Dans Mountain State Park · MD
Lonaconing Loop
Purpose-built singletrack loop (red blazes) through mixed hardwood and conifer forest over rocky terrain, opened in 2023 for hikers and mountain bikers in western Maryland.
Live · updated
Today
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Today's best: mountain biking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
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Trail running
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Mountain biking
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Score breakdown
- · 85°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.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 4.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 650 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
39.5554, -78.9558 — MD.
Park
Part of Dans Mountain State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Lonaconing Loop?
Lonaconing Loop is a 4.5-mile route with 650 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 Lonaconing Loop?
Lonaconing Loop 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 Lonaconing Loop, and where do closure alerts come from?
Lonaconing Loop is in Dans Mountain 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.