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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
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SaveThe Watershed is a treasured jewel to area mountain bikers. It has has fantastic riding opportunities but like Gambrill the trails are rocky and technical. Due to advanced terrain and unmarked, the Watershed is a poor choice for beginners.
Primary Trail Type: Cross-Country
Shuttleable: YES
Land Status: State Park
Land Manager: MD DNR
google parking directions plan a road trip here Trail info last updated
Activities Click to view
- Mountain Bike
83 trails
- E-Bike
2 trails
- Horse
4 trails
- Hike
75 trails
- Trail Running
75 trails
Region Details
- 13
- 8
- 42
- 14
- 6
Region Status
Open as of 51 mins
Stats
- Avg Trail Rating
- Trails (view details)
- 85
- Trails Mountain Bike
- 83
- Trails E-Bike
- 2
- Trails Gravel Bike
- 14
- Trails Adaptive Bike
- 12
- Trails Winter Fat Bike
- 12
- Trails Horse
- 4
- Trails Hike
- 75
- Trails Trail Running
- 75
- Trails Dirtbike/Moto
- 2
- Total Distance
- 91 miles
- Total Descent
- 19,561 ft
- Total Vertical
- 1,248 ft
- Highest Trailhead
- 1,839 ft
- Reports
- 1,528
- Photos
- 217
- Completed Counter
- 30,320
Articles
Race Report: The Rain Soaked 2026 Shed Enduro
Aug 7, 2026 from pinkbike.com
Seven stages and roughly 5,200 feet of descending at Maryland’s Frederick Watershed and Gambrill State Park.
Race Report: 2019 Sheduro Race Report - Frederick Watershed, Maryland
Aug 22, 2019 from pinkbike.com
One of the rockiest trail systems on the East Coast had record attendance during the 2019 Bike Doctor Sheduro
Popular Frederick Watershed Mountain Biking Trails
• 100 ★ 4.9 • 2 miles • 681 ft • 1,458 •
Machine built, bike focused, multi-use trail. Bi-directional, Opened for use in Oct. 2019. Part of a Recreation Trails Program grant project. Climbing access from the bottom of the mountain to more gravity focused trails.
• 100 ★ 3.8 • 2,028 ft • 51 ft • 1,326 •
Popular blue difficulty singletrack. This mountain bike primary trail can be used uphill primary. On average it takes 4 minutes to complete this trail.
• 100 ★ 4.7 • 1 mile • 0 ft • 1,273 •
Machine built flow trail with multiple berms, gaps and tables. Part of a Recreation Trails Program grant project. Closed when conditions are soft or wet.
• 95 ★ 4.2 • 1 mile • 121 ft • 948 •
Used to be a more difficult trail before someone cut down some of the trees in the tightest sections (curse you, tree cutter). Not to be confused with knucklebuster 2. Some technical sections and fun rock features. Overall a fun trail...
• 95 ★ 4.5 • 4,816 ft • 78 ft • 860 •
Highly rated popular blue difficulty singletrack. This mountain bike primary trail can be used downhill primary and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 78 ft green climb. It features berm and drop. On average it takes 9 minutes to complete this trail.
• 100 ★ 3.4 • 3,018 ft • 0 ft • 806 •
Not much to say, loose and jenky chunky rocks -- pick your line and speed and blast into a creek ending...if i's hot, jump in.
• 90 ★ 4.1 • 5,036 ft • 100 ft • 797 •
Highly rated popular blue difficulty singletrack. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 100 ft blue climb. On average it takes 11 minutes to complete this trail.
• 95 ★ 4.5 • 2,005 ft • 5 ft • 765 •
Trail connecting Gambrill Park Road parking lot to the Catoctin Trail. It is technically easy with a few optional features and minimal elevation change.
Frederick Watershed Mountain Bike Routes
★ 5.0 • 11 miles • 1,502 ft • 36 • Loop •
The blue zones. Hamburg lot to Volkswagon, Knucklebuster, Monarch, Huggy Bear, Lawnmower, Three Saws, and...
★ 5.0 • 6 miles • 933 ft • 5 • Loop •
This is a loop that will challenge your descending skills on Drops and Reanimator, and then challenge your...
9 miles • 1,470 ft • 6 •
Meet at Hamburg top lot. Still Shed newbie-friendly, but chunkier & rowdier. Must have bike handling...
7 miles • 1,089 ft • 4 •
Meet at Hamburg top lot. Still Shed newbie-friendly, but chunkier & rowdier. Must have bike handling...
7 miles • 790 ft • 7 •
Start: Hamburg Top Lot • 7 miles • 755 ft, Most Casual, must have basic bike handling skills and some...
★ 3.0 • 5 miles • 550 ft • 1 • Loop •
Short loop that starts at the Hamburg Rd lot. Includes sections of the Blue trail, Huggy Bear,...
Photos of Frederick Watershed Mountain Bike
Videos of Frederick Watershed Mountain Bike
Recent Trail Reports
| status | trail | date | condition | info | user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky-Stream Bed Trail | Nov 7, 2026 @ 9:50am (America/New_York) Nov 7, 2026 | Ideal | dl-nordeng | ||
| Three Saws | Nov 7, 2026 @ 9:50am (America/New_York) Nov 7, 2026 | Ideal | dl-nordeng | ||
| Knucklebuster | Oct 28, 2026 @ 9:12am (America/New_York) Oct 28, 2026 | Dry | FrankcHT7tb | ||
| Killer Bee | Oct 28, 2026 @ 9:12am (America/New_York) Oct 28, 2026 | Ideal | FrankcHT7tb | ||
| Catoctin Trail | Oct 10, 2026 @ 10:49am (America/New_York) Oct 10, 2026 | Ideal | dl-nordeng | ||
| Lawnmower | Oct 3, 2026 @ 2:13pm (America/New_York) Oct 3, 2026 | Ideal | mzS1M07c | ||
| Stoner Road | Oct 3, 2026 @ 2:13pm (America/New_York) Oct 3, 2026 | Dry | mzS1M07c | ||
| Boundary Line | Oct 3, 2026 @ 2:13pm (America/New_York) Oct 3, 2026 | Ideal | mzS1M07c | ||
| Huggy Bear | Oct 3, 2026 @ 2:13pm (America/New_York) Oct 3, 2026 | Ideal | mzS1M07c | ||
| Super Steep | Oct 1, 2026 @ 2:44pm (America/New_York) Oct 1, 2026 | Dry | mzS1M07c |
Activity Feed
| username | action | type | title | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dl-nordeng | add | report | activity #107362464 and 1 more | Nov 7, 2026 @ 10:30am Nov 7, 2026 |
| moonglowss1 | wishlist | route | activity #107177406 and 1 more | Nov 4, 2026 @ 6:13am Nov 4, 2026 |
| Leonnpy0yp | ridden | trail | activity #107042452 | Nov 1, 2026 @ 3:11pm Nov 1, 2026 |
| R4hHRQ | wishlist | route | activity #106909666 | Oct 31, 2026 @ 3:31am Oct 31, 2026 |
| Andygreenspan | wishlist | route | activity #106785283 | Oct 28, 2026 @ 7:30pm Oct 28, 2026 |
Recent Comments
| username | type | title | comment | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trail | Several great slabs on this one | Sep 28, 2026 @ 7:01am Sep 28, 2026 | ||
| trail | Great tech trail!! | Sep 26, 2026 @ 7:33pm Sep 26, 2026 | ||
| trail | Great tech trail | Sep 26, 2026 @ 7:32pm Sep 26, 2026 | ||
| trail | Bring your long travel bikes! This one is a... | Sep 19, 2026 @ 10:44am Sep 19, 2026 | ||
| trail | Steepest trail in the shed | Aug 24, 2026 @ 6:44pm Aug 24, 2026 |
Nearby Areas
| name | distance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gambrill State Park | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3.5 km | |
| Cunningham Falls State Park | 7.4 km | ||||
| Greenbrier State Park | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7.6 km | |
| Emmitsburg Watershed Trail System | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13.7 km | |
| River's Edge Trails | 12 | 3 | 5 | 15.5 km |
Local Badges
-
Completionist0 awarded
Activity Type Stats
| activitytype | trails | distance | descent | descent distance | total vertical | rating | global rank | state rank | photos | reports | routes | activity logs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Bike | 83 | 78 miles | 17,385 ft | 41 miles | 1,161 ft | #354 | #3 | 207 | 1,528 | 49 | 27,969 | |
| E-Bike | 2 | 2,425 ft | 128 ft | 1,194 ft | 282 ft | #5,927 | #16 | 1,208 | 3 | 1,806 | ||
| Gravel Bike | 14 | 19 miles | 1,486 ft | 6 miles | 1,066 ft | #440 | #220 | 107 | 93 | |||
| Adaptive Bike | 12 | 17 miles | 1,526 ft | 6 miles | 1,066 ft | #439 | #220 | 126 | ||||
| Winter Fat Bike | 12 | 22 miles | 4,685 ft | 12 miles | 1,010 ft | #440 | #220 | 436 | ||||
| Horse | 4 | 23 miles | 2,749 ft | 10 miles | 1,161 ft | #993 | #6 | 226 | 4 | |||
| Hike | 75 | 84 miles | 14,377 ft | 41 miles | 1,250 ft | #445 | #1 | 10 | 1,435 | 2 | 1,024 | |
| Trail Running | 75 | 84 miles | 14,377 ft | 41 miles | 1,250 ft | #1,845 | #2 | 1,435 | 10 | 365 | ||
| Dirtbike/Moto | 2 | 10 miles | 640 ft | 3 miles | 984 ft | 225 | 7 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the highest rated mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed?
The highest rated mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed are:
- Three Saws (4.7/5)
- Boundary Line (4.5/5)
- Kubla Khan (4.5/5)
- Vandal (4.5/5)
- Super Steep (4.4/5)
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What is the best time of the year to ride in Frederick Watershed?
Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride in Frederick Watershed are:
- August (364 activities)
- July (328 activities)
- November (294 activities)
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Where can I park to ride in Frederick Watershed?
There are 11 parking locations listed in Frederick Watershed. The most popular parking spots are: View all parking and trailhead locations on the map to plan your visit.
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What is the longest trail in Frederick Watershed?
The longest trail in Frederick Watershed is Catoctin Trail at 19.9 km. View all trails sorted by distance.
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What are the best & highest rated hiking trails in Frederick Watershed?
The best hiking trails in Frederick Watershed are: View all hiking trails sorted by popularity score.
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What are the best & highest rated trail running trails in Frederick Watershed?
The best trail running trails in Frederick Watershed are:
- Three Saws
- Good Neighbors (Catoctin Blue)
- Killer Bee
- Blueballs Second Leg
- Catoctin National Recreation Trail
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How many trails are in Frederick Watershed?
Frederick Watershed has a total of 85 trails. Of those, 83 are designated for mountain biking. Browse top mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed to find detailed information including difficulty ratings, distances, and trail conditions.
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Which trail has the most elevation gain in Frederick Watershed?
The trail with the most elevation gain in Frederick Watershed is Catoctin Trail with 510 m of elevation gain. View all trails sorted by elevation gain.
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Which trail has the most elevation descent in Frederick Watershed?
The trail with the most elevation descent in Frederick Watershed is Catoctin Trail with 543 m of elevation descent. View all trails sorted by elevation descent.
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What activities are most popular in Frederick Watershed?
Frederick Watershed supports the following activities: Mountain Biking, E-Biking, Horseback, Hiking, Trail Running.
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What are the steepest mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed?
The steepest mountain biking trail in Frederick Watershed is Salamander Connector with an average grade of 12.5%. View all trails sorted by grade.
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Are there any trails with scenic viewpoints in Frederick Watershed?
Yes, there are 1 scenic viewpoints marked along trails in Frederick Watershed. Some popular viewpoints include: Explore more points of interest to find trails with the best views.
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What trails have the biggest jumps in Frederick Watershed?
The trails with the biggest jumps in Frederick Watershed are: Browse all mountain bike trails to find trails with jumps and technical features.
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Are the trails open in Frederick Watershed?
The overall region status for Frederick Watershed is Clear / Green. Out of 77 trails:
- Clear / Green: 63
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 8
- Significant Issue / Amber: 5
- Closed: 1
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What are the trail conditions in Frederick Watershed?
Based on trail reports from the past week in Frederick Watershed:
- Ideal: 2 trails
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Can I ride an ebike in Frederick Watershed?
Yes, Frederick Watershed supports e-bike riding. There are 1 trails in Frederick Watershed that allow e-bikes. Check the e-bike trails listing for specific trail access details and any local regulations.
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What are the most popular mountain biking routes in Frederick Watershed?
The most popular mountain biking routes in Frederick Watershed are:
- Blue Watershred
- The Shed, A Moderate Length Difficult Loop
- S3 Option 2 - Women+ ONLY - Trail Fairy Step-Up
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What type of bike is most common in Frederick Watershed?
Based on activity log data, the most common bike types used in Frederick Watershed are:
- AM (379 activities)
- XC (83 activities)
- DH (3 activities)
- RD (2 activities)
- Fat (2 activities)
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What are the most popular Strava Segments in Frederick Watershed?
The most popular Strava segments in Frederick Watershed are:
- Three Saws Climb (3,112 athletes)
- Training climb1 (2,287 athletes)
- catoctin descent south (2,234 athletes)
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What are some popular technical trail features in Frederick Watershed?
There are 1 technical trail features (TTFs) in Frederick Watershed. Some popular features include: View all technical trail features in Frederick Watershed.
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What trails are closed in Frederick Watershed?
There are currently 1 closed trails in Frederick Watershed. The breakdown of all trail statuses is:
- Clear / Green: 63
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 8
- Significant Issue / Amber: 5
- Closed: 1
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What are the most popular mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed?
The most popular mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed are: View all mountain biking trails sorted by popularity.
▼
What are the best beginner ride trails in Frederick Watershed?
The best beginner mountain biking trails in Frederick Watershed are:
- Green Stones (5/5)
- Connector (4/5)
- Killer Bee (4.5/5)
Activities
Trails
- Hard trails in Frederick Watershed
- Easy trails in Frederick Watershed
- Favorite trails in Frederick Watershed
- Most ridden trails in Frederick Watershed
- Singletrack in Frederick Watershed
- Viewpoint trails in Frederick Watershed
- Trails with technical features in Frederick Watershed
- Race routes in Frederick Watershed
- By Dcp584
& contributors - Admins: MORE-FWS, MORE-FC
- #9607 - 112,490 views
- frederick watershed activity log | embed map of Frederick Watershed mountain bike trails | frederick watershed mountain biking points of interest
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