Seneca Creek Greenway Trail

Capital Region

Historic
Trail Description

Location: Seneca Creek (at Maryland Rt. 355) to Huntmaster Rd. in Montgomery County.

Directions: Exit 11 from I-270 onto Rt.124 north (Montgomery Village Ave.) Turn left onto Rt.355 north. Travel to parking lot on right just across the bridge over Seneca Creek.

Parking also available off Watkins Mill Rd. on right side (heading north) just before you cross the bridge. Limited parking is available at Brink Rd. and Huntmaster Rd.

Trail Length: 8 miles

Trail Surface: Natural dirt surface

Trail Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Trail Use: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding

Caution: Road crossings. Hilly and steep in sections. Requires stream crossing.

Other Area Rides

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Note: The trail maps on this website have been simplified to provide an overview with approximate locations of trails and special features. Read Full Disclaimer.

Overview:

This section of the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail follows Seneca Creek for approximately 8 miles and is part of a planned 25 mile greenway between the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers. The lower section of the trail (no bicycles or motorized vehicles permitted), located in Seneca Creek State Park south of MD 355, is 16.2 miles in length.

This ride provides great views of Seneca Creek. It is hilly, and somewhat steep in sections as you cycle over varied terrain through beautiful woodland and marsh habitat. Trail highlights include scenic overlooks of the stream valley, a natural rock bridge crossing near Watkins Mill Rd. and two historical former mill sites. Stream crossing over stepping stones is required.

Wildlife you may encounter while mountain biking along the trail include deer, squirrel, geese, turkey buzzards, ground hogs, rabbits, beaver, raccoon, turtles, land crawfish and great blue heron.

Historical Note:

The Creek and Trail are named after the Seneca tribe of western NY and Maryland. Seneca Creek was a source of power for 150 years of settlement. Water power drove grist mills, saw mills, and bellows for forges and fulling mills (for producing woolen cloth). A current survey of the Seneca Creek mills, currently in progress, has found nineteen mills along Seneca Creek and its tributaries!

Former mill sites along this stretch of the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail include the Middlebrook Mill (Rt.355 access point) and Watkins Mill.

Middlebrook Mills (circa 1795) was located at the Rt. 355 access point (east side of Seneca Creek next to the bridge on Rt. 355). Nothing remains today, but it's cool to know it was there.

Watkins Mill (circa 1783) was a three story wood frame grist mill located on the west side of Seneca Creek and the south side of Watkins Mill Road. Only the mill race, or ditch, is still visible running from the mill pond.

A historical marker, located on the far side of the Brink Road bridge over Seneca Creek denotes the fact that Union troops and artillery were stationed here during the Civil War to protect the capitol.

For more information:

Trail Website: Seneca Creek Greenway Trail

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