MD Rail Trail Biking Club

Rock Creek Trail: Starting at Lake Needwood

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride will be postponed (possibly replaced with another ride) if the chance of rain is above 49%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) **

NEAREST TRAIN OR BUS STOPS
unknown

PARKING ADDRESS
Lake Needwood
15700 Needwood Cir Dr.
Derwood, MD 20855

PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
Park at Lake Needwood Lot A, closest to the trailhead. You can also park at Lot B or C then bike over to meet us at A, at the trailhead kiosk. After check-in, we’ll do an icebreaker question.

BIKE ROUTE SUMMARY
Join us for a scenic, relaxed, and beautifully shaded ride starting at Lake Needwood in Rock Creek Regional Park. We’ll roll out on a smooth, paved trail that winds through quiet forests, gentle curves, and peaceful creekside stretches — perfect for riders who enjoy nature, steady pacing, and great conversation along the way.

The route follows the Rock Creek Trail south toward Beach Drive, offering a mix of open views, wooded canopy, and the calming sound of Rock Creek running beside us. This is one of Montgomery County’s most beloved trails for a reason: it’s serene, well‑maintained, and feels like a true escape from the city.

Riders can expect:
· A comfortable, mostly flat paved trail with a few gentle rises
· Shaded riding for most of the route
· Smooth pavement with only occasional rough patches
· Light to moderate trail traffic, depending on the day
· A mid‑ride break at Beach Drive, where we’ll regroup, hydrate, and enjoy the scenery
· A relaxed return ride back to Lake Needwood on the same beautiful path

This ride is ideal for social cyclists, newer riders building confidence, and anyone who wants a scenic, low‑stress outing. Expect friendly company, a steady pace, and plenty of nature along the way.

Note: Visitors can only bike around a portion of the lake due to the trail not going all the way around. We’ll be taking the Rock Creek Trail from the parking lot down to DC.

TYPE OF BIKE: Any kind of bike frame and tires. Ensure it is the correct frame size for your height so you can get maximum output. Participants are responsible for ensuring their bike tires, brakes, and chain are in good condition and they have a spare inner tube on hand. Organizers can try to help but aren't responsible for everyone's bike conditions.

SKILL LEVEL: All levels can enjoy this trail. It is well marked and mostly flat.

PACE: It’s up to you. Paved trails have a speed limit of 15 mph. We make stops at tricky points on the trail and /or to regroup every 2-4 miles. Since paved trails can sometimes be crowded, we don’t have expectations of being able to go very fast.

· If you prefer a faster pace than the lead riders, you can make stops to wait for them to catch up.

· If you’re not sure what your avg. speed is, be prepared to use a nav app to ride solo in case you don’t catch up to us at our stops.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
Participants can choose to return at any point. These are just suggestions.

OPTION A: Short and scenic 3 miles down to just south of the MD‑28 underpass What it’s like:

Perfect warm‑up ride, Smooth pavement, shaded, quiet, Great for newer riders or anyone easing into the season, No major hills, and you stay entirely within the most forested part of the trail

OPTION B: Classic Needwood Ride — ~7.5 miles down (15 miles round‑trip) . Turnaround: Beach Drive (Montgomery County section) What it’s like: This is the “signature” Needwood ride, Beautiful creekside views, Long, uninterrupted paved sections, Mid‑ride break at Beach Drive (picnic areas + restrooms), and Ideal for social pace groups

OPTION C: Strong Intermediate — ~10 miles down (20 miles round‑trip). Turnaround: Farther south on Beach Drive toward the DC line What it’s like: Adds more rolling terrain, Still mostly shaded, You’ll experience the most scenic part of upper Rock Creek, Great for riders who want a longer workout without going into DC, Weekend riders may enjoy car‑free Beach Drive sections.

OPTION D: Longer Adventure — 12–15 miles down (24–30 miles round‑trip). Turnaround: Anywhere between the DC line and Peirce Mill What it’s like: A true endurance ride, Mix of quiet wooded trail + lively urban‑park energy, Optional stop at Peirce Mill for water, restrooms, and shade, And Best for riders comfortable with longer distances and more trail traffic

BATHROOMS

Lake Needwood Boat House / Boat Center Permanent restrooms (seasonal hours)

Picnic Areas 1, 2, and 3 Typically have seasonal restrooms or porta‑potties (Example: Picnic Area 3 is confirmed in search results.)

Meadowside Nature Center (near Needwood, short spur off trail)

Rock Creek Regional Park Picnic Areas (between Needwood & Norbeck). Some picnic groves have seasonal restrooms or porta‑potties

Beach Drive Picnic Areas (Montgomery County section). Multiple picnic groves with seasonal restrooms or porta‑potties. These are typically open spring–fall. Located near the trail and easy to access

BIKE RENTALS

NA

BIKE REPAIR

Rockville Bike Hub

FOOD & DRINK INFO

TBA

OPTION TO SOCIALIZE AFTERWARDS

Picnic by the lake

RECOMMENDATIONS

Bring: Water bottles, snacks, biking gloves, bike bell, bike lock, helmet visor, sunglasses, bike tube, pump, patch, first aid kit, mobile phone with nav app installed (e.g. Google maps, we use RidewithGPS). If you get leg cramps during or after a ride, take electrolytes before and during your ride (or add salt and magnesium to your water). A change of clothes for your ride home or a car seat cover to absorb sweat.

Clothing: Wear biking gloves and durable clothing so that if you do fall, your skin is protected. Avoid wearing all black, all grey, all dark brown, or all dark blue, which blends in with pavement, especially while riding through a shady segment. Consider wearing something lighter to help others notice you.

REQUIREMENTS

Participants must wear tightly secured helmets when on their bike.

Be proactive to avoid a fall/crash and minimize injury:

· Keep a distance between yourself and other bikers. If the biker ahead of you suddenly stops, you should be able to avoid hitting them.

· Don’t make stops on the trail. Pull over to the side and use hand gestures to let people know you’re slowing down to make a stop.

· Yelling out “Passing on your left” and/or ringing a bike bell as you approach people ahead of you, so they don’t inadvertently move in your line of travel.

· Slowing down to wait, rather than speeding up when trying to pass people at the same time walkers/bikers are approaching you from the opposite direction.

· Avoid potholes and debris and slow down when approaching bumps

· When approaching road crossings and iffy situations, triple-check before crossing and don’t let yourself be distracted by talking, etc.

· Ensure your helmet is tightly secured so that it won’t move if you hit the ground.

MEETUP POLICIES

Participants should understand that biking is an inherently dangerous activity, and an accident could happen at any time. Participation is at your own risk.

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride may be postponed if the chance of rain is above 40%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) or if temperature is above 96*F at noon **

Credit goes to Howard Eckert for suggesting this trail and providing details and photos.

DESCRIPTION
Join us for a cycling adventure on Kent Island, just to the east of Annapolis. Consider bringing or wearing water shoes so you can enjoy the beaches.

The South Island Trail is a paved, fairly flat trail that runs parallel to Route 8 on Kent Island. It is six miles long and runs from Metapeake Public Beach down to Romancoke Pier Park. It winds through fields and four forest segments, which offer some shade. And it passes by neighborhoods on one side. There’s also buffer of trees and shrubs between the road and the trail.

Note: There is a $4 toll to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

BATHROOMS
There are bathrooms at both ends of the South Island Trail.

PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
There is a large public parking lot at the trailhead (before you get to the Metapeake Pier parking lot). If you see bathrooms to the right and the river ahead of you, you have missed the turn to trailhead parking lot.

NOTE: Look for a sign pointing to the trailhead lot (it was very small the last time we were there.) The red pin on this event's map should guide you to the trailhead parking lot. If you end up driving past the left turn and going to the pier instead, turn around and look for an entry road on your right. There are no piers or bathrooms in the trailhead parking lot
Meet us at the trailhead sign.

SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Since this is a fairly flat trail, beginners should be able to complete option A easily.

PACE: Go at your own pace. We're a casual biking group and many of us only bike once a week. We make stops at tricky points on the trail and /or to regroup every 2-4 miles. Since paved trails can sometimes be crowded, we don’t have expectations of being able to go very fast and the speed limit is usually 15 mph on trails, anyway.
· If you prefer a faster pace than the lead riders, you can make stops to wait for them to catch up.
· If you’re not sure what your avg. speed is, be prepared to use a nav app to ride solo in case you don’t catch up to us at our stops.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
The below are just suggestions. Participants can return any time they like.

OPTION A – 12 miles total, +/- 130 ft
South Island Trail only. Bike six miles down to Romancoke Pier Park. Take a break and explore the pier and mini beach area, then return the same way you came or continue with the leads down to Kent Point Marina.

OPTION B - Up to 19.8 miles total, +/- 194 ft
South Island Trail + Extension (road cycling to Kent Point Marina at the southern point of the island).
The road that branches off of Romancoke Rd is a two-lane road with no shoulders, but it is lightly traveled and a nice ride.
We will bike another five miles to the marina at the southern end of the peninsula. They have a seafood food truck, convenience store, picnic tables, and nice views.

After a 10-minute break, we'll bike 8.8 miles back to the Metapeake Pier (it's very close to the trailhead) to enjoy the river views. Option to use a picnic table for a break, afterwards.

NW Branch Trail & Hike Adventure

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride will be postponed (possibly replaced with another ride) if the chance of rain is above 49%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) **

TRAIN OR BUS STOPS
Silver Spring Metro Station

PARKING ADDRESS
Roscoe Nix Elementary School
1100 Corliss St
Silver Spring, MD

PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
As you enter the school entry road, make a left into the first parking lot (dilapidated swimming pool area). Meet us in the parking lot. After check-in, we’ll do an icebreaker question.

BIKE ROUTE SUMMARY
The NW Branch trail runs between the Layhill neighborhood of Silver Spring and runs south following the NW Branch of the Anacostia River, ending in Bladensburg, where it connects with several other paved trails that we have biked. This route will give us a bit more incline on the return trip.

Unique things about this bike trail:

1. Since we're starting at the north end, we decided to make a little "duathlon" adventure by including the .25-mile river rock trail segment. Be prepared to walk your bike down and then up it when we return.

2. The water crossings: Be prepared to bike through about five water “streams.” If it rained the day before, there could be 2-4” water, causing splashes.

3. The bridges: Be prepared to slow down as you approach bridges and pass under via narrow riverside paths.

4. The trail offers river views and a shady tree canopy.

We’ll bike .25 miles on a neighborhood street to the NW Branch trail head, which starts in a lush forest. Then we either walk or bike down a .25-mile river-rock trail to the Anacostia River level. Once there, we'll bike a paved trail along the river southbound towards Bladensburg. We'll stop to regroup a couple of times and to enjoy the river views. The trail pavement is smooth except for some tree root bumps.

We'll stop at mile 7 to see if anyone wants to keep going down to Bladensburg Waterfront Park where we'll stop for another break before returning the same way.

TYPE OF BIKE: Any bike will do. We rode it on our road bikes but we wished we had thicker tires for biking down the gravel trail segment. Ensure it is the correct frame size for your height so you can get maximum output. Participants are responsible for ensuring their bike tires, brakes, and chain are in good condition and they have a spare inner tube on hand. Organizers can try to help but aren't responsible for everyone's bike conditions.

SKILL LEVEL: Beginner riders can enjoy this mostly flat and straight trail but there are few caveats; you need to be able to bike or walk your bike down the gravel segment described above. And then you need to be able to walk your bike up that gravel segment to the street level once you return. (It took us 10 minutes last time). Also, you need to feel comfortable with biking through small water runoff streams and getting splashed and/or wet shoes.

PACE: It’s up to you. HOWEVER: The event organizers have fit legs (avg. 10-16 mph). We make stops at tricky points on the trail and /or to regroup every 2-4 miles. Since paved trails can sometimes be crowded, we don’t have expectations of being able to go very fast. Plus, they usually have a speed limit of 15mph.

· If you prefer a faster pace than the lead riders, you can make stops to wait for them to catch up.

· If you’re not sure what your avg. speed is, be prepared to use a nav app to ride solo in case you don’t catch up to us at our stops.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
Participants can choose to return at any point. These are just suggestions.

Option A: From the parking lot to East West Hwy traffic light is 4.5 miles one way.
Option B: From the parking lot to mile 0 is ~7.25 miles one way.

Option C: From the parking lot to Bladensburg Waterfront Park is ~8.7 miles. (The organizers will probably be biking this option). Total 17.6 miles, +/- 373 ft.

Option D: Continue on one of the adjoining trails to add more miles.

BATHROOMS (in order of appearance)
There is a Throne bathroom at Hyattsville local park, which we bike through. Bathrooms up Rhode Island Ave at Vigilante Coffee and other retail establishments. (Take a detour). Bathrooms at Bladensburg Waterfront Park

BIKE RENTALS
Unknown

BIKE REPAIR
Hyattsville Arrow Bicycle on Rhode Island Ave (not far from mile 7 exit)

FOOD & DRINK INFO
Franklin’s and Vigilante Coffee (not far from mile 7 exit)

OPTION TO SOCIALIZE AFTERWARDS
Participants are welcome to make suggestions

RECOMMENDATIONS
Bring: Water bottles, snacks, biking gloves, bike bell, bike lock, helmet visor, sunglasses, bike tube, pump, patch, first aid kit, mobile phone with nav app installed (e.g. Google maps, we use RidewithGPS). If you get leg cramps during or after a ride, take electrolytes before and during your ride (or add salt and magnesium to your water). A change of clothes for your ride home or a car seat cover to absorb sweat.

Clothing: Wear biking gloves and durable clothing so that if you do fall, your skin is protected. Avoid wearing all black, all grey, all dark brown, or all dark blue, which blends in with pavement, especially while riding through a shady segment. Consider wearing something lighter to help others notice you.

REQUIREMENTS
Participants must wear tightly secured helmets when on their bike.

Be proactive to avoid a fall/crash and minimize injury:

· Keep a distance between yourself and other bikers. If the biker ahead of you suddenly stops, you should be able to avoid hitting them.

· Don’t make stops on the trail. Pull over to the side and use hand gestures to let people know you’re slowing down to make a stop.

· Yelling out “Passing on your left” and/or ringing a bike bell as you approach people ahead of you, so they don’t inadvertently move in your line of travel.

· Slowing down to wait, rather than speeding up when trying to pass people at the same time walkers/bikers are approaching you from the opposite direction.

· Avoid potholes and debris and slow down when approaching bumps

· When approaching road crossings and iffy situations, triple-check before crossing and don’t let yourself be distracted by talking, etc.

· Ensure your helmet is tightly secured so that it won’t move if you hit the ground.

MEETUP POLICIES

Participants should understand that biking is an inherently dangerous activity, and an accident could happen at any time. Participation is at your own risk.