Explore the best rated trails in White Oak, MD. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Linton Hall Road Trail and Lord Fairfax Community College Connector 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.
The 3-mile separated multi-use path along Middletown Road allows for safe recreation and transportation along the western side of Waldorf, Maryland. The trail begins just south of State Route 228 and...
The MA & PA Heritage Trail is found in two segments (about 2 miles apart) through the wooded parks of Maryland's Bel Air and Forest Hill communities. The folksy sounding name actually stands for the...
The Sligo Creek Trail parallels the eponymous waterway from its confluence with the Northwest Branch in Hyattsville to just north of its origin in Wheaton in Montgomery County. Along the way, a number...
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 White’s Mill Trail provides a scenic route through wetlands and residential areas in the rural town of Warrenton. Trail-goers will enjoy the natural beauty of the Cedar Run valley and wildlife...
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...
Maryland's Intercounty Connector Trail serves as an important commuting route across Montgomery County and Prince George's County. It gets its name from the Intercounty Connector (also known as State...
The West Ox Road Sidepath is a short paved trail along the west side of West Ox Road. The trail extends from the Oak Hill area of Fairfax County to southeastern Chantilly (near Fair Oaks Mall in...
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 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 Braddock Road Sidepath parallels Braddock Road and New Braddock Road (State Route 620) between Centreville and Burke, two bedroom communities in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The trail...
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....
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 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail provides a superb link between Alexandria, VA, and Maryland's National Harbor over the Potomac River. This well-used trail crosses on the up-river side of the bridge...
Downs Park Trail is located in Downs Park on the Chesapeake Bay just north of Gibson Island. The 3.5-mile perimeter trail is paved, popular for walkers and cyclists alike, and an additional 1.5 miles...
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...
Southern Maryland's Three Notch Trail is a work-in-progress under the guidance of St. Mary's County and other stakeholders. When complete, the recreational trail will extend 28 miles along an...
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...
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...
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...
This rail-with-trail bridge crosses the Potomac River near its confluence with the Shenandoah River, at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A cantilevered section of the bridge allows pedestrian access...
The MA & PA Heritage Trail is found in two segments (about 2 miles apart) through the wooded parks of Maryland's Bel Air and Forest Hill communities. The folksy sounding name actually stands for the...
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...
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...
Notice: As of July 2018, the western portion of the Grist Mill Trail is closed through spring 2019 for removal of the Bloede Dam. The eastern 1.5 miles of the trail remains open for all uses. See...
The Warrenton Branch Greenway follows a segment of the former Warrenton Branch Spur railroad, running between downtown Warrenton (at S. 4th Street) and Meetze Road. The Warrenton Branch was...
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 Linton Hall Road Trail runs parallel to its namesake—also signed as State Route 619—in western Prince William County. More utilitarian than scenic, the trail acts as a transportation route for...
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...
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 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 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...
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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,...
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 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 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 Bethesda Trolley Trail—also known as the North Bethesda Trail—is a 4-mile path linking Bethesda and North Bethesda, primarily by bridging two major highways. The trail occupies the abandoned...
Baltimore’s Stony Run Trail follows an old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad line through nearly 3 miles of wooded stream valleys and small parks, providing a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle...
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,...
The 3-mile separated multi-use path along Middletown Road allows for safe recreation and transportation along the western side of Waldorf, Maryland. The trail begins just south of State Route 228 and...
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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 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...
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 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...
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail provides a superb link between Alexandria, VA, and Maryland's National Harbor over the Potomac River. This well-used trail crosses on the up-river side of the bridge...
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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 Warrenton Branch Greenway follows a segment of the former Warrenton Branch Spur railroad, running between downtown Warrenton (at S. 4th Street) and Meetze Road. The Warrenton Branch was...
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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 Patuxent Branch Trail is part of a 20-mile trail system over and around the rolling hills of Howard County that follows a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line along the Patuxent River. The...
The Anacostia River Trail begins in Cottage City, Maryland, at the split of the Anacostia River into its northeast and northwest branches. Those traveling south on either the Northeast Branch Trail or...
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...
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,...
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 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...
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...
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 Sudley Manor Drive Trail runs parallel to the southern 4.5 miles of its namesake road in western Prince William County. The trail services a number of the surrounding communities, such as Bristow...
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...
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...
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 trail is well maintained, and provides access to some beautiful areas near Chesapeake Beach, MD. There is signage throughout the trail that provides information on the flora and fauna you may find along the trail. We did the entire trail and the total distance traveled was 2.5 miles. This trail is perfect for a casual walk.
We rode from New Freedom almost to the end past Monkton and return, a total of about 47 miles. We repeated the beginning 5 miles because we forgot something got to make the 5 mile climb into New Freedom twice. ¿¿ Anyway, this is a very nice trail, well shaded along much of the trail. As others have mentioned, it wouldn’t be the best for trikes or any two wheeled buggy as the trail has several miles of double track that would make for a bumpy ride...although we did see a few buggies and one trike. We loved the Gnomes that were on display and the the more than 80 flags in honor of Memorial Day. I’d recommend this trail but do we aware of the incline if you leave from New Freedom. It’s only rail to trail steep but it’s definitely noticeable.
This trail becomes more beautiful and less crowded as you run away from the Lake Elkhorn loop.
The best trail I have actually gone one its not to long or short it’s perfect
My husband and I walked this trail yesterday. We attempted to go to the southern parking area near Annapolis and start at the end. We do not recommend this for walkers. The southern parking lot is about a mile away from the southern trail head, and you have to walk along a busy road in a bike lane. We felt very uncomfortable with this. Perfect for bikers, again, not for walkers. We were able to find a parking lot near a midpoint of the trail in Severn. Starting here is recommended. There are two lots with immediate access to the trail and Porta potties as well. The trail itself is very pretty with a wide level asphalt surface. Wide enough for some walkers and bikers. We definitely saw predominantly bikers on our journey, only a handful of walkers and joggers. And one rollerblader!
They have replaced slot of the trail this past winter. There are still some bumpy sections . But can’t beat the tranquility of the wood and the bay for a good ride. You can’t go flat out but you can get a good relaxing ride in. Go early it’s gets crowded at times
This is a pleasant escape from the city, largely running along the creek and through woods, but occasionally popping out and paralleling residential neighborhoods. There are also hiking paths off the trail.
I love that it's a full loop (no backtracking!). It's well-maintained and quite flat, so it would be appropriate for all abilities. The southeasternmost extension (behind brewery and post office) is not as well maintained.
The northwest end of the trail (off Harford Road) is about a block from Lake Montebello, which has bike lanes running around the lake (and, as of May 2020, the roads around the lake are temporarily closed to cars). So Herring Run + Lake Montebello forms a pleasant, no-backtracking, extended loop. Also, as of May 2020, Harford Road is under major reconstruction, so finding the entrance to the trail from the Lake Montebello end is a little tricky (there's a temporary path carved out that's quite rugged and may create accessibility issues for those with limited mobility).
I have been enjoying the C&O Canal towpath since I was a boy -- but I went for a bike ride yesterday (May 10, 2020) at the Monocacy Aqueduct and the path is now paved (I assume it's considered crushed stone). Yep, it's now "new and improved" -- not. One problem is that the trail now has a lower shoulder than the paved road. If you happen to get too close to the edge or pull off, you've got a bit of a dropoff which could be problematic. Another problem is that some of my fellow bicyclers seem to love the new surface as they now go flying even faster than before. Hiking on the paved trail is certainly not as nice as the previous dirt path. The feeling of getting away from it all has diminished and the trail has lost some of its charm. It no longer appears to be a path in the woods from a bygone era, but simply another bike trail. Pedestrians beware.
Even on a COLD WINDY May day, there were lots of walkers, joggers, and some bikers. Steep on either end of the trail and I’m guessing 6-8’ wide so 2 bikers can safely but SLOWLY pass. Lots of smooth, elevated trail & bridges (lots of warning signs “Slippery When Wet”) Would be very nice in heat of summer since it’s shaded the entire route & alongside the stream. Trail is in the floodplain so would not be advisable when streams are up.
This section is complete. Paved and spacious. Not much elevation but good for a jog with a stroller from one end to the other and back. What’s not to love? Parking ok Crownsville is limited (two larking spots, 3 including a handicap spot) but the Rt3 lot near end of Millersville Rd has plenty of parking.
We rode 38 miles out and back from New Freedom to York. I’d highly recommend this trail. Excellently maintained and well packed. There are not a lot of crossings so the ride is very nice. Very picturesque with many farms and streams. This trail is best ridden with a hybrid or gravel tire but could probably be ridden on 700x28 in a pinch. Don’t miss this great trail.
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