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Running trails in Gaithersburg, MD
Gaithersburg has 10 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 boardwalk, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 2 shaded. 4 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 4,392 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Seneca Creek State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,621 reviews
This 6,300 acre park of forest & farmlands offers hunting, fresh water fishing & hiking trails.
Bohrer Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,321 reviews
The city's oldest building sits in this city park popular for picnics, walking & mini-golf.
Clopper Lake
4.7 ★★★★★ 124 reviews
Scenic state park with trails, picnic areas, and disc golf, plus kayak rentals.
Lois Y. Green Conservation Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
204-acre conservation park featuring wildlife, 2 ponds & hiking trails through fields & forest.
Malcolm King Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 95 reviews
Well-maintained green space with trees, basketball courts and paved trails.
Inspiration Lake Hiking Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 59 reviews
Quiet area offering trails around lakes and a pond, plus birding.
Blohm Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 54 reviews
Serene, tree-topped park offering a small pond & paths for walking, jogging & biking.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Gaithersburg
- Match the surface to your legs. Gaithersburg gives you a choice: 2 mixed, 1 paved, 1 natural surface, and 1 boardwalk. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Gaithersburg is Seneca Creek State Park at 50 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 4 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 1 has trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms in Gaithersburg. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 6 that runners describe as quiet, 4 dog-friendly, and 2 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Gaithersburg trails by type
Running trails near Gaithersburg
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.