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Dog-Friendly Hikes near Washington

The directory currently contains 12 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Washington. Their average mapped distance is 5.4 km and average recorded ascent is 44 m (144 ft); the longest route in the set is 23.2 km.

This subset represents 8% of the 146 quality-checked routes near Washington. Its average distance is 5.4 km, compared with 7.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 44 m (144 ft), versus 73 m (240 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 8 routes (67%) are rated easy, 1 (8%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (25%) 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 6 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

South River Overlook

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Stream Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

1 recorded loop

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

The sun was getting low so I took the Double Oak Road Trail back up to the car instead of continuing the Parkers Creek Loop as intended. A brief section of the trail passed by this dense bramble filled with flowers and the rustling movement
Moderate

Parkers Creek Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Ten Mile Creek Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
13.8 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
218 m
Typical duration
3 hr 13 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Stream Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

South River Overlook

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • River
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Easy

Cash lake Trail

Maryland · United States

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

Lake Elkhorn Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Lake
Wilde Lake , Columbia , Maryland
Easy

Wilde Lake Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Lake
CSX Metropolitan Subdivision crossing of Rock Creek and Beach Drive in Garrett Park, Maryland in 2020
Hard

Rock Creek Hiker/Biker Trail

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
23.2 km
/ 14.4 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
5 hr 9 min
  • River
Moderate

Rock Creek Trail

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
87 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • River
Easy

Forest Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

River Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
Easy

Big Woods Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route

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
Parkers Creek LoopMaryland6.4 km93 m1 hr 28 minModerateApril to October
Ten Mile Creek TrailMaryland13.8 km218 m3 hr 13 minModerateApril to October
Stream TrailMaryland0.8 km0 m10 minEasyApril to October
South River OverlookMaryland0.5 km7 m7 minEasyApril to October
Cash lake TrailMaryland2.4 km0 m30 minEasyApril to October
Lake Elkhorn LoopMaryland3.0 km6 m38 minEasyApril to October
Wilde Lake LoopMaryland2.2 km14 m29 minEasyApril to October
Rock Creek Hiker/Biker TrailDistrict of Columbia23.2 km43 m5 hr 9 minHardApril to October
Rock Creek TrailDistrict of Columbia8.1 km87 m1 hr 49 minModerateApril to October
Forest TrailMaryland1.4 km8 m18 minEasyApril to October

Ten Mile Creek Trail, Parkers Creek Loop, Stream 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.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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