Patapsco Valley State Park is one of the most popular recreational destinations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore regions. The park extends for more than 30 miles from the Orange Grove area along Landing Road in Howard County, to the McKeldin Area to the north along Marriotsville Rd. Along the park’s 16,000 acres there are hundreds of miles of trails, opportunities for climbing, white water rafting, camping and other outdoor recreational activities, including mountain biking.
Patapsco also boasts one of the most active, divers and inclusive communities in the region. The Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park is made of a coalition of users that promotes sustainable recreation. Thanks to their efforts, mountain bikers i the region have a cornucopia of riding opportunities within its borders.
Ruins in the Avalon area of Patapsco. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, the trails at Patapsco are perfect for a rigid bike
Parapsco Valley State Park
Location: Howard, Baltimore, Carroll, and Anne Arundel Counties, MD
Length: Varies
Ride Time: Varies, depending on skill level and trails ridden
Ride Type: MTB
Difficulty: Level 1 Riding - Level 5 Riding: Patapsco Valley State includes 5 developed areas with a myriad of trail riding opportunities. Most recently, Patapsco has opened an adaptive trail in the McKeldin Area of the park that is suitable for beginners and users with disabilities. Within its boundaries Patapsco boasts over 200 miles of trails with nearly half of those maintained by Patapsco’s Corps of volunteers. Mountain bikers can spend an entire season riding within Patapsco’s confines and not cover everything available. In addition, Patapsco’s neighbor, Rockburn Branch Park, is home to the Rockburn skills park, a cycling specific area with dedicated jump lines and other features to help riders improve their skills
Book: Three of Papasco’s popular riding destinations are documented in Mountain Biking the Washington D.C./Baltimore Area. The routes presented below are variations of those documented and detailed in my book.
MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR SPONSORS; MORE CONTENT BELOW...
