which the trail loop is found. The trail on both sides of the...
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...
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...
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...
This short rail-with-trail is short but makes some pretty significant connections: it links the King Street and Braddock Road metro stations. It also connects to the Potomac Yard Trail, helping to...
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...
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.
Nice trail, relatively flat, winds through beautiful parks most of the time. Joins with the W&OD trail at times, perhaps by accident. It being my first time I wasn’t sure which way to go in a few places, and ended up on the other trail which was less scenic, and busier, but flat. Has lots of easy parking near the trail too.
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.
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.
Nice trail and is a fast and short connection between Bethesda and Rockville, but is heavily trafficked and narrow.
Rode the entire length a couple of times. Last time in June 2019. The first 10 miles out of Cumberland are terrible. If it has rained recently you will get muddy. When we went through it looked like they hadn't even mowed sections of it in a year. After that the trail had some rough patches but was ride-able. I would definitely not ride a rode bike on this trail, especially not with road tires. You need a bike with some suspension and some grip through this area. The Paw Paw tunnel was open when we went through, very interesting. Very rough and narrow inside the tunnel.
Don't know what you do if you meet a bicyclist coming the opposite direction inside the tunnel. Between Harper's Ferry and Brunswick they have resurfaced the trail and it was great. They need to put a ramp on the bridge to Harper's Ferry. We skip it as we don't want to leave our bikes behind and we aren't carrying fully loaded bikes up the spiral staircase. Fort Fredrick is an interesting side trip. The only reason the trail gets as a high a rating as I gave it is that there are free campsites all along the trail and historical markers. A lot of the campsites are by the Potomac river. They are very rustic just a picnic table, fire ring and Porta John. Sometimes there is a working water pump, sometime there isn't. I would suggest carrying a water filter, the water from the pumps is usually orange with iodine. They are usually quiet except for the occasional train. Along this trail you really can't get away from the occasional train. Also, bring bug spray in the summer if you are camping. You really don't need sunscreen, very seldom are you out from under the trees. There are huge trees all along the path.
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