Patuxent River State Park · MD
Split Rock Trail
The park's main marked hiking trail, following the north bank of the upper Patuxent River through pine stands, mountain laurel, and a scenic rock garden; often walked as a riverside loop.
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
- − 15 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.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 2.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 165 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
39.2856, -77.1386 — MD.
Park
Part of Patuxent River State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Split Rock Trail?
Split Rock Trail is a 2.2-mile route with 165 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 Split Rock Trail?
Split Rock 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 Split Rock Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Split Rock Trail is in Patuxent River 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.