Seneca Creek State Park · MD
Lake Shore Trail
Blue-blazed 3.7-mile loop encircling Clopper Lake through woodland and open fields, crossing several stream bridges; the park's most popular hike, with continuous water views, waterfowl watching and fishing access.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the mountain biking plan today.
Today's best: mountain biking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Mountain biking
Skip the mountain biking plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- · 84°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − NWS alert active — Check the alert before heading out
Trail facts
- Distance
- 3.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 124 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
39.1406, -77.2539 — MD.
Park
Part of Seneca Creek State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Lake Shore Trail?
Lake Shore Trail is a 3.7-mile route with 124 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Lake Shore Trail?
Lake Shore Trail is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Lake Shore Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Lake Shore Trail is in Seneca Creek State Park, which is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from public MD DNR park-alert pages (best-effort scrape). Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.