Black Hills Regional Park
Location:
Germantown, Maryland
Description:
This is another great and suprisngly underutlized Maryland park. I think due to it’s very close proximity to Schaefer Farms this trail system has gone largely overlooked. Now thanks to the recently completed Hoyles Mill Connector you don’t have to choose between the two you can ride them both to make one very long and very fun ride.
One great thing about Black Hills is that due to it’s rocky soil it holds up to wet weather much better than other nearby trails such as Schaefer Farms. Often times Black Hills is rideable when Schaefer is not. If you ever arrive at Schaefer to find the gate closed you can normally head over to Black Hills and at the very least ride the Hard Rock trail. The route I’ve mapped out on this page is the route I use when doing the Hoyles Mills Connector “Mini Epic”.
It starts at the boat ramp, proceeds back up the park road across the main road and to the Black Hills Hiker Biker Trail and then to the Hardrock. At the end of the Hardrock you go left into the field and then right to pick up the Fieldcrest Trail which you take until you hit the park road. The route then crosses the park road and cuts down the utility road. A few hundred yards down the utility road you pick up the Cabin Branch trail on the left. The Cabin Branch will eventually dump you back on the utility road but further down. From here take a left and ride the utlity road all the way back the boat ramp.
Note on the topo map below I marked a waypoint for the Hoyles Mill Connector Trail Head. I will eventually map out the entire HMC Mini Epic but for now I thought it would be helpful to show where the HMC fits in relation to the rest of the trails in Black Hills.
Maintained By:
Trail Liaison: ??
Technical Difficulty:
Black Hills offers up a good introduction to rocky terrain for Beginners. There are few obstacles such as logs to conquer but there are a few tricky creek crossings particuarlly on the Cabin Branch side along the utility road and near the swinging bridge. Equestrians use this park a fair ammount and as a result some of the creek crossings get very sloppy regardless of wet or dry conditions. When you find them torn up it’s best to walk them. At times depending on how bad the mud is in the creeks you can easily bury your wheel up to your rotor. This park isn’t overly technical but it can be ridden fast and hard making for a fun time.
skills.
Aerobic Difficulty:
There are a couple of small fairly steep climbs particuarly along the utlity lines. The rest of the terrain is steady rolliong. I’d actually say there’s more of a climbing workout here than at Schaefer.
Directions From The Beltway:
Merge onto I-270 N via EXIT 35 toward FREDERICK. 15.4 miles
Take the FATHER HURLEY BOULEVARD exit- EXIT 16- toward MD-27 / DAMASCUS. 0.2 miles
Take EXIT 16A toward MD-27 E / DAMASCUS. 0.2 miles
Merge onto FATHER HURLEY BLVD. 0.2 miles
FATHER HURLEY BLVD becomes RIDGE RD. 0.4 miles
Turn LEFT onto MD-355 N / FREDERICK RD. 0.8 miles
Turn LEFT onto W OLD BALTIMORE RD. 1.5 miles
Turn LEFT onto LAKE RIDGE DR. 0.7 miles
Follow Signs To The Boat Ramp
Fees: N/A
Links:
Montgomer County Parks And Planning
MORE Where To Ride Link
Topo:
Elevation Profile:
Google Earth Map:
GPS Stuff:
Track File - This is in GPX format. You can use Easygps to read and xfer this file to your gps.
Parking / Trail Head Coordinates: N39 12.028 / W077 17.657
Nearby Restaurants:
Calirofnia Tortilla - 19847-O Century Blvd. Germantown, MD 20874 - (301)540-7717
One of my favorite places to grab a quick bite after a ride. California Tortilla serves up some great standard Tex-Mex buritos as well as some creative original Buritos. Great food at great prices. I recommend a Spicy Sunset Salsa Burito in a Bowl or a Ceasar Chicken Burito if you’re looking for something less TexMexish. If you run into Sam (The owner, usually wearing a big goofy hat and or really ugly sneakers) tell him Jason sent you.
Right Onto Old Baltimore Rd
Right Onto Md-355 / Frederick Rd
Right Onto Father Hurley Blvd Md-27
Left Onto Middlebrook Road
Left Onto Century Drive
California Tortilla Is Down On The Right Past Safeway
Baja Fresh, Panara Bread, Moby Dick’s (Kababs), The French Quarter Cafe (Local mom and pops Cajun joint) & Five Guys are all also in the same shopping center.
If you’re looking for a cool sit down mexican meal try across the street (in the shopping center with the DSW) check out La Mexicana .They’re a Mom & Pops joint that has really great food and the owners are great folks. I recomend the soft beef tacos and lots of chips and Salsa. There’s also a Hardtimes Cafe also in this shopping center that is open late.
