Montgomery is especially impressive along its trails: they wind through landscapes where nature experiences and history offer distinct points of interest. Montgomery Parks’ trail network spans more than 260 miles. Individual parks offer trails of varying lengths and surfaces—and some combine time outdoors with insights into the history of Montgomery County.
Discover Trails and Landscapes
Black Hill Regional Park is a great place to compare the variety of trails. The Black Hill Trail is 4.6 miles long and mostly paved; there are also more than 16 miles of natural-surface trails. There is also a water trail on Little Seneca Lake. This means the park offers trails with different surfaces as well as a way to experience the landscape from the water.
The natural-surface Underground Railroad Experience Trail is two miles long, or four miles round trip. It recalls a part of the history of Sandy Spring and Montgomery County and is part of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. Here, a precisely measured route and a historical theme come together.
Other trails cover a greater distance. The Capital Crescent Trail runs 11 miles from Georgetown in the District of Columbia to Silver Spring in Montgomery County; about 5.5 miles of it are in Montgomery County. Another trail, 4.5 miles long, starts at the intersection of the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail and Winding Creek Local Park and follows Turkey Branch, a tributary of Rock Creek. Hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders use it.
The lengths of trails in two other parks also offer a useful point of comparison: Agricultural History Farm Park has almost four miles of natural-surface trails for hiking and horseback riding. Rachel Carson Conservation Park preserves 650 acres in the Brookeville area of Montgomery County and has more than six miles of natural-surface trails for hiking and horseback riding. The figures differ not only in length, but also in the parks and landscapes they provide access to.
History in Parks and Museums
Fourteen historic sites and landmarks in Little Bennett Regional Park recall rural life in Montgomery County in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Agricultural History Farm Park also explores this agricultural history, sharing the County’s history and farming practices from the 18th through the 20th century. Its 455-acre landscape includes rolling hills, open fields, an apple orchard, and a variety of farm animals. Here, the landscape and historical themes are both part of the visitor experience.
At Josiah Henson Museum and Park, the focus is on a self-guided tour. Interactive exhibits and artifacts explore Reverend Josiah Henson, slavery in Maryland, and the ongoing struggle for equality. The site includes a visitor center with an orientation film and gift shop, a historic house with an attached 1850 log kitchen, and a four-acre landscaped park. The tour and exhibits thus offer a different historical perspective from the sites focused on rural life.
Visitor Information
Great Falls Tavern serves as the visitor center for C&O Canal National Historical Park. There, you can get information about park programs, trails, and the canal’s history. Access to the Great Falls Tavern area is at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road in Potomac. This provides a specific point of contact for getting oriented to the trails and the park’s history.
Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve offers another way to experience the landscape: it covers 93,000 acres and offers opportunities for cycling, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. Together, the trails, historic sites, and activities show how many different interests can shape a trip to Montgomery. You can compare trails by length and surface, while deciding whether to focus on nature, agricultural history, or remembrance of the past.
Discover more destinations: Takoma Park, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Chevy Chase, Germantown, Rockville, Boyds, Ashton-Sandy Spring, Potomac, Brookeville, Wheaton-Glenmont, Olney, Redland.
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