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Maryland trails · Switchback

Switchback

A 3.7-mile out-and-back in Maryland, with 209 ft of climbing. Reaches Liberty Dam Overlook. Managed by the state.

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Length
3.7 mi
Elevation gain
209 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Max grade
31%
Steepest mile
+194 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
0.3 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Managed by
State

Elevation profile

254 – 466 ft123

Most of the climbing sits in the final third — 76% of the ascent, between mile 2.5 and mile 3.7. It gives back about 252 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Switchback

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

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Getting there

Social Trail junction. About 36 min drive (20 mi) from Baltimore. 39.35431, -76.89573 · 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 6:30 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:57 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 14 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 7.4-mile round trip takes roughly 2 h 57 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:12 a.m. — 8 h 18 min before sunset.

Loop options

Nearby trails