Getting outdoors and walking in nature is good for the mind and the spirit!

So take yourself, your family, or your friends on a hike! If you have a dog – it will be thrilled to explore all the new sights and smells! All the parks listed here charge no admission fees and are located within 25 miles of the Town of La Plata. You don’t even need hiking boots; all you need to take with you is comfortable athletic shoes, plenty of water, and a few snacks. If you bring your dog, please remember to keep it on a leash at all times and to clean up after it!

Indian Head Rail Trail

The Indian Head Rail Trail is a 13 miles long paved trail.  As word of mouth is spreading about how wonderful this trail is for cycling, rollerblading, birding and walking, the trail is getting particularly crowded on weekends. If you walk from Milepost 0 to Milepost 3, you will be going downhill and on your way back uphill. Keep that in mind because that particular section cannot be described as easy!  From Milepost 3 to Milepost 13, it is mostly flat. Please follow proper trail etiquette: remember to walk on the right side as faster moving trail users (those cycling, rollerblading and/or running) will be passing you on your left! 

Laurel Springs Regional Park

Laurel Springs Regional Park offers an easy, mostly flat, natural trail about 1.6 miles in length. This park is a great place for your family to relax outdoors and for your children to enjoy the playground.

Tilghman Lake Park

Tilghman Lake Park offers an easy, mostly flat, natural trail about one mile in length. This park  has picnic pavilions and a large pond with a dock where you can go fishing. It’s also a great place for birders. 

(NOTE: You may visit both parks in the same outing as Laurel Springs Park and Tilghman Lake Park trail paths connect for a nice 2.6 mile walk.)

Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary 

Mallows Bay Hiking Guide:

Mallows Bay National Marine Sanctuary is truly a beautiful place loved by those who like to explore their surroundings by kayak, for those who enjoy fishing, and for those who simply enjoy sitting down and taking in the water views. Mallows Bay has about 2.6 miles of grassy trails for walking enthusiasts with varying degrees of difficulty. The Beaver Trail is your easy path at about .6 miles in length. 

Port Tobacco River Park and Tom Roland Natural Resource Area

Port Tobacco River Park – Eagle Cam: Port Tobacco River Park and Tom Roland Natural Resource Area is home to an Eagle Cam that has allowed viewers to see up close and personal the nesting habits of Bald Eagles for the past 3 years!  It has about 3 miles of mostly grassy trails with scenic views of the Port Tobacco River.