Maryland trails · Rock Creek Trail
Rock Creek Trail
A 14.5-mile network in Maryland, with 179 ft of climbing. Reaches Lake Needwood.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 46% of the ascent falls between mile 4.8 and mile 9.6.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Lake Needwood (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
Rock Creek Trail access — parking nearby, restroom. About 53 min drive (33 mi) from Frederick. 39.11469, -77.12792 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:49 a.m., the sun rises at 7:16 a.m. and sets at 6:31 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:58 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 15 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 14.5-mile route takes roughly 5 h 27 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 12:43 p.m. — 5 h 48 min before sunset.
Across the border
- Continues into DC as Western Ridge Trail — view on the map
Nearby trails
- Northwest Branch Trail — 8.8 mi
- Billy Goat Trail, Section A — 10.9 mi
- Potomac Heritage Trail — 12.6 mi
- Northern Peaks Trail — 18.6 mi