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Moderate Hiking Trails near Washington

The directory currently contains 34 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Washington. Their average mapped distance is 5.7 km and average recorded ascent is 109 m (358 ft); the longest route in the set is 18.0 km.

This subset represents 23% of the 146 quality-checked routes near Washington. Its average distance is 5.7 km, compared with 7.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 109 m (358 ft), versus 73 m (240 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set is rated moderate by the directory’s distance-and-elevation model. Technical terrain and live conditions are not part of that rating. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 5 (15%) 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

5.2 km

Mountain Loop Trail

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

93 m

Parkers Creek Loop

6 of 6 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

Photograph by Eli Pousson, 12 February 2015.
Moderate

Gwynns Falls Trail (Outbound)

Maryland · United States

Distance
18.0 km
/ 11.2 mi
Elevation gain
95 m
Typical duration
3 hr 59 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Roadway entrance to Sugarloaf Mountain Reservation, Urbana, Maryland, USA
Moderate

Mountain Loop Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
210 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Seneca Ridge Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
10.7 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
179 m
Typical duration
2 hr 30 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
Moderate

Western Ridge Trail

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
7.4 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
233 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Northern Peaks Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
8.5 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
349 m
Typical duration
2 hr 18 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

A.M. Thomas Trail

Maryland · United States

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

Gelston Heights Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Heide Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
75 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Prince Frederick Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
9.5 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
232 m
Typical duration
2 hr 20 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Rognel Heights Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Saddleback Horse Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
10.5 km
/ 6.5 mi
Elevation gain
220 m
Typical duration
2 hr 31 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
Moderate

White Loop Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
12.5 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
242 m
Typical duration
2 hr 58 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Yellow Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Billy Goat Trail Section A

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Old Spring Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waymarked route
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
Moderate

Valley Trail

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
212 m
Typical duration
2 hr 8 min
View west along Maryland State Route 115 (Muncaster Mill Road) at Avery Road in Redland, Montgomery County, Maryland
Moderate

Muncaster Mill Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
29 min
Moderate

Sacred Grove Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
12 min
Moderate

Whitehaven Trail

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
24 min
Moderate

Yellow Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
9.4 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
75 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
Seneca Schoolhouse Museum in the Seneca Historic District
Moderate

Seneca Bluffs Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
9.4 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
142 m
Typical duration
2 hr 11 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Sidewinder Trail

Maryland · United States

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

North-South Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
127 m
Typical duration
57 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
Moderate

Green Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
37 min
Moderate

Orange Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
27 min
Moderate

Orange Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • 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
Gwynns Falls Trail (Outbound)Maryland18.0 km95 m3 hr 59 minModerateApril to October
Mountain Loop TrailMaryland5.2 km210 m1 hr 23 minModerateApril to October
Seneca Ridge TrailMaryland10.7 km179 m2 hr 30 minModerateApril to October
Parkers Creek LoopMaryland6.4 km93 m1 hr 28 minModerateApril to October
Ten Mile Creek TrailMaryland13.8 km218 m3 hr 13 minModerateApril to October
Western Ridge TrailDistrict of Columbia7.4 km233 m1 hr 53 minModerateApril to October
Northern Peaks TrailMaryland8.5 km349 m2 hr 18 minModerateApril to October
A.M. Thomas TrailMaryland0.4 km0 m6 minModerateApril to October
Gelston Heights TrailMaryland1.1 km85 m21 minModerateApril to October
Heide TrailMaryland1.0 km75 m19 minModerateApril to October

Gwynns Falls Trail (Outbound), Mountain Loop Trail, Seneca Ridge 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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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