Starting at the south end, it's really quite a nice ride -- a paved surface in fairly reasonable shape, well-marked with a red centerline to help you find your way, winding through a mix of suburban and wooded areas as you make your way upstream.

But between NH Ave and the Beltway the paving ends quite suddenly. Despite the markings on the map, the paving does NOT pick back up again. If you have a pretty serious mountain bike with aggressive tires -- and an interest in wearing yourself out -- you might be able to keep going.

The map says this is a 7 mile trip. That may well be the case for the pavement, but the map then shows the trail goes on up to Wheaton and Layhill. The written description notes it's closed to bikes, but the map seems to suggest otherwise.

Maybe this trail should be broken into two parts to avoid confusion for folks like me! The hiking part is pretty rugged but quite beautiful . . .

The Baltimore and Annapolis Trail plus the BWI Trail are two distinct trails that connect at the northwestern trailhead of the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail via the John Overstreet Connector. So, back and forth to Annapolis is about 28 miles, then the loop around the Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Thurgood Marshal airport is another 10.5 miles.
We headed southeast on the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail, first alongside a runway (the parking lot is actually called the Thomas A. Dixon Observation Park) and then into the woods. For the next mile or so, we zigzagged through the forest until we came to a road sign that required us to stop and read it carefully. After crossing a highway bridge, we rode for the next 13 miles through a variety of settings.
There were many picturesque parts of the gently rolling trail: split-rail wooden fences along mowed grass aprons and large “mounds” of vine-covered trees. In many areas, the trail ran along the edges of well-kept neighborhoods where there were frequent, but not busy, intersections. Almost imperceptibly, the trail declined towards Annapolis – a fact we were only made aware of as we climbed back towards BWI. At about the 10-mile mark, we saw many bikers and runners stopped at a popular trailside coffee shop in Severna Park. This is the most convenient place to fill up on water or snacks. Next to it was an enormous pile of discarded bikes behind Pedal Pushers bike store.
After a few more miles of the quiet, mostly shaded trail, we reached the Annapolis trailhead then turned around. Thirteen or so miles later, we arrived back at the Observation Park and forced ourselves to do the BWI loop. Surprisingly, the BWI trail was NOT a tour of parking lots, airport hangars and shade-less runways. It was actually pretty in many spots and had an interesting array of vistas ranging from forests, to horse pastures, to overlooks of the airport, to neighborhoods, to highways. This is a very popular loop and one local biker told us that there were too many pedestrians to ride on the weekends.
Ireland’s most famous brewery has its only US brewery near BWI and it is both massive and a ton of fun.

Where the trail currently begins (in Milton, Delaware) is unmarked and there is no parking. We parked on the side of a little-used road (Cool Spring Road) and jumped on the trail at the intersection of the busier route US 9 East. (A good address to look up is the Brimming Horn Meadery which is right on the trail and very close to the western trailhead.) We took off on the smooth asphalt trail through an airy forest of very tall pine trees, whose canopies hovered about 30 feet above us. Riding along the flat-as-a-pancake trail, we passed by both new and more established neighborhoods where flags and flowers festooned the trail’s edge to welcome bikers and pedestrians. We’d read that there were 12 intersections along the trail, but very few had any traffic. It was a fast and easy six miles to the outskirts of Lewes, a quaint little beach town, and it is here that we transitioned onto the Lewes-Rehoboth trails, which make up essentially one big 17-mile loop.
We decided to head counterclockwise on the loop, riding south, then east, through cornfields, neighborhoods, open marshes, and wooded patches outside Rehoboth. The town itself is where you can find any number of stores or restaurants to buy food or water. After a fairly short jaunt through the neighborhood streets of Rehoboth, we rode on the wide shoulder of Ocean Avenue heading north along the coast. Soon we were entering Cape Henlopen State Park and riding on one of the most unique and picturesque trails we’ve ever encountered. It’s almost entirely marsh land, inland bodies of water, and sand dunes. Snowy egrets, gray herons and a wide variety of marine life populate the marshes. At various points along the trail, there are observation decks and places to view the ocean and the remains of abandoned World War II-era watch towers, artillery, and barracks. It was a little tricky winding our way out of the park but eventually, we ended up on a road that paralleled the beach and led back into Lewes. There’s a cute little brewery right on the trail, then another big name brewery – that is a favorite of ours – back in Milton.

Starting at Nats Park (home of the Washington Nationals), we crossed the South Capitol Street bridge via a single-lane sidewalk with high railings on both sides. (This has now been replaced by a brand spanking new bridge with white arches that can be seen throughout the city.) On the southwest side of the Anacostia River, we encountered a surprisingly pastoral riverside trail that winds past playgrounds, basketball courts and a large outdoor roller-skating pavilion on the right. On the left, we could see boats motoring past the Navy Yard high rises and riverfront cafes, then further down, small marinas tucked into the wooded shoreline. Traffic on the trail was (and is always) very light with a few walkers, a few bikers and occasionally, a few fishermen hauling their tackleboxes, fishing rods and folding chairs to the water’s edge.
The trail meanders for about five miles before the exit to Benning Road which leads back to the Navy Yard on the opposite side of the river. But we recommend continuing on the trail for another five miles through lush forests and open marshlands, along quiet “country” roads (which are surprising in Washington, DC), past neighborhoods and athletic fields, and over wooden pathways that hug the shoreline. Our turnaround point was at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, maybe two miles over the Maryland state line. There is a water bottle filling station and restroom there – along with a Dinosaur Walk. (Who knew?)
We returned to Benning Road to cross over the river and to pick up the trail, now on the northeast side of the Anacostia River. The return ride is visually interesting, but confusing. Rule of thumb: bear left whenever presented with a choice.
Navigating the Navy Yard area can be a bit challenging as residents and tourists crowd the outdoor cafes and spill out onto the expansive promenade. This wide swath of concrete and wood extends from the base of the Naval facility to Nats Park, an approximately half-mile stroll or slow, careful bike ride, past a very popular brewery.

I bike this trail a few times a year. It is a well designed trail given the airport security constraints.

Tiny. Unremarkable. And you have to pay to get in here...smhScenery is OK. No electric rides allowed. (Even tho electric cars are allowed. Go figure...) No warning. No reason for it. They just kick you out. Avoid it at all costs

This trail is well-maintained and fairly easy to follow. Due to its short length, it may be better suited for walking or jogging than biking. The trail is rich in local history, passing by the Spring Grove Hospital complex (established 1797), the Baltimore National Military Cemetery, St. Mary’s Seminary, and the former St. Charles College (now Charlestown Senior Living). There is a moderate uphill grade moving from east to west. For bikers seeking a longer ride, the Catonsville Short Line trail can be combined with the Number 8 and Number 9 Trolley trails, for a six-mile ride between Catonsville and Ellicott City.

The nicely paved route parallels a busy highway. Driveways on the other side. No vistas or water views.

I parked at the East end of Long Point park. It was just off exit 43A (RT 50 West) and right next to a Royal Farms ,however, it has only 3 parking spots. There are many more parking spots at the West end of the park. Long Point Park is a small picturesque park where you wind through the trees. For the next 1-1.5 miles you parallel Rt 50 with views of the Chester river to the North and Prospect Bay to the South before crossing under Rt50 and continuing West. You then cross the Kent Narrows Bridge and cross back under Rt50 at Piney Narrows Road where there is also more parking. Traveling West you pass through small forests, marsh, and pass by several housing developments (about 3.5miles) before making a sharp right turn into Old Love Point Park. If you turn left you enter State St and should turnaround as I did. Old Love Point Park can get congested because you are passing through a sports complex of several ball fields, tennis courts, and soccer fields with Kent Island High School in view. You must cross several roads, so be wary of traffic especially Love Point Road, It’s about another mile to Terrapin Nature Park. In the park you can take several loops and you lose the asphalt. If you take the loop that parallels the Chesapeake (after about a mile) you come to a very small bridge with the beach and the Chesapeake Bay directly in front of you. Great view of the Chesapeake and Bay Bridge !! Here the trail is all sand and I had to dismount and walk SW along the beach for approximately 200 ft before the trail was hard packed again. I then continued my ride through the trees, passing through the Cross Island Trail Trailhead parking lot and looped back to where I entered Terrapin Nature Park. I then enjoyed the ride back to Long Point Park. The ride was about 15 miles and I savored a Krispy Kreme donut at the Royal Farms when finished.