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Thurston Griggs Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 254 Google reviews · Running trail in Hagerstown, Maryland · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Thurston Griggs Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hiking area featuring an overlook and a dedicated campsite amid greenery and stream crossings.
What runners say about Thurston Griggs Trail
“Beautiful mountain woods all around with a great view if you go all the way up to Black Rock overlook.”
Great trail, it connects to both Black Rock, Annapolis Rock viewpoints off the Appalachian Tr. Its very rocky and mostly uphill so be prepared for that, although its short in length, mostly elevation gain. There is a nice small stream for ambience with a few crossing sections.
This hike is a great alternative to the over popular AT I-70 foot bridge hike. The trail is well maintained and steep for about a mile before it intersects with the AT. It follows Black Rock Creek and just before reaching the top there is a nice flowing spring to cool of at.
this is a stunning trail, but oh man neither of us were prepared for the hike which is totally on us. every 5 minutes I turned around to my boyfriend, completely huffing and puffing to say "we're almost there! the view is going to be worth it" (we were never almost there).
Thurston trail is at the end of a sleepy little road with decent parking. Unassuming trail that starts off easy then quickly gets rocky and arduous pretty quickly. Get ready to sweat quickly before you get to a higher lever plateau. Roughly 1-2 hour hike to Annapolis rocks depending on if you’re breaking or not.
Trail conditions & character
“A couple passed me going to the overlook (spectacular view) and on the return trip, he was giving her a piggy back ride over the rocks.”
“Its very rocky and mostly uphill so be prepared for that, although its short in length, mostly elevation gain.”
“Going back down was SO much easier but it's crazy seeing the hills you just struggled to get up from a different perspective.”
“The parking area is small fitting roughly 15 cars but hey that also means less people if you're looking for more quiet less traveled hike.”
Plan your run at Thurston Griggs Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Hagerstown
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Pangborn Park
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Doubs Woods Park
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