Deep Creek Lake State Park: Thayer Trace Trail

Trail System: Deep Creek Lake State Park
Distance: 5.1 km
Activities: Mountain Bike, E-bike, Hike, Trail Running
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Climb: 130 m
Descent: -116 m

Going clockwise from the top, the first section winds through a forest and doesn’t change elevation a lot, but it flows well over large rocks in some places. There are a few spots where you’ll want to watch your bars on the trees and time your pedal strokes, but it isn’t too technical. Once you start losing elevation, there are some line options through rockier sections, but it’s generally pretty easy to stay on the right line.

The switchbacks are tight, and some of them have large rocks with uneven placement, so you may have to search for the right lines there. Before you reach the bottom, there is a straightaway bench-cut along a slope with some rollers that you can pump to really gain speed. There is a switchback soon after that, so watch your speed until you’re familiar with it. Coming back up from the connector, the climb isn’t too difficult. The switchbacks are wider and banked more, so it may be well worth riding counterclockwise as well.

Completed in late summer 2019. 

Address: 898 State Park Road, Swanton, Maryland 21561​​
Driving & Parking Directions: Check the map below.