Amazing hiking trails! Trails are pretty accessible for all levels…read more The trail maps need updating as there are some new trails.

It's closed for months to repair a sewage siphon in spring, which is ridiculous. There's a sewage…read morepipe that empties into the waterfall area, but people don't seem to care and they swim, even though you can smell the sewage. The whole place and even the forest is littered with hard lemonade and beer bottles, babies diapers, dog poop and all kinds of food wrappers.

Great place to walk and enjoy lake views - plenty of parking in lots near the pavilions, boat dock,…read morespillway, and on the side of the road leading up to the lake. Many benches and a hardscape patio-type area near the boat dock. There are lots of areas with gentle slopes down to the lake for fishing or just skipping stones in the water. There are kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats for rent. The lake is surprisingly easy to get to from Rockville using Gude and Southlawn, and not crowded at all. A great spot for an urban escape!

Do you need to find a happy place or do you need to unwind from electronics?! Look no further. One…read moreof the nicest trails in MOCO ... its a very easy path. Not that many steep hills. Depending on time of year, you can rent boat..or canoe. You can see different types of birds here if your a bird watcher. You can plan a nice picnic here too. There are a few different entrances. The most convenient one for me is off Needwood Rd or you can enter from Avery Rd.

This is one of my favorite zen places. Or when I feel artsy, I bring my sketch pad and just…read moreunwind... very scenic views especially at sunrise or sundown. I prefer sundown... There's a steep incline when you get here but its worth it... Its a good work out... Its also good for avid bird watchers!!

Located in the Derwood/Rockville area of Moco!…read more My alumni association recently did a hike here but I missed it so I decided to explore this trail on my own. I visited on an early Sunday morning. I parked off Avery Road and there were a few cars already there. The change of scenery was nice. I enjoyed the scenic and peaceful views!

This is one of our favorite hiking trails in the area. There is plenty of parking and its free…read more Also it has always had the right amount of people (not too many to make it crowded and not too few to make you feel you are alone in the wilderness). There are a variety of paths of varying difficulty levels (some are flat and some you might have to put a little effort into). Another nice thing is that there is lots of coverage so even on warm days the tree cover keeps it cool. I would recommend sneakers or hiking shoes (hiking shoes would be best post rainy days as the train can get muddy). It's a great place for a family adventure in nature.

What a fun trail! it has some easy parts and some challenging…read more There were many scenic resting/stopping points along the trail..perfect for resting or photo ops. A couple porta potties are available at the start of the trail, along with some picknic tables and an amazing rocky/cliff like view. We saw a guy doing handstands...a little too bold! There were an abundance of stink bugs, but that comes with nature. I can't promise this is kid-friendly with all the challenging parts, although there were a few there! There is enough parking, first come first server deal....with HIking it's always best to get there early enough to avoid crowds and enjoy nature better. A $20 parking fee is required at the entrance.

We ended up going about 2 miles until we reached the waterfall. The beginning of the trail was…read moreuncovered and some portions was along the highway.

Like the review before states, this trail is a feast for your eyes! It hugs along the Potomac…read moreRiver with beautiful views in between the trees on one side and sheer rock faces on the other. There are many creeks and streams that traverse the path on their way to going the Potomac. Despite going on Labor Day late morning/early afternoon, I only saw a handful of people several of whom were running with their dogs (no worries, no doggie land mines were encountered). I picked up the trail at the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot. There is a dirt footpath that goes from here to the American Legion Bridge (10 miles) and as mentioned before almost all of it is shaded. It may extend further, but I turned around at this point! There are parts were you will have to slow down your jog due to some uneven, rocky footing but have no fear, there are long stretches perfect for running. Someone must have come by and cleaned up the litter because it was pristine today! Huzzah!

A very easy-access section of the Patapsco Valley State Park- you can drive right into the middle…read more I'd rank it as perfect for introducing people to a "natural" state park without the distractions of overly developed amenities. Great trails, enough elevation change for solid workouts, some sections with lovely old trees. There's a long stretch of a beautiful stream (Saw Mill Branch) and some areas that give you that lovely isolated feeling of being in the woods. There's campgrounds (way better than "backyard camping") and driving in from the gate on Hilton Ave puts you in a good spot to immediately start hiking. There's also trails leading in from a number of the surrounding neighborhoods. The paved path by the river is pedestrian and disabled friendly. A historic rail route runs parallel to the river and train spotters can get some unique views as well as see the famous Ilchester Tunnel. PVSP is one of my favorite things about living in central MD, and each section has some unique things. Explore them all - but this (Hilton) area is particularly accessible for beginners who want the full experience.

This is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Maryland. I had a marvelous hike there on my…read morelast trip by Cascade Falls. It was beautiful! The waterfall isn't that big but it was still enjoyable to see. There are some rough spots to navigate if you're expecting an easy hike. But overall, it is definitely worth the trip!

Great place to hike along streams and some of the sidearms of the Potomac river. Even on a weekend…read moreit never gets crowded here. Bring your horse and take it on one of the many paths through the woods.

My family loves Seneca. Even on gorgeous days when all the parking is full (there's not much…read moreparking so take note of that), you still won't run into too many people. There's several different trails with different levels of difficulty. We come here with our 3, 5, and 7 year old and it's a great way to have fun while wearing them out! The lower parts (near the water) do get really muddy if it rains so wear hiking boots or old sneakers. It's really pretty here at all seasons, but the fall is a must see. It looks picture perfect with all the color foliage. A great place to go!

Columbia is known for all the nature trails, lakes, villages etc. This particular trail is my "to…read morego" since it's very close in proximity. I usually do my walks, bike rides with my dad and daughter, jogs and you might see me with a jumprope. Just a good trail for some fresh air and to get my steps in! It can be a bit crowded at time but the people do practice social distancing / wear mask.

This is one of our favorite trails to go one for sure. I think the greatest thing about living in…read moreHoward Co. is all the different trails available. I have walked this trail both ways and up to the Wincopin Trails and Its always enjoyable. It is heavily trafficked if you go the bike path way, I recommend going towards Wincopin Trails if you rather be more secluded.

The Trolley Trail is one of my favorite local hiking and/or walking trails. I mentioned both hiking…read moreand walking because you can go off the walking path and into deeper forest trails. There are also a few streams that are not roped off and you can go off the walking path down to the water. This trail has a lot of wildlife, including snakes, bunnies, ducks and deer, therefore, it is best that you keep your pets on a leash. There is one spot of the trail that is underneath a bridge and a lot of the dogs and cats get spooked due to the loud shaking noises. I frequent this trail a lot with my cat, Rune and we have never had an issue. It is very quiet and most of the people coming and going are incredibly respectful. The trail is easy to get to, and there is a lot of free parking, especially if you come early! At the beginning of the trail there is a café which is the perfect spot to grab a coffee, tea or a breakfast sandwich to enjoy on your walk!

This is my favorite trail in Ellicott City. It's fairly easy, not too long and, surrounded by…read morebeauty. It's close to where I live so I often come here for a quick jog or hike. The difficulty level is very low; the trail is wide and most of it is paved. It's about three miles and there are markers every 1/2 mile. The view along the trail is absolutely beautiful during, it doesn't matter what time of the year you go. There's a stream which you easily can go down to. As for parking, there's a huge parking lot right at the start of the trail and since this trail isn't busy, it stays pretty empty. If you don't want a difficult hike and just want a relaxing walk, this is a great trail for that. Plus, it's great for kids and pets.

Grading on the curve of "it's in Maryland", this is a fantastic trail!…read more If this were west of the rockies though, it would be A-OK. There is one tiny section where you actually have to scramble. The rest of it is pretty much a moderate hike with some lite route-finding. We saw multiple snakes on the way in, which were the highlight. Definitely worth doing if you're in the area, but probably not worth a dedicated trip if you're in DC proper.

Not a reflection of the trail as a whole, but when I stopped back on this occasion I was dismayed…read more It was one thing during the peak of the COVID era when there were signs up saying this trail was to be undertaken in one direction only. People were throwing around all sorts of silly rules out of desperation in those days. I doubt any lives were saved by this; maybe the theory was to reduce human contact but realistically, we're talking about hiking in open air. Public health aside, I return to find even now there are still signs saying to take the trail one way. And having done it both ways many times, it's the wrong way! Absurd. Supposedly there's some justification, but I think that grown adults can figure out how to hike in two directions without running into each other. As an overall natural resource, it remains a gem (though it must be noted that the Billy Goat B trail downstream is currently closed due to damage). But whoever is making these stupid rules shouldn't be in the business of making rules at all. Thankfully some rebels were taking the trail in the northernly direction, as well they should.