Great Rides - Baltimore

Baltimore offers superb rail trails, nearby mountain biking, and popular cycling events.

According to some historians, James Stewart invented the first American velocipede — the ancestor of the modern bicycle — in Baltimore in 1818. Since then, Charm City’s relationship to the bike has only grown.

Today, the fifteen-mile Gwynns Falls Trail and 10-mile Jones Falls Trails both link cool neighborhoods with quiet spots and pretty streams, and Herring Run Park is a great place to spot wildlife. The rail trails (B&A, Capital Crescent) here are excellent, mixing history and scenery with flat, manicured pathways. Within an hour of Baltimore City, you’ll find the flowy intermediate trails of Patapsco State Park and the technical trails of the Frederick Watershed and Gambrill State Park.

World-class professional racing arrived in Baltimore in fall 2022 with the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic, which brought pros through the countryside and finished downtown. Beyond racing, there are some great organized rides here, including Bike to the Beach, the Civil War Century, and the hugely popular Bikes and Beers.

Leon's Gunpowder

Distance: 42.6 mi
Elevation: +/- 2160 ft
Baltimore, MD

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Tour de Towson

Distance: 19.4 mi
Elevation: +/- 1477 ft
Lutherville, MD

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Bird in Hand

Distance: 42.2 mi
Elevation: +/- 2782 ft
Baltimore, MD

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Matcha Meander

Distance: 34.5 mi
Elevation: +/- 2103 ft
Dorsey's Search, MD

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Gunpowder Falls Loop

Distance: 37.6 mi
Elevation: +/- 2736 ft
Lutherville, MD

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The Parks Ride

Distance: 14.5 mi
Elevation: +/- 1037 ft
Baltimore, MD

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Westminster Northwest

Distance: 28.5 mi
Elevation: +/- 1876 ft
Westminster, MD

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Mad Hatter

Distance: 17.3 mi
Elevation: +/- 1075 ft
Harper's Choice, MD

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Patapsco Valley State Park

Distance: 114 mi
1415 Woodstock Rd, Woodstock, MD 21163

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Schaeffer Farm

Distance: 11 mi
Schaeffer Farms Trailhead
14920 Schaeffer Rd
Germantown, MD 20874

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Rockburn Branch Park

Distance: 9 mi
6105 Rockburn Branch Park Rd, Elkridge, MD 21075

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Hashawha and Union Mills Trails

Distance: 27 mi
300 John Owings Rd, Westminster, MD 21158

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Gunpowder Falls State Park - Little Gunpowder

Distance: 52 mi
Gunpowder Falls State Park Hammerman Area
7200 Graces Quarters Rd
Middle River, MD 21220

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Emmitsburg Watershed

Distance: 16 mi
"Emmitsburg Watershed
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

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Michaux State Forest

Distance: 64 mi
10099 Lincoln Way E, Fayetteville, PA 17222

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Bacon Ridge

Distance: 20 mi
Bacon Ridge Natural Area
1214 Severn Chapel Road
Crownsville, MD

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TCB

Distance: 31 mi
Elevation: +/- 1502 ft
Baltimore County, MD

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TCB - Long

Distance: 68.4 mi
Elevation: +/- 3629 ft
Phoenix, MD

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Patuxent Wildlife Refuge

Distance: 17.4 mi
Elevation: +/- 789 ft
Piney Orchard, MD

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Redland

Distance: 18.9 mi
Elevation: +/- 993 ft
Montgomery County, MD

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Steep Creek

Distance: 15.4 mi
Elevation: +/- 1740 ft
Frederick County, MD

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Rattlesnake

Distance: 37.7 mi
Elevation: +/- 4387 ft
Franklin County, PA

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Monkton Station Ride

Distance: 81.7 mi
Elevation: +/- 5133 ft
Monkton, MD

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Herring Run Ride

Distance: 5.9 mi
Elevation: +/- 260 ft
Baltimore, MD

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Fort McHenry Loop

Distance: 4.4 mi
Elevation: +/- 110 ft
Baltimore, MD

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TCB Rail Trail

Distance: 7.1 mi
Elevation: +/- 412 ft
Phoenix, MD

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Harpers Ferry Ride

Distance: 9.5 mi
Elevation: +/- 388 ft
Jefferson County, WV

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Old Mill Loop

Distance: 5.1 mi
Elevation: +/- 382 ft
Baltimore County, MD

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Two Lakes Ride

Distance: 4.2 mi
Elevation: +/- 158 ft
Columbia Town Center, MD

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Centennial Park

Distance: 3.7 mi
Elevation: +/- 281 ft
Dorsey's Search, MD

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Lake Elkhorn Loop

Distance: 2.1 mi
Elevation: +/- 72 ft
Owen Brown, MD

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