Find the top rated walking trails in Gaithersburg, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_179440_sc.jpg)
Little Falls Trail is a hike-and-bike pathway in Montgomery County, Maryland. Winding through parks and along creeks, the trail runs parallel to the popular Capital Crescent Trail for part of its...
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...
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...
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 Gwynns Falls Trail is a 19-mile continuous corridor connecting dozens of west and southwest Baltimore neighborhoods with parks, historical and cultural landmarks and the urban business district....
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...
The 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail follows the former route of the Georgetown Branch rail line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It begins in Silver Spring, Maryland, east of the Rock Creek Trestle,...
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 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 Town of Brentwood is tucked between Mt Rainier & Hyattsville in Prince George's County, Maryland. This short stretch of paved trail sits on the crest of a levee along the south bank of the...
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 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 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...
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,...
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...
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...
If you are looking to augment your physical workout with some intellectual exercise, look no further than the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail. The scenic, paved, 13-mile community trail is brimming with...
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 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 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...
Little Falls Trail is a hike-and-bike pathway in Montgomery County, Maryland. Winding through parks and along creeks, the trail runs parallel to the popular Capital Crescent Trail for part of its...
The Broadneck Peninsula Trail is 1.2 miles of asphalt walking and biking pathway in east Annapolis. The trail runs parallel to College Parkway, from Green Holly Drive to Old Cape St. Claire Road,...
Formerly known as the Parklawn North Trail, this path provides a bike-ped connection from the Twinbrook neighborhood to the Rock Creek Trail. The paved trail begins at the end of Rock Creek Mill Road,...
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 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 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 Gettysburg Inner Loop is a network of multi-use trails and signed, on-street bicycle routes, paralleled by sidewalks for foot traffic, currently being built around the perimeter of the historic,...
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...
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...
Although less than two miles long, the Meadowlark Connector Trail provides a terrific link between the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the popular W&OD Trail. The trail meets the W&OD in Vienna;...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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...
The Town of Brentwood is tucked between Mt Rainier & Hyattsville in Prince George's County, Maryland. This short stretch of paved trail sits on the crest of a levee along the south bank of 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...
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 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...
Not to be confused with the nearby Gettysburg Inner Loop, the roughly 3-mile Gettysburg Trail is a paved walking trail that connects the Visitor Center to important locations on the battlefield, the...
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 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 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,...
Lake Frank is a 54-acre reservoir located in the heart of Rock Creek Regional Park in Derwood, east of Rockville. The reservoir, together with Lake Needwood was created for flood control and was named...
The John Overstreet Connector is a 1.5-mile trail segment that links the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and BWI Trail. The shortbut vitaltrail is named after Overstreet, a retiree from Glen Burnie,...
The Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park course for 2.5 miles through the heavily wooded park between Ilchester Road and Lost Lake. The trail is gentle and wheelchair accessible. It passes...
_195617_sc.jpg)
This trail traces a hilly green swath located in a Pepco electric utility right-of-way that stretches between South Gernmantown Recreational Park and Muddy Branch Stream Valley Park. It's a natural...
Washington, D.C.'s Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail links some of the District's dozens of Civil War era forts (now national parks) that were built to defend the city from attack by the southern...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Great trail, nice and shady, and easy on the paws for your furry friends! Lots of side trails to explore and get down to the river to splash around.
We did from Cumberland to DC then from DC back to Cumberland! August 2021 hot as hades in the high 90’s and thunderstorms! Had a blast! Camped the entire way except for 1 day at motel lol needed a shower! Awesome experience with a huge tunnel that we had to walk our bikes through like a mile ! Rode all over the DC area and visited many places ! DC is very bike friendly!
I road this trail today. The first item of note is the road is closed about 1 mile on the North Extension, that is a mile North of Route 30. You can ride from John Rudy County park to the closure. There may be a work around at the railroad bridge to the route 30 Parking lot. I started at the route 30 parking lot and went South to New Freedom. I would not recommend riding in this direction. The last section from about MP 5 up to New Freedom is uphill about a 6% grade. It is best to ride starting in New Freedom and biking to York. Also, The bike trail through York going South is a bit confusing through the town. At one point the RR track area was closed; however, the detour South was not clear. Okay
They allow ebikes as long as one observes the speed limits and rides courteously. Being able to ride to the Mall in DC and back is great exercise too. Path users are courteous and the Pedego Ebike Rental Shop is great when you have guests who want to join you. Bethesda food is a nice reward after the ride too. A favorite trail!
Es un sendero poco transitado, con tramos muy hermosos. Disfrute muchísimos caminarlo.
Tranquilo y sencillo para caminar. El estar junto al río hace muy grata la caminata o paseo en bici.
I live only blocks from this trail and I've been riding it sporadically for over 30 years. But each year, I ride it less often (maybe twice a summer?) and I get more and more frustrated by it. Only yards from the wide Potomac River most of the way, with inspiring views of the DC monuments, a string of lovely parks, and winding wooden boardwalks through the marshes, it really is stunning. The large number of pedestrians, joggers and other bikers on it at any given time is testament to its popularity. But therein lies the danger for bikers, especially: between tourists and others who have no idea of trail courtesy or safety, most rides include lots of screeching halts, unheeded calls of "ON YOUR LEFT!" and frightening encounters around blind turns. Then there are the untold number of root heaves that rattle bike and bones. These are the worst I've seen on any trail in America and make for white-knuckled and jarring rides. This 15-mile trail is so popular and pretty, it should have been widened and repaved by the National Park Service a decade ago. Bikers and walkers alike should be sadly wary of this national treasure.
Parked only to find a trail closed sign and some construction equipment on it. This is the center street end. The park end was blocked due to a long line of cars for a recycle event.
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 National Central Railroad Trail (aka Torrey C. Brown Tail) runs north-south and connects Hunt Valley, Maryland with York, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 45 miles in length and the terrain is completely flat. Once in Pennsylvania, the trail becomes the Heritage Rail Trail County Park. The NCR runs next to the Big Gunpowder Falls River and there are a fair number of rest stops with bathroom facilities, as well as benches and picnic tables, along the way.
There are numerous places to enjoy the river’s beautiful views and the sounds of rushing water. If you are hungry and want to stop, there are cafés in Monkton, MD, New Freedom and Glen Rock, Pa. Trail highlights include the Howard Tunnel, the NCR Train (a real old-timey train that follows the same route that carried President Lincoln to Gettysburg where he delivered his address) and smaller two-person rail cars on the tracks. Additionally, there are bridges, beautiful corn and wheat fields and mile after mile of actual active railroad tracks. And, at the 11-mile mark north from Hunt Valley, there is Gnome Hill, a 10-foot high hill with hundreds of garden gnomes to check out. There is also a water and snack station at Gnome Hill. (Just watch out for deer crossing there.)
The trail is very well shaded and consists of a mix of crushed limestone and hard dirt. Even on 90-degree days, the temperature on the trial is extremely tolerable. Once you cross into Pennsylvania and approach York, there are large sections that are paved. The trail can be accessed from several locations with parking lots in Hunt Valley, Sparks, Monkton, Parkton, New Freedom and elsewhere. Foot traffic can be heavy on the weekends particularly between Hunt Valley and Sparks, and again North of Monkton for two miles.
There is a popular brewery not far from the trail in Parkton, MD.
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.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_186163_st.jpg)
_164155_st.jpg)
_179440_st.jpg)
_158666_st.jpg)
_193199_st.jpg)
_165699_st.jpg)
_195617_st.jpg)
_206050_st.jpg)
_196050_st.jpg)
