MAY, MD — This winter, Maryland introduced its first adaptive mountain biking trail system at Patapsco Valley State Park, making outdoor adventures more accessible for people with disabilities.
Located along the border of Baltimore and Howard counties, five miles of trails in the McKeldin Area have been specifically upgraded to accommodate adaptive mountain bikers. The enhancements include widening the trails, smoothing the outslopes to maintain a grade of less than 8%, and redesigning the paths to ensure water drains across rather than down the slopes. The improved trails include the Poplar, Plantation, and Switchback Trails.
To ensure safety and fairness, all bikers, hikers, and horseback riders are required to yield to individuals using adaptive equipment on the trails.
Chenelle Wimbish, secretary of the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park and an adaptive athlete, celebrated the improvements during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Now, more people than ever can experience the beauty of Patapsco State Park, from its rolling hills to scenic river views, while enjoying an authentic outdoor adventure,” Wimbish remarked.
The upgrades were funded through a combination of grants and donations secured by Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park. Financial supporters of the project include the State Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, Kennedy Krieger, REI, the Veterans Administration, the Community Foundation of Howard County, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, The Ward and Karen Wensch Foundation, and IMBA/Shimano.
The newly accessible trail system at Patapsco Valley State Park is expected to serve as a model for other parks across Maryland. Maryland’s Director of Outdoor Recreation, Sandi Olek, expressed the state’s commitment to expanding these adaptive trail systems, stating, “We are dedicated to bringing this initiative to parks across the state.”