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Best Lake Hikes near Baltimore

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Baltimore. Their average mapped distance is 1.7 km and average recorded ascent is 8 m (26 ft); the longest route in the set is 3.0 km.

This subset represents 3% of the 166 quality-checked routes near Baltimore. Its average distance is 1.7 km, compared with 5.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 8 m (26 ft), versus 63 m (207 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set carries a lake tag in the directory. Whether the mapped line reaches the shore and whether swimming is allowed must be checked locally. Within this set, 4 routes (80%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (40%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 5 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.5 km

Lake Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Cash lake Trail

5 of 5 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Easy

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Typical duration
30 min
  • Lake
Easy

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Lake
Wilde Lake , Columbia , Maryland
Easy

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Lake

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Loch Raven Drive Trail (purple)Maryland0.5 km11 m7 minEasyApril to October
Cash lake TrailMaryland2.4 km0 m30 minEasyApril to October
Lake Elkhorn LoopMaryland3.0 km6 m38 minEasyApril to October
Lake TrailMaryland0.5 km11 m7 minModerateApril to October
Wilde Lake LoopMaryland2.2 km14 m29 minEasyApril to October

Loch Raven Drive Trail (purple), Lake Trail, Cash lake Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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