Patapsco Valley State Park Trails Lead To Biking Bliss

Right off of I-95 in Maryland is a little gem of a park, called Patapsco Valley. I probably don't have to tell you how much of a great time it is, because chances are, you're there right now. There, with the other 1000 riders and hikers, clogging up the trail system like my arteries after a week of Big Mac value meals.

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A waterfall at Patapsco Valley State Park is a welcome distraction from holding on for dear life.

But be careful for about what may be lurking near those waterside attractions.

Flowing singletrack and fast tread is a Patapsco staple.

That's right folks, this place can get crowded as the beach on a hot summer day. We just happened to be in town on a gorgeous weekend last fall, and in the first downhill bomb (Soapstone trail), we passed no less than 5 groups of riders, and 6 groups of people walking. But it didn't take more than 30 seconds on that trail to figure out why this place is so popular-- it's fun!

In fact, Patapsco Valley might be one of the most fun trail systems in the east. There, I've said it. Let the hate mail begin: "You moron, Kingdom Trails blows it away!" "Pisgah Rules!" "Patapsco sucks! Jim Thorpe is great!"

Whatever. I’m not saying those places suck; only that I've just spent 3 hours riding a loop that puts the average trail system to shame. It had rooty, rocky tech sections, it had the hardest packed, grippiest trail I've ever laid rubber to. (Not good enough?) It had singletrack running through fields of green, downhills that kept your hands hovering over your brake levers, and waterfalls. (Are we there yet?) Shallow stream crossings, waist-high log rides, well marked trails!! (Yeah beeyatch, I thought so...)

Trails narrowly wind down valleys and along hillsides with little launches and lips the whole way down. Numerous logs and obstacles litter the sides. Water crossings are everywhere, four of them just to get to the internal network of trails. On a hot day, blasting through these brooks is the best thing going. The surface is super-hardpacked dirt, reminiscent of Tsali, or Fruita.

So that explains the riders' fascination with this park, what about the hikers? What would draw hikers here, especially families with little kids, to a place where they have to keep pulling over to the side to let the mountain biker get by? I'm pretty sure it's the same thing as hikers anywhere else-- the view! This place has deep green woods, crossing numerous babbling brooks, as well as views from grassy hilltops. There's something cool to see in just about every direction.

Most recently, we started our day at the park and ride, dropping into the Soapstone Trail. The first person that can point me to a trail as fun as the first mile of this trail gets a free EtE T-shirt when we confirm it! There's dirt lips to launch, a couple berms, a few drops, 3 or 4 water crossings. It's just wrong. I wanted to take pieces of this trail home with me in a dump truck and distribute it all over my local trails. You know, spruce ‘em up a bit!

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