Maryland trails · Grist Mill

Grist Mill

A 2.6-mile out-and-back in Maryland, with 65 ft of climbing. Reaches Patapsco River Reservoir and other lake/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.

Open in the interactive map →

Length

2.6 mi

Elevation gain

65 ft

Difficulty

Easy

Max grade

18%

Steepest mile

+58 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

0.0 mi

Shape

out-and-back

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

Essentially flat — no sustained climb anywhere along its 2.6 miles.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Patapsco River Reservoir (lake)
Bloedes Dam Viewpoint (viewpoint)
Ilchester Tunnel (viewpoint)

Heads up

Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

Grist Mill access — parking nearby. 39.24959, -76.76492 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:06 a.m., the sun rises at 6:34 a.m. and sets at 7:39 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:07 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 05 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 5.1-mile round trip takes roughly 1 h 58 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 8:32 a.m. — 11 h 08 min before sunset.

Loop options

Grist Mill + Buzzards Rock Reroute + Social Trail — 1.1 mi loop, 165 ft gain

Nearby trails

Gray's Mill Trail — 0.9 mi
Ole Ranger — 3.5 mi
Thru — 4.8 mi
Switchback — 10.0 mi