Indian Head Trail

[waupaca]

Has anyone heard anything about a new bike and hiker trail being built from White Plains to Indianhead. I have a few vague facts. The Navy at Indianhead owns a spur that used tp deliver ordnance to the base .
They no longer use the track and it will be made it available for CC to use to construct a hiker/bike path with camping sites on the right of way. If this is true it will be one of the first times that the county made something that a lot of people could use
instead of bailing out some failing businesses like the Capital Club and the gymnastics place on 925.

 

[Sweet 16]

Yes, it is part of Rails-to-Trails, a nationwide effort to turn abandoned railroads into bike paths. The Independent had a story on it a few weeks back link.

 

[waupaca]

Thanks for update. Any word on when completed? No place to ride around here without taking life in hands

 

[Sweet 16]

Thanks for update. Any word on when completed? No place to ride around here without taking life in hands

I know they have pulled up rails and ties between Indian Head and the 229 crossing, but I don't know about the rest of it. Here's an earlier article that puts the timeline between 12 and 18 months from start (Summer) to finish.

 

[SoMdDude]

There are still RR tracks south of 229 near when i live, but they are working on pulling them up. I live off of 228 and 229, there has been a sign up there but ive always got someone behind me when i drive over the tracks so i could never slow down to read the damn thing LOL

Glad this thread popped up, ive been wondering wth they were doing

 

[SoMdDude]

Bump

The trail seems to be complete down here off of bensville road (229) the crossing on bensville is complete with signs up, new blacktop over where the tracks used to run as far as i could see, does not look like you can park at that crossing/area though.

Going to check out where you can park to access the trail, anyone got any info on that? Just fixed the bikes up and want to check it out.


EDIT : found this TrailLink :: Indian Head Rail Trail

Bensville Road: Rt. 229 - Remote parking is available ¼ mile east of trail at Bensville County Park (6980 Bensville Road ,White Plains 20695)

Sweet, didnt think that park had access to the trail, easy for me to get to

 

[Sweet 16]

Bump

The trail seems to be complete down here off of bensville road (229) the crossing on bensville is complete with signs up, new blacktop over where the tracks used to run as far as i could see, does not look like you can park at that crossing/area though.

Going to check out where you can park to access the trail, anyone got any info on that? Just fixed the bikes up and want to check it out.


EDIT : found this TrailLink :: Indian Head Rail Trail

Sweet, didnt think that park had access to the trail, easy for me to get to

I couldn't tell from the article, is there direct access from the park to the trail besides the shoulder of Bennsville Road? I would not ride my bike down that stretch of Bennsville on a bet because it is a steep hill with small shoulders and fast traffic. Even worse would be pedaling back up that hill to the park after a long bike ride!

 

[lmwelch]

I couldn't tell from the article, is there direct access from the park to the trail besides the shoulder of Bennsville Road? I would not ride my bike down that stretch of Bennsville on a bet because it is a steep hill with small shoulders and fast traffic. Even worse would be pedaling back up that hill to the park after a long bike ride!

No, unfortunately, there's no direct access from Bensville Park down to the trail. I agree with you --- I would never ride/walk down the road from the park to the trail because it really is dangerous. I've seen cars parked on the side of the road, next to the trail entrance at Bensville Road, but you're really not supposed to park there (the sign says park in the parking lot at Bensville Park). From what I can tell, the only trail entrances with parking right at the trail are the Indian Head (Mattingly Ave), Middletown Road, and White Plains (Theodore Greene Blvd) entrances. Too bad the other spots don't have parking.

 

[SoMdDude]

I was looking on bing and google maps but of course those are outdated and dont show any development down to the trail from the park. I was thinking that would be a PITA if you had to go out to bensville, then down to the hill to the trail.. yeppers, dangerous if you ask me.

I couldn't tell from the article, is there direct access from the park to the trail besides the shoulder of Bennsville Road? I would not ride my bike down that stretch of Bennsville on a bet because it is a steep hill with small shoulders and fast traffic. Even worse would be pedaling back up that hill to the park after a long bike ride!

No, unfortunately, there's no direct access from Bensville Park down to the trail. I agree with you --- I would never ride/walk down the road from the park to the trail because it really is dangerous. I've seen cars parked on the side of the road, next to the trail entrance at Bensville Road, but you're really not supposed to park there (the sign says park in the parking lot at Bensville Park). From what I can tell, the only trail entrances with parking right at the trail are the Indian Head (Mattingly Ave), Middletown Road, and White Plains (Theodore Greene Blvd) entrances. Too bad the other spots don't have parking.

 

[slowlane]

Thanks for update. Any word on when completed? No place to ride around here without taking life in hands

Actually, Charles County has many very quiet rural roads good for bicycling. Try the whole big region south of Indian Head down to Nanjemoy. The Western Livingston Road area of Accokeek. There is also an off-road bike path on the new Rosewick Road / St. Charles Parkway. The trails around Lake Hampshire and Lake Smallwood Village. Route 257 from Newburg to Cobb Island. Many highways like Route 6, 5, 225, have wide paved shoulders - the only bummer is the shoulders have tiny broken glass shards literally all over them which are often invisible.