Cycling in Frederick County, Maryland 

Frederick County sits in central Maryland, about an hour's drive from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and a short distance from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Its mix of Main Streets, farmland, and Catoctin Mountain terrain makes it an easy day trip or weekend cycling getaway.

Frederick County offers road cycling, gravel riding, mountain biking, and family-friendly rides. Highlights include covered-bridge road routes, the C&O Canal towpath, technical mountain bike trails at Gambrill State Park and the Frederick Watershed, and flat, car-free family paths.

Two standouts: the 39.8-mile North County Bridge Tour, which crosses three historic covered bridges through rolling farmland from Utica District Park, and the 15-mile Heart of the Civil War Campaign Ride, an urban loop through Downtown Frederick's Civil War landmarks.

Yes. Frederick County has a nationally recognized mountain biking scene that has hosted USA Cycling national championships, with trails at Gambrill State Park, the Frederick Watershed, and River's Edge Trails in Brunswick, plus nearby systems at Little Bennett, Black Hill, and Greenbrier.

About 15 miles of the 184.5-mile C&O Canal towpath run through Frederick County, passing the canal towns of Brunswick and Point of Rocks along the Potomac River. Three free riverfront hiker-biker campsites — Bald Eagle Island, Calico Rocks, and Indian Flats — make it ideal for bikepacking.

The City of Frederick is a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community certified by the League of American Bicyclists. Cyclists will find bike shops, cafés, breweries, and lodging designed with riders in mind throughout Downtown Frederick and nearby towns.