Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails near Frederick

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Frederick. Their average mapped distance is 88.2 km and average recorded ascent is 694 m (2,277 ft); the longest route in the set is 268 km.

This subset represents 6% of the 88 quality-checked routes near Frederick. Its average distance is 88.2 km, compared with 8.1 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 694 m (2,277 ft), versus 117 m (384 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 5 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) 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

21.5 km

Muddy Branch Greenway Trail

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

193 m

ADT - Maryland - Seg 4

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

Return logistics

0 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

Expert

Maryland · United States

Distance
64.0 km
/ 39.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,488 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
268 km
/ 167 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
63 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Great Seneca Ele_1269-a
Expert

Maryland · United States

Distance
44.3 km
/ 27.5 mi
Elevation gain
347 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • River

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
Catoctin National Recreation TrailMaryland42.8 km1,151 m11 hrExpertApril to October
Appalachian TrailMaryland64.0 km1,488 m17 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Maryland - Seg 4District of Columbia268 km193 m63 hrExpertApril to October
Seneca Creek GreenwayMaryland44.3 km347 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Muddy Branch Greenway TrailMaryland21.5 km293 m5 hr 7 minHardApril to October

Appalachian Trail, Catoctin National Recreation Trail, ADT - Maryland - Seg 4 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 →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for