Western Maryland Rail Trail – Hancock, MD

When we want to ride somewhere that is peaceful, green and flat, with absolutely no auto traffic and very few other bikers, we make the 90-minute drive from DC to this hidden gem.  On this occasion, we started out at the eastern trailhead of the Western Maryland Rail Trail, conveniently located near a gas station with a mini-mart. After water bottling up, we unloaded everything and headed west on the single-road-width paved trail. The first mile is quiet and passes beneath a pretty stone bridge, but soon it runs parallel to Rt. I- 70. (This is the same I-70 that runs from Baltimore, MD to Denver, CO, and while it’s loud, only a few miles of the trail run within earshot of it.)

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