Maryland · Mountain biking

Northwest Branch Trail

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.2 mi
round trip
19 ft
climb
Gravel Road
surface
Out and back
route
Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
best months

Northwest Branch Trail is a short, easy mountain biking route in Maryland, about 0.4 miles from the town of Springwood. The trail is an out-and-back with a total length of about half a mile, and it sits almost flat, with a high point of 275 feet and a low of 264 feet. The climb is minimal, with only about 19 feet of gain and loss in each direction. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Beltsville weather station show May highs around 74°F and September highs near 79°F, with July peaking at about 87°F. Several other trails lie close by. Timberdoodle Trail and Wheaton Way are each about half a mile away, and the Heart Smart Trail is about 0.7 miles off. Paddlers can reach the Northwest Branch Anacostia River, roughly 1.3 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

    Best time to visit Northwest Branch 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.

    1. Jan

      43° / 25°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      45° / 27°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      53° / 34°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      65° / 44°

      11 wet

    5. May

      74° / 54°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      83° / 63°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      87° / 68°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      86° / 66°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      79° / 59°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      68° / 47°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      57° / 37°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      47° / 30°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Beltsville, MD, 5.5 mi away at 145 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

Next door

0.46-mile easy gravel road trail in Maryland with 18 ft elevation gain.

RIDE

Intermediate Bike Trail

~2 min drive

0.23-mile moderate singletrack out-and-back in Maryland, 46 ft elevation gain.

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

~2 min drive

0.98-mile easy singletrack with 483 ft gain in Maryland

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

~3 min drive

0.12-mile easy singletrack in Maryland with 37 ft of elevation gain.

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

~3 min drive

0.22-mile easy singletrack in Maryland with 48 ft gain.

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

~4 min drive

0.18-mile easy singletrack in Maryland with 142 ft elevation gain

Northwest Branch TrailPhoto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Northwest Branch Trail

~4 min drive

0.12-mile easy singletrack out-and-back with 82 ft gain in Maryland

RIDE

Return Trail

~2 min drive

0.17-mile easy singletrack out-and-back in Maryland with 42 ft gain.

RIDE

Return Trail

~2 min drive

0.10-mile easy singletrack out-and-back in Maryland.

RIDE

Return Trail

~2 min drive

Return Trail is an easy singletrack in Maryland.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors