Gambrill State Park · MD
Yellow Poplar
Gambrill's longest trail, a yellow-blazed loop that mostly follows the Catoctin Mountain ridgeline from the High Knob area to the park's northern boundary, with a spur to a west-facing rock overlook of the valley.
Live · updated
Today
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Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
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Trail running
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Mountain biking
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Score breakdown
- · 88°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.
- − 83 min of daylight — You need at least 114 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1061 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
39.4914, -77.4977 — MD.
Park
Part of Gambrill State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Yellow Poplar?
Yellow Poplar is a 7-mile route with 1061 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 Yellow Poplar?
Yellow Poplar 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 Yellow Poplar, and where do closure alerts come from?
Yellow Poplar is in Gambrill 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.