Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
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.
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.
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’s Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships through the scenic and rugged trails of Catoctin Mountain in Frederick County. And proving you don’t 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.
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.
This past winter, the Maryland Park Service and partners improved five miles of trails inside Patapsco Valley State Park’s McKeldin Area with adaptive mountain bikers in mind.
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. It was the first network specifically improved to offer adaptive mountain bike trails in Maryland, an amenity we’re working to expand as a way to welcome all types of cyclists to our public lands.
I was proud to join local officials in Garrett County in July to celebrate four new mountain bike trails in Savage River State Forest in, including the first adaptive mountain bike trail on state forest lands. The expanded and updated Margraff Plantation Trail System is a new gem in our state’s mountain bike and hiking network, with six miles of newly-constructed trails – 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.
The next plan is to create similar trails at Rocky Gap State Park this fall. These efforts represent another step forward in the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to expand outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the state for everyone.
Safety is paramount on our trails. As most of Maryland’s trails are shared-use, there’s a good chance a rider will encounter a hiker or equestrian. A general rule of thumb is “hikers yield to horses, bicycles yield to all.” Bikers, hikers, and horseback riders all must yield to people using adaptive equipment on the trails.
Currently, the department is also looking to formally allow pedal-assist electric bicycles–or e-bikes–on state bike trails to increase accessibility and welcome new types of users to public lands.
Just as there was significant research and review before allowing mountain bikes all those years ago, there needs to be consideration on how e-bikes would impact other trail users, along with more education on how to safely share those trails with e-bikes in the mix. These regulations will provide clarity to e-bike users and lay a foundation for a burgeoning electric cyclist community in the state, while continuing to protect Maryland’s natural resources. As with all of our significant policy changes, there will be a public comment period where we can take and review suggestions from the public. Stay tuned for more information about this public process.
We’re excited about the progress we’ve made to expand biking opportunities on public lands and we look forward to doing more to promote outdoor recreation in Maryland. We hope to see you out on the trails!
Josh Kurtz is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
