Destination: Frederick
Time to share another great place to spend a weekend riding your bike(s) that’s relatively close to the DC Metro area. For me, in the southern fringes of Northern, VA, it’s about a two hour drive depending on when I decide to head up north.
In my first installment of regional destinations I wrote about Harrisonburg, VA, a virtual mecca for mountain biking in the region. This time around, I’ll hop over to Maryland and visit the city of Frederick, home of Gambrill and Greenbrier State Parks, the Frederick Watershed, and a wonderful network of roads for the skinny tire crowd.
Frederick, MD
Frederick, MD - Six miles Northwest of the city, on Catoctin Mountain, are two jewels for mountain bikers in the region, Gambrill State Park and the Frederick Watershed. And, just 9 miles further north, is another destination that just recently got a facelift, Greenbrier State Park. These three Frederick destinations will keep the most arduous mountain biker busy for more than just one weekend. The work that MORE and its team of liaisons have put in the Frederick Watershed alone is worthy of praise and a visit and has made Frederick not only a regional, but a national mountain biking destination. Beyond knobby tires there are also miles of safe to ride roads for the skinny tire crowd. The routes below should keep you busy for a weekend - or longer…
Where to Ride: There are several notable destinations around Frederick and close to Gambrill State Park to ride your bike, both on and off-road. Make the Rock Run Area Campground of Gambrill State Park your center of operations and you can hit the trails directly from your cabin or campsite. You can also drive a short distance to the Shed trailheads to save your legs for those demanding trails.
Gambrill State Park: When I first got involved with the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) in early 1992, off-road riding opportunities were very limited. Beyond the trails at Wakefield Park just outside the Beltway in Northern Virginia, “some” trails in Patapsco Valley State Park just south of Baltimore and destinations further west in the George Washington National Forest (GWNF), Gambrill State Park was one of our most popular go to weekend destinations.
Circa 1994. MORE Members discuss trail maintenance efforts with Gambrill Park Rangers.
Early in the club’s existence, MORE engaged and worked with with MD’s Department of Natural Resources and adopted the Yellow Trail at Gambrill and set the tone for collaboration and maintenance efforts with other land managers in the region. MORE’s work at Gambrill also helped secure access to other places, including Greenbrier State Park (see below) and eventually trails south of Frederick in Montgomery County, MD.
To this day, despite all the great riding destinations sprouting up in the region, Gambrill has always remained a favorite destination because of its technical nature and demanding terrain. The old school nature of the trails make it a unique place and offers new riders, accustomed to “flow,” a chance to step back in time. The trails continue to retain the character they had back in those early days of MORE and are an absolute (hard) joy to ride. The loop I documented in Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area (view routes) remains much as it did when I first rode it in the early 90s.
My buddy Jason enjoying one of the rock slabs along Gambrill’s yellow trail.
The Frederick Watershed: When I first released the second edition of Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area I struggled with documenting a route in the Shed, not because there wasn’t one, but because of the state of affairs in the area made it difficult to do so. Back in those days, access to the network of trails in the Shed was always in flux. Mountain biking enthusiasts and hikers simply didn’t get along and conflict was always an issue land managers had to contend with; in some cases users sabotaged trails by placing dangerous booby traps along the corridors. Beyond that dangerous practice, other user groups argued, mistakenly, that mountain bikers caused way too many erosion issues that posed a threat to the water supply used by the City. The “easy” solution was usually to just close the trail to bikes… That flux, and the “unwritten” mandate to not publicize routes in the Shed, drew me to only include it as an honorable mention.
Yours truly negotiating a rock garden at the Frederick Watershed,
But times change, and over the years, and thanks to the efforts of MORE and its advocacy team, the Shed has been transformed into a national mountain biking destination. In 2016 the Frederick City Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the Watershed Management Plan drafted by the Sustainability Manager for the City of Frederick. That plan set the wheels in motion for MORE to move forward on a fully signed and mapped sanctioned trail network in the Shed and MORE and the City signed a 15 year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that made the club the stewards of the Shed. The MOU came with a $30,000 grant from the state of Maryland that began the transformation of the system, and, in 2017 work began in earnest to improve the network of trails. While some trails would close due to sustainability and habitat issues, better and more sustainable options were built to replace them.
Today, the well marked trails at the Shed are super fun, safe, and sustainable. The investment made by MORE since the plan was implemented and the MOU was signed, has made the Shed not only a regional, but also a national destination. The “Shed Tour” route shared in the Where to Ride section of the site is one I did with local Legend Joe Whitehair a couple of years go shortly after Greenstone Trailcraft completed the rebuild of 3 saws. Joe led me along some of his favorite trails; I’ve also included several other routes that my friends from Team XXL have led me on over the years - all are challenging and highly rewarding.
Greenbrier State Park: Another destination worth visiting is Greenbrier state Park. Just nine miles to the north of Gambrill and the Shed along Highway 40 is this often overlooked gem. Beyond a great network of trails, Greenbrier also boasts a 42-acre man made lake and 40 campsites, making it an alternative to camping at Gambrill. If you travel with non-riders, this may be the place to go. While you are out on the trails, your family can enjoy the “beach,” do some fishing, and take advantage of the park’s other amenities. The trails at the park also got some much needed love over the last year. Ironwood Outdoors, along with Rugged Trails have revamped the trails making them even more fun than they used to be; another reason to visit.
An updated trail at Greenbrier State Park. Photo courtesy of MORE.
The route I documented in Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area remains much the same, albeit the trails have been worked on and improved. This one is high on my list of places to get to as soon as possible so that I can experience all the new work to make the trails more sustainable and fun.
Frederick Road Rides: If you decide to Camp at Gambrill State Park you can do a challenging road ride directly form your campsite. You can, if you want, change the starting point and get going from the City. That way, when you are done, you can finish up with a hearty lunch and frosty beverage at Rockwell Brewery or, if you prefer, along the actual route at Idiom Brewing Company.
The route below is covered in detail in my book Best Rides DC and will take you a little further away from the City and Gambrill. It does, however, make it’s way past the City of Emmitsburg. You can also adjust the starting point of this route so that you too finish in the city of Emmitsburg and enjoy a good meal at the Ott House Pub.
Lots of narrow and twisty roads along the three covered Bridges ride in Frederick, MD.
Emmitsburg also boasts a great Mountain Bike trail system that’s worth a visit. You can access the trails directly from the city of Emmitsburg along Annandale Rd. Most of the trails along the Emmitsburg Watershed and Rainbow Lake were completed in time for me to detail them in Mountain Biking the Washington, D.C./Baltimore Area.
