Let’s talk about 4×4 offroad trails in Maryland

This article specifically covers Jeep trails, trucks trails, SUV trails, and all other highway vehicle four wheeling trails in MD.

Maryland can be one tough state to find 4×4 offroad trails in, but have no fear Where2Wheel is here to outline some of the offroading trails that MD has to offer.

Let’s start at the coast and move from East to West.  On the beaches near Ocean City, MD there is Assateague State Park and Assateague Island Beach.  It is about a 30 minute drive and will cost you $75 annually for a Surf Vehicle tag, but Assateague Island Beach provides you with 13 miles of beach 4×4 access.  Now it’s important to note that this beach access is not specifically for four wheeling, but designed to be an access point for salt water fishing –  so no donuts or reckless driving because you will be told to leave if you are disturbing the environment.  With that said, it is a nice spot to enjoy some top down beach driving and fishing if you are into that.

So if you are located East of Baltimore, you are definitely going to have to drive a ways to get to the bulk of the offroad trails in Maryland, but the good news is that MD is a small state so that shouldn’t be a deal breaker keeping you from having some 4×4 fun.  West of Baltimore and just North of Frederick is the Frederick Watershed Area, and just like the beaches this is nothing too extreme.  Inside the Frederick Watershed is the Frederick Municipal Forest that contains 11 miles of gravel, dirt, and rocky roads that explore the 7,000 acre forest.  Most of the trail doesn’t require 4WD, but there is the occasional creek crossing and rain or snow can make this area a lot more fun.  There is also some good fishing of stocked lakes and hiking to be had in this forest.

Continuing to travel to the most Northwest parts of MD will land you the states best offroading.  The Garrett State Forest and Savage River State Forest both provide some fun 4×4 offroad trails – these trails be found on Where2Wheel.com on the W2W Trails Map, but one of those worth mentioning is the St. John’s Rock ORV Trail & Campground in Garrett County (Frostburg), MD.  At St. John’s you can find more that 12 miles of woodland trails constructed specifically for ORV enthusiasts, including a full-size rock crawl area for Jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles.  It has been a relief to many Maryland resident offroad enthusiasts to see the state finally taking actions to embrace the strong offroad community in MD, and projects like the St. John’s Rock ORV Trail are a welcome addition to the recreational resources that Maryland has to offer.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out Ocean City Jeep Week!  It’s a fantastic celebration of all things Jeep, including beach rides, a custom built off-road course, and a kickin display of Jeeps and all things off-road at the Ocean City Convention Center.  Where2Wheel is often in attendance with many other vendors in the off-road world, and it is honestly a great time and one of the highlights of our year.  OWJW is held annually in late August.

*Shameless Plug to Help Support W2W: Don’t forget your Recovery Gear! Wherever you are wheeling, you should always be prepared for getting stuck! I’ve handpicked these items for their great value and dependable quality.

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