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Hiking in Montgomery County, MD: Rachel Carson Conservation Park

By
Real Estate Agent with Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 MD594797

Montgomery County, MD alone boasts more than 100 miles of hiking trails, 6 of which can be found at the Rachel Carson Conservation Park in the Brookeville/Olney area, north of Silver Spring, MD.

Rachel Carson Conservation ParkRachel Carson Conservation Park is located at 22201 Zion Rd just west of Georgia Avenue. It was named after the writer and environmental activist, Rachel Carson, who was also a Montgomery County resident.

The park is undeveloped (no picnic areas and such) but offers natural surface trails on 650 acres which are either dedicated hiking trails or a combination of hiking & equestrian trails.

The only visitor parking area is located off Zion Rd which provides direct access to the Fox Meadow Loop and Rachel Carson Greenway. Both trails pass by a meadow - which is currently undergoing restoration efforts to return it to its natural state - before winding their way through the woods. They also interconnect with a number of other trails, thus offering a variety of hikes.

I am not sure what the official difficulty of the trails are but we found them easily manageable although a bit narrow at times. My girls - 7 & 3 - hiked part of the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail and Fern Valley Trail with us and had no difficulties doing so.

The Rachel Carson Greenway Trail at the Conservation Park is part of a larger project which, when completed, will span 25 miles from Adelphi in Prince George's County through Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Olney and Laytonsville.

According to MontgomeryParks.org the Rachel Carson Conservation Park is "one of the county's premier conservation areas", its undeveloped state "provides opportunities for quiet enjoyment of the natural environment."

It does indeed. 

Hiking in Maryland: Rachel Carson Greenway Trail

Hiking in Maryland: Rachel Carson Conservation Park

Hiking in Maryland: Rachel Carson Conservation Park

Posted by

Andrea Bedard
Thompson Co., REALTORS®

Silver Spring, Maryland
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Comments(6)

John McCormack, CRS
Albuquerque Homes Realty - Albuquerque, NM
Honesty, Integrity, Results, Experienced. HIRE Me!

Hiking in Montgomery County MD and the Rachel Carson Conservation Park is a great way and place to enjoy Mother Nature at her finest. 

Sep 03, 2012 10:33 PM
Diane M. Phillips Realtor 443-286-4365
Frankly Real Estate Inc. - Manchester, MD
Specializing in Carroll Co., MD

Andrea ~ Sounds like a great place for family, nature and excersizise too.

Sep 03, 2012 10:46 PM
Andrea Bedard
Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD
Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

Hi John, it truly is - a wonderfully quiet place.

Hi Diane, perfect for all 3 :-) We love hiking but have to think of the girls - it can't be too steep of a trail or too difficult. The trails at the Rachel Carson Conservation Park were easy enough for them to handle ..

Sep 03, 2012 11:12 PM
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living
Hi Andrea, this brings back memories of many hiking vacations my family took when I was a child. I still enjoy it.
Sep 04, 2012 02:23 AM
MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900
Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA
Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

Sounds like a lovely place to enjoy hiking in your area.

Sep 04, 2012 11:06 AM
Andrea Bedard
Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD
Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

Hi Silvia, my family loved to go on hiking trips as well. I wasn't always too fond of it as a child but now enjoy it more than ever. It's so quiet and peaceful .. it's a great way to recharge.

Hi Michelle, the Rachel Carson Conservation Park is one of many great places to go hiking in the area. I'm planning on writing a little series about my favorite spots.

Sep 04, 2012 02:35 PM