Western Maryland Rail Trail Relaxing Ride

[@epiren]

Just did the eastern terminus to Hancock and back today. Beautiful place. Bunny-hopped a rat snake and a box turtle. Great video. Thank you!

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

Glad you had a good time riding and bunny hopping on one of my favorite rail trails.

[@JimNastic316]

Looks like a real nice ride. I'm about 2.5 hours away, in Pittsburgh PA. Will have to check this out soon. How are your videos so smooth? I would think it would bounce.

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

I use a GoPro 11 Black for my videos. No need for a gimbal to smooth out the video. I normally use a chest mount and sometimes a helmet mount. I am amazed at how well that little camera keeps things looking smooth even on the roughest of mountain bike trails. The stabilization is all done electronically by the camera's tiny processor.

[@JimNastic316]

Ah cool! Thanks!

[@salmonella508]

If you’re doing the GAP/C&O, check your map for the location of this parallel trail. If you’re not a purist, its a nice 25(?) mile reprieve from the bone shaking C&O.

[@allisonfrederickharteis7525]

Nice video! I just biked this a few weeks ago. It is a good ride!

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

Thanks for the comment. I haven't been on the WMRT since I did that video. I have been trying to get an old friend back into biking and I am planning on taking him on the WMRT this weekend. I think he will enjoy it.

[@RS-ms1bz]

I rode this all the time with my kids. We lived a quarter mile to the trail in Big Pool and would hop on at Ernstville Road. There’s an old graveyard just past Licking Creek that is neat to see. The trail runs along the interstate for about two miles before going back to the wooded scenery. Hancock is a great place to stop and enjoy great food at Buddy Lou’s just off the towpath. Once you head west from Hancock towards Little Orleans, you’ll see run down houses that the laborers for the orchards would stay while in season. There is also an old lime kiln just past that. There is good fishing at Little Pool. It’s such a peaceful and easy ride. You can take along lunch and bike the entire trail from Big Pool to Little Orleans and back in a day. It makes a wonderful day trip.

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

@@RS-ms1bz thanks for the interesting information. I'll have to check out some of that the next time I ride there.

[@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027]

where is the access point to 2:27 and which direction are you going.

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

You can get on the trail at the parking area in the town of Little Orleans, Maryland. You go east less than a mile to the ramp at 2:27.

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

To get to the trail at Little Orleans, you take the Orleans Road exit off of Interstate 68. I hope my reply is helpful. Let me know if you need more information.

[@rickhagen433]

Pavement looks pretty smooth, do you think it would work to do this on a road bike?

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

Yes, I see many people riding road bikes on the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT). The pavement begins at Big Pool, MD and runs about 25 miles to Indigo Tunnel. At the tunnel you must take the ramp down to the C&O Towpath if you want to continue to Little Orleans. The towpath is hard packed crushed limestone and is fine on a road bike unless there has been recent rain. The towpath section is two miles long until you can take the ramp back up to the paved WMRT. The paved trail continues for about a mile to Little Orleans and ends about a half-mile beyond the town.

[@rickhagen433]

@@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker Thanks. I had seen some reports that there were a lot of root heaves and other rough pavement, but they must have done work on it since those people rode it.

[@an_over-the-hill_mountainbiker]

The last time I rode it, I did see some root heaves. However, they did not cross the entire pavement and could easily be avoided.@@rickhagen433

[@pppjourneyonabike5992]

Entire WMRT is milled... removed root pushups as of August 2024. Laying asphalt in few weeks.

[@RS-ms1bz]

Yes, that’s all I would ride on the trail. The only part that’s a little harder for a road bike is the 2 1/2 mile stretch on the towpath that goes around the closed tunnel.