{"id":45252,"date":"2025-08-07T14:50:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T18:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=45252"},"modified":"2025-08-08T08:26:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T12:26:26","slug":"secretarys-message-thrill-of-the-woods-marylands-bike-trails-offer-challenges-for-all-skill-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/08\/07\/secretarys-message-thrill-of-the-woods-marylands-bike-trails-offer-challenges-for-all-skill-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary\u2019s Message – Thrill of the Woods: Maryland\u2019s Bike Trails Offer Challenges for All Skill Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"People<\/a>

The expanded and updated <\/span>Margraff Plantation Trail System<\/span><\/a> in Garrett County is a new gem in our state\u2019s mountain bike and hiking network. <\/span>Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo<\/p><\/div>\n

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers more than 1,400 miles of trails on land and water for all kinds of uses: hiking and running, horseback riding, skiing and snowshoeing, paddling and kayaking, and bicycling.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the sport of mountain biking rose to prominence in the 1980s, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources embarked on an effort to provide access for the burgeoning sport while assuring the safety of all trail users and minimizing environmental impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result of that effort and the help of dedicated citizen groups, Maryland today is recognized as a destination for mountain bikers. In 2021, Gambrill State Park and the City of Frederick hosted USA Cycling\u2019s Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships through <\/span>the scenic and rugged trails of Catoctin Mountain in Frederick County. <\/span>And proving you don\u2019t need a mountain to go mountain biking, Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area has since 2023 hosted an annual regional competition for youth riders from around the East Coast, who enjoy our beautiful and challenging course through woods and open fields.<\/span><\/p>\n

These trails and many others are available to thousands of visitors every year, and the trail network continues to grow – both in size and accessibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

This past winter, the Maryland Park Service and partners <\/span>improved five miles of trails inside Patapsco Valley State Park\u2019s McKeldin Area<\/span><\/a> with adaptive mountain bikers in mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to a partnership with the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, the Poplar Trail, Plantation Trail and Switchback Trail were widened, outslopes were smoothed to less than 8% to prevent bikes from tipping, and paths were altered slightly to ensure that water drains across the slopes.<\/span> It was the first network specifically improved to offer adaptive mountain bike trails in Maryland, an amenity we\u2019re working to expand as a way to welcome all types of cyclists to our public lands.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was proud to join local officials in Garrett County in July to <\/span>celebrate four new mountain bike trails in Savage River State Forest<\/span><\/a> in, including the first adaptive mountain bike trail on state forest lands. The expanded and updated <\/span>Margraff Plantation Trail System<\/span><\/a> is a new gem in our state\u2019s mountain bike and hiking network, with six miles of newly-constructed trails \u2013 a 1.4-mile beginner trail, a 1.4-mile intermediate trail, a 1.2-mile advanced trail and a 2-mile intermediate-level adaptive trail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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