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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near Frederick

The directory currently contains 68 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Frederick. Their average mapped distance is 1.9 km and average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.7 km.

This subset represents 77% of the 88 quality-checked routes near Frederick. Its average distance is 1.9 km, compared with 8.1 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft), versus 117 m (384 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 45 routes (66%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 15 (22%) 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

0.8 km

Thurmont Vista Overlook

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

35 m

Blue Ridge Summit 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

NPS Photo / Samantha Zurbuch
Moderate

Overlook Cliff Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Coastal
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hikers along the ridge of Catoctin
Moderate

Blue Ridge Summit Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Cliff Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
Early fall vista from Chimney Rock
Moderate

Thurmont Vista Loop Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
98 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Early fall vista from Chimney Rock
Moderate

Thurmont Vista Overlook

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

White Oak Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Stone Fort Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
162 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Black Locust Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
217 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Combined Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
188 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Old Misery Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
71 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

A.M. Thomas Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Diabase Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Gateway Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
261 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

The Monadnock Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

The Sunrise Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Browns Farm Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Cabin Branch Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Campground Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Cemetery Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Charcoal Exhibit Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Field Crest Spur

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Flowing Free Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Hamilton Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Hard Rock Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Headless Hollow Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Hog Rock Nature Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Lower Trail

Maryland · United States

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

Green Ash Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
187 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bob’s Hill Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
349 m
Typical duration
1 hr 5 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Red Maple Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Meadow Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Catoctin Furnace Historic District
Easy

Catoctin Furnace Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
8 min
Easy

Crystal Rock Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
10 min
Easy

Fileds Edge Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sidewinder Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
48 min
Easy

Monocacy Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Potomac Hunt Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Two Bridges Trail

Maryland · United States

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

Cat Rock Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Waymarked route
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
Easy

Windy Ridge Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
33 min
  • Mountain

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
Overlook Cliff TrailMaryland1.1 km36 m17 minModerateApril to October
Blue Ridge Summit TrailMaryland2.8 km35 m38 minModerateApril to October
Cliff TrailMaryland1.1 km101 m23 minModerateApril to October
Thurmont Vista Loop TrailMaryland3.8 km98 m56 minModerateApril to October
Thurmont Vista OverlookMaryland0.8 km58 m15 minModerateApril to October
White Oak TrailMaryland1.5 km61 m25 minEasyApril to October
Stone Fort TrailMaryland3.6 km162 m59 minModerateApril to October
Cunningham Falls Nature TrailMaryland1.8 km59 m28 minModerateApril to October
Black Locust TrailMaryland4.7 km217 m1 hr 19 minModerateApril to October
Combined TrailMaryland1.5 km188 m36 minModerateApril to October

Overlook Cliff Trail, Blue Ridge Summit Trail, Cliff 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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