Calvert Cliffs State Park · MD
Red Trail
Flat, easy forest-and-marsh trail running about 1.8 mi to the Chesapeake Bay beach below Calvert Cliffs, where visitors sift sand for Miocene fossils and fossilized shark teeth. Climbing the eroding cliffs is prohibited.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the trail running plan today.
Today's best: trail running
Small Craft Advisory issued July 27 at 2:50PM EDT until July 28 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- − 81°F air — Above trail running's comfort zone (28–78°F)
- − 20 mph wind — Gusty — bring a windbreaker
- − 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
- 1.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 162 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- easy
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.3962, -76.4224 — MD.
Park
Part of Calvert Cliffs State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Red Trail?
Red Trail is a 1.8-mile route with 162 feet of elevation gain — easy — gentle grades, generally suitable for families and beginners with normal fitness. 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 Red Trail?
Red 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 Red Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Red Trail is in Calvert Cliffs State Park, which is managed by the managing agency. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the agency. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.