Activity
Dog walking
Short-radius trail outings with a dog. Sensitive to paw-burning heat on exposed rock, very sensitive to thunderstorms, and always checks dog-rule compliance.
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Comfort range
- Ideal temp
- 40–72°F
- Comfort temp
- 25–82°F
- Mud sensitivity
- Low — tolerant of damp
- Wind sensitivity
- Standard
Ranked today
Bolivar Heights
Civil War battlefield ridge inside Harpers Ferry NHP — short mowed-grass and dirt loops through cannon-studded meadows with views toward the Shenandoah Valley. Quieter than the lower-town trails.
C&O Towpath — Great Falls section
Flat crushed-stone towpath along the Potomac. The iconic mid-Atlantic long-run / long-walk / dog-walk trail. Shaded and runnable in any weather. From Great Falls Tavern there is a $20/vehicle entrance fee; access from Old Anglers Inn or Carderock is free.
Paw Paw Tunnel
The 3,118-ft canal tunnel cut through Green Ridge, with a steep ridge-top bypass trail you can loop. Through the tunnel itself is flat and easy, but the bypass adds the climb that makes this a moderate outing. Bring a headlamp — the tunnel is pitch black and takes ~20 minutes to walk through. Closures recur for restoration work, ice, and bat-related seasonal restrictions.
Cunningham Falls
Maryland's tallest cascading waterfall (78 ft). Short, family-friendly Lower Trail from the William Houck (lake) area, with a boardwalk near the falls. The Cliff Trail from the lake (~1.6 mi RT) and the Falls Trail from the NPS Catoctin side (~2.8 mi RT, ~500 ft gain) are steeper alternatives.
Cascade Falls
Patapsco Valley's marquee short hike — a steady climb alongside a stream to a small but photogenic waterfall. Park at the Hilton Area lot off South Street in Catonsville (the gated developed area on the south side of the river).
Patapsco Valley — Daniels Area
Upstream gorge of the Patapsco with ruins of the old Daniels mill town. Standard riverside loop to the dam ruins; longer ridgetop connectors add a powerline-cut climb if you want a 4–5 mile day. Quieter than the Avalon area; bike-legal on designated trails only (yield to anglers along the river).
Gunpowder South — Masemore to Falls Road
Out-and-back along the Gunpowder South Trail from Masemore Road to Falls Road — the classic Hereford-area river run. Shaded, rolling, and heavily used by fly anglers (catch-and-return waters); yield on the trail.
Sweet Air Loop
Sweathouse Branch loop in the Sweet Air section of Gunpowder Falls SP — quiet rolling forest, stream crossings, multi-use. The Hereford section's calmer counterpart and one of Baltimore County's most accessible trail-running loops.
Valley Trail (Rock Creek)
The stream-side trail of Rock Creek — shaded, rooty, and runnable. Runs ~5.6 miles one-way from Boundary Bridge in the north down past Pierce Mill toward the National Zoo. Pair with Western Ridge Trail and connectors for an ~11 mile loop.
Western Ridge Trail
Ridge-top counterpart to the Valley Trail. Loop the two via connectors for an ~11 mile DC trail run.
Great Falls VA — River Trail
Rim trail along Mather Gorge with three overlooks of the Potomac cataracts. ~1.5 mi one-way from the visitor center to Sandy Landing / Difficult Run; rocky underfoot, not runnable at speed.
Difficult Run
Stream trail descending from Georgetown Pike (Rt 193) down to the Potomac at Mather Gorge. Less crowded than the main Great Falls overlooks. The Difficult Run trailhead lot on Georgetown Pike is outside the Great Falls Park fee zone — free to access.
Pyrite Mine Loop
Loop through mature Piedmont forest to the ruins of the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine — concrete foundations, an interpretive sign, and quiet woods. Good rainy-day pick when the river-trail crowds chase shelter.
Sugarloaf Mountain Loop
The orange-blazed Mountain Loop Trail — Sugarloaf's standard outer loop hitting East View, the summit, and West View overlooks. The longer Northern Peaks Trail (~5.5 mi, 1,100 ft) extends north to White Rocks. Free access; donations encouraged. Stronghold trust.
Sugarloaf — West View Shortcut
Short but steep climb from the small upper West View lot to the main summit overlook. When the upper one-way road is closed (winter, mud, events), this shortcut isn't available — start from East View instead.
Possum Hill Loop
Rolling Piedmont forest loop in the Possum Hill tract — one of White Clay Creek's named multi-use sub-areas, with designated MTB trails and shared hike/run loops.
GAP Trail — Cumberland Terminus
Mile zero of the Great Allegheny Passage at Cumberland's Canal Place. Crushed-limestone rail-trail heading west toward Frostburg — gently graded uphill the whole way (the GAP climbs ~1,270 ft from Cumberland to Frostburg, capped at the railroad's 1.75% grade). The C&O Canal towpath ends here too — Cumberland is the GAP/C&O junction.
C&O Canal — Spring Gap to Cumberland
The final 11.5 miles of the C&O Canal towpath into Cumberland — Spring Gap (MP 173) to the western terminus at Canal Place (MP 184.5). Flat, shaded, riverside. Far quieter than the DC-end sections; you'll often have a mile of towpath to yourself.
Lakeside Loop Trail
The DNR-named Lakeside Loop encircles 243-acre Lake Habeeb through hardwood forest with regular water views. Popular near the beach end; the trail crowd thins after the first half-mile.
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