| Rosaryville State Park-Perimeter Trail |
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Description: The 982 acre Rosaryville State Park is located in Prince Georges County off of U.S. Route 301 just south of Bowie. It is most noted for the Mount Airy Mansion that is available for rent for special occasions. It also hosts a nice trail complex popular with equestrians, mountain bikers and hikers. The main trail is the serpentine, 9.4 mile Perimeter Trail (Not 7.5 miles as stated in the old DNR map/brochure that is out of print at this time). A description of it follows. It is given a moderate rating merely because of its length. The quality of the tread and the lack of any significant elevation gain (only 430 feet) make it an easy hike for a properly equipped hiker in moderate to good physical condition. There is a $3.00 dollar fee for MD residents to be paid on the honor system. |
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Zipped National Geographic. TOPO! GPS and Universal GPX Files |
Trail Notes: The Perimeter Trail is marked with occasional white fiberglass stakes. At junctions with other unmarked trails arrows are found on them. The mountain biker tracks make the trail easy to follow. At the map plaque at the east end of the parking lot follow an old wide road into the woods for a few steps but turn left onto the well worn perimeter trail. It will take a while before you see the first stake. In 1.07 miles the trail will follow the edge of a large field for a while before slipping back into the woods. In another 1.29 miles cross a power line swath. In 2.07 more miles arrive at the paved driveway for the Mount Airy Mansion. Dower House Pond just to the right makes a good break area about midway through the hike.
Continue on the Perimeter Trail for 0.53 miles, following the arrows on the stakes at any trail junctions. Arrive at a split of the trail. There will be a beige house and a brick house on the right. The obviously less used trail on the left has a couple of stakes a few yards down this trail. This was the old trail junction. It apparently was moved a long time ago but the stakes remained at the old location. This can be used as a short cut, reducing the mileage by about 0.4 miles. This description has the hiker taking the right fork, paralleling the private property for a bit before looping back and passing the eastern junction with the short cut on the left in 0.62 miles from the split. In 0.27 miles after this junction the trail turns right onto the previously crossed power line for a short distance before crossing it and reentering the woods. In 0.82 miles from the power line pass an old barn on the left. In 0.80 more miles and then another 0.32 miles the trail will again touch the power line swath but, both times, will reenter the woods without crossing it. In 1.39 more miles cross the park road and return to the parking lot.
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