TRAILS, TRAILS, AND MORE TRAILS
by melane kinney hoffmann
Of all the invaluable benefits that residents of the entire region enjoy in the Ag Reserve, one of the most broadly used and appreciated is our truly remarkable trail network.
Like a giant spider web crisscrossing the County, an astounding number of trails cover the Ag Reserve. Many of them connect to one another at various points, allowing hikers, runners, walkers, mountain bikers, nature lovers, and equestrians to keep moving and exploring for hours. Whether they want to enjoy a quiet stroll in solitude, share time with family in nature, get some exercise at a vigorous pace, or enjoy outdoor social time with friends, it is quite amazing that so many options are available. Considering the County’ s population of more than a million people, the parks, greenways, and tree canopy protected in part by the Ag Reserve’ s zoning are a rare benefit in a nation buckling under heat-producing sprawl.
A major reason Montgomery County enjoys an exceptional number of intersecting trails is collaboration: County, State, and National Parks agencies work together, sometimes including private, nonprofit organizations to create and maintain trails. In addition, public agencies and private groups alike engage a host of volunteers to share the considerable work necessary to offer such a robust trail system. It’ s an encouraging example of the power of working together for the common good.
Many trails lace through the various parks and conservation areas in the Ag Reserve, but many trails also begin in down-county areas such as Bethesda and Silver Spring, connecting to networks farther north, such as Upper Rock Creek Park in the Olney-Laytonsville area, and to Derwood Agriculture History Farm Park. In one of many examples, Montgomery Village in mid-County has multiple trails that link to parks way beyond its borders, well into the Ag Reserve’ s open spaces.
The C & O Canal trail of the National Park service traverses the entire County along its western edge for 40 miles. State and County parks and trails connect to the C & O Canal trail along the way. As a result, most residents of the County can find a trail in their own neighborhoods that leads to the vast network for a one-hour stroll or an all day hike. The only limit is time, fitness, or sense of adventure.
The Motherlode: Montgomery County Parks’ Unparalleled Trail System
Montgomery County offers an amazing 270 miles of trails all over the County, in 414 parks over more than 37,000 acres. Heavily populated areas down-county have large parks such as Wheaton Regional Park and Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, but the Ag Reserve is
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