Maryland trails · Mt. Aetna Loop Trail
Mt. Aetna Loop Trail
A 3.1-mile out-and-back in Maryland, with 338 ft of climbing. Reaches Mount Etna. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 83% of the ascent, between mile 1.0 and mile 2.1. It gives back about 325 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Mount Etna (summit)
Heads up
Getting there
Mt. Aetna Loop Trail access — parking nearby. 39.64349, -79.02115 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:15 a.m., the sun rises at 6:43 a.m. and sets at 7:49 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:16 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 06 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 6.3-mile round trip takes roughly 2 h 39 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 9:22 a.m. — 10 h 27 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Cabin Trail + Mt. Aetna Loop Trail + Savage River Trail — 1.2 mi loop, 228 ft gain
- Savage River Trail + Mt. Aetna Loop Trail + Mudlick Run Trail — 3.0 mi loop, 425 ft gain
- Tall Oaks Trail + Mt. Aetna Loop Trail — 1.7 mi loop, 279 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Negro Mountain — 11.6 mi
- Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail — 13.7 mi
- Bike Trail — 26.1 mi
- Blue — 26.3 mi