Valley Trail
Photo: krossbow, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.5 mi
- one way
- 32 ft
- climb
- 153 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Valley Trail is a short, moderate hike of about half a mile on Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The route is a point-to-point walk with a low point of 112 feet and a high of 153 feet, and it gains about 32 feet of elevation along the way. The climb is mostly flat, with the steepest stretch at about 3% grade near the start. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 75°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages climb to about 88°F. The trail is open year-round, and the route is short enough to fit into a half-day. Bikes and horses are not allowed. Fire Road Trail and Cash Lake Trail both lie about 0.4 miles away, and Wingate Park Trail is roughly 2.9 miles off. For a picnic, Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas is about 6.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit Valley Trail
Best months: April–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
44° / 22°
Feb
47° / 23°
Mar
55° / 31°
Apr
66° / 41°
May
75° / 51°
Jun
82° / 61°
Jul
88° / 66°
Aug
87° / 65°
Sep
79° / 57°
Oct
68° / 44°
Nov
57° / 33°
Dec
48° / 27°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Glenn Dale Bell Stn, MD, 4.5 mi away at 150 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
