CYCLING THE B&A TRAIL. The B&A trail is about 15 miles long and easily accessible via the parking lot on Route 450 (about 2 bikes north of the "old Severn River Bridge). The trail can get on the weekend (starting at 9am) and has a number of stop signs at the entrance to neighborhoods and at road crossings. This will interrupt your rhythm if you're a fast road bike. This is a multi-use trail with joggers, dog walkers, skaters and cyclists. It's easy to share this train with 2-way traffic .. 2 can cycle side-by-side and easily pass others. Plenty of places to stop for food and drink, especially as you near Severna Park. read more

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I think I'm in love!!! ha! Going forward, THIS will be my favorite trail (until I find another)! While riding the BWI airport loop last week, I saw a sign for the B&A trail, so I knew I'd be here next. I still parked at the Thomas Dixon Observation Area and took the trail backwards (well, there's really no right way to take the Airport Loop, but the connection to the B&A is towards the end of the loop). Once I made it to the B&A connection, I had to ask myself, "Where have I been?" I could have been riding THIS trail the whole time! There's so much nature along the trail. Wetlands, native flowers, tons of bamboo, farmland, horses, etc. I love. Also, the trail is nice & flat with few bumps from raised roots. AND the areas that are raised are painted red so you can see them and prepare for the bump. WINNING! AND, there's a bathroom along the trail with a water fountain and bottle filler. The bathroom is air-conditioned, and I even had room to take my bike inside. It was spotless. It's a cute little orange house with benches in front & grass. Many people rest there. At that same spot there's also a contraption that has tools to fix your bike and an air pump. There are several rest areas along the way in the form of benches in the shade. There are also shops in the Severna Park area that cater to trial-goers. I saw a B&A Acai and Smoothie shop, The Bean Co, which I assume to be a coffee shop, and little sandwich shops. The trail is on the back side of the strip mall, but they have tables & chairs back there for trail patrons. I even saw a taproom if you'd like to stop for a beer. My mileage from the Thomas Dixon observation area to the end of the trail in Annapolis was 16 miles (32 roundtrip). You can get some good speed on the back half of the trail which seemed to be less populated. And I'm sure it's also less crowded during the week versus the weekends. It's a nice trail! read more

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Beautiful trail! Lots to see and do. Plenty of nearby shops especially if you like ice cream in a hot summer day! read more

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This paved trail is so cool to be on. You can walk, bike, and run while enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer. This trail is connected to the many communities of Anne Arundel County. It is Dog friendly! Get your walk on ! read more

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My father, a life-long resident of Severna Park, remembers walking to the Severna Park station of the Baltimore and Annapolis (B&A) Railroad and jumping on the train to go shopping at Hutzlers in downtown Baltimore or to roam around downtown Annapolis. That was probably in the late 1950s. While the shortline railroad that connected Baltimore and Annapolis is gone, it's legacy remains in form of the popular B&A Trail. The 13-mile B&A Trail stretches from Boulters Way in Annapolis to Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie. On each end of the trail there are options to go even further. On the south end in Annapolis, Boulters Road intersects with MD-450 not too far from the bridge that crosses the Severn River by the Naval Academy. So if you want to ride into downtown Annapolis from the trail you will need to ride on MD-450, in a bike lane for about a mile or so. On the north end in Glen Burnie, there is about a 1/2 mile connector trail that connects the B&A Trail into the BWI Trail for those who want to clock some more miles. The trail is paved, about eight feet wide and mostly flat for the 13-mile journey. In the summer the bike trail is lined with a canopy of green foliage offering some shade. There is also some covered gazebos, benches and water fountains along the way. For those looking for a bite to eat, there are various small eateries along the way like Naval Bagels in Arnold and Brusters ice cream in Glen Burnie. Beside the trail in Severna Park the ranger station which is a restored circa 1889 general store. The building, once known as Frost's Store, now serves as the ranger station and houses a museum. The ranger station also has water fountains and restrooms. As of the time of this post, I believe the rangers station is still being renovated so the water fountains, restrooms and such might still be closed. There is also a parking lot at this location. The B&A Trail is part of the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that is focused on creating a nationwide network of trails from decommissioned railroad lines. read more

What an interesting find on a Sunday morning. This mall gives me stranger things vibes with it's all but abandoned appeal. You are probably wondering why I am talking about a mall with. Bike trail review. The mall is where you park to hop on the part of the trail. This trail is well Maintained and paved. It's insane how fast some of these bikers go. I wish that walkers (especially around sharp curves) would move over. We (bike riders) can't see who is coming around the corner and if a biker was to smack into someone (another bike rider) because you are an inconsiderate a hole....you would be the first person that would need smacking. Scoot over! Sorry yelpers , aside from these idiots walking and not sharing the path with both lanes of bikers my experience this morning was great. I highly revoked this location to novice and experienced bikers my hubby and I will definitely be back. read more

Took a borrowed dog here this past Saturday because the weather was gorgeous in late November. Not a ton of parking spaces at the Earleigh Heights lot, but still snagged one (probably about 15-20 spaces, but 2 are for park rangers only). The path is completely paved and was used by majority bike riders. This made it a little difficult at times when they would be passing me and the dog on both directions at the same time. There are parts of the trail that are more narrow. Trash cans and benches are located throughout and they have a free doggy doo bag dispenser at this entrance. Overall really good for biking, rollerblading, skateboarding or anything on wheels as the paved path is mostly flat. read more

B&A Trail - Borrowed pup at the Eminem mile marker - Hiking Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

Great place to walk and clear your head. However, keep to the right and be mindful of joggers and bikes.

Took this trail recently from Glen Burnie to Annapolis on my bike. Most of it is freshly paved. Because I made this trip in the winter, there weren't too many people on the trail but there were some. The trail will take you to just outside of Annapolis and then there is a bike lane that parallels the road. You can follow that into Annapolis and past the naval academy. read more

B&A Trail - About to make my descent into Annapolis - Hiking Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

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I go here 3 or 4 times a week when the weather is nice. There are lots of bikers, joggers and walkers. I hide some of my painted rocks for my rock group Anne Arundel County Rocks! I usually find some rocks out there, especially at Earleigh Heights Station. That's a good place to visit, lots of parking. read more

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I used to bike this trail a few years ago. Today, I had a 2 mile walk. The old railway trail cuts behind homes offering glimpses of nature and nice suburban homes. The trail is well-used--walkers, runners, and bikers. Along the trail you do hear the low roar of Hwy 50 and further along Governor Ritchie Hwy. read more

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Biked this trail with some friends on Saturday over labor day weekend. We took the light rail ($1.60) from Baltimore to Cromwell station, the last stop in Glen Burnie. Once you get off, bike across the street, and the B&A trail begins. It's 13 miles all the way to annapolis. The trail is paved, mostly flat, and well-maintained with luscious vegetation lining the trail. There are rest areas along the way with benches, water fountains, shops, stores, etc. so you can start/stop all along the trail. There is also ample shade from the trees lining the trail so even though it was above 90 degrees that day, the shade kept us cool. When you are a few miles from annapolis, the trail merges with the road so you have to bike alongside cars and you have to bike uphill to get over the bridge. The bike line is wide though so it's not a big issue. Overall, this is a great trail that is suitable for running and biking. The scenery is very relaxing. We biked to annapolis, grabbed a bite to eat, walked around, and then biked back to glen burnie. It wasn't that crowded even though it was labor day weekend. The 13 mile ride takes about 1.5 hours depending how fast you bike. I love this trail after biking it the other day. Great way to enjoy sunny weather. read more

We were looking for a place to do some hiking during our recent visit to Annapolis and stopped first at Jonas Green Park along the river. The ranger there told us that there was no hiking there but we should head up the road a couple miles to try the B&A trail. So we did! While I wouldn't say it's exactly what we were looking for to hike, it did serve the purpose of getting us out away from the city and a give us a chance to unwind. The paved path that goes all the way to Glen Burnie was amazingly well kept, wide, and an ideal place to do some biking. Wish we had bikes! But I wouldn't recommend it for hiking. We were hoping for a path through the woods and this wasn't that. But it's flat! read more

"How can you write a review for a long stretch of pavement?" -Me, before seeing this Yelp page. once, long ago, there lived a railroad laid out in the Stephenson gauge, it ran north to south, from B down to A, o'er rivers, by trees, and through sage. but time, she was cruel, caught up with the rail, as the gears all started to gnash, only freight stressed the truss, fares took the bus! while the owners kept hemorrhaging cash. the railway's now gone. it's no longer there but if you wish to pay your respects, go see this bike trail and learn more 'bout this tale! just watch for the tools in spandex. read more

Great trail. Can get really crowded and you can't go more than 20 mph. Good for training and endurance. Will visit more this spring.

We accessed the trail via Sawmill Park, and ran 2 miles out east(ish) the first day, and 2mi in the other direction the second day. The first day took us through city sections of Glen Burnie -- and a few too many busy intersections. But I enjoyed the second run, which was forested for the most part (aside from running along an overpass)... the trail goes alongside a highway part of the way; so you could hear the cars, but not see them most of the time. There was enough variation in elevation to keep it interesting, but nothing so steep or prolonged that it affected my tempo. All in all, a really enjoyable and easy run. read more

Even with all the reminder signage people still manage to not announce they are passing you. Watch out for rude trail users! Can be overcome by strollers and people just there for a lazy walk. As a cyclist it can be disrupting to use the straight part of the trail because of all the stops and road crossings which do not allow you much time to actually ride. read more

I frequent this trail, from the beginning of the trail at Manresa up to Pasadena it's great... smooth and safe. Past that the trail get's broken up and more obstacles are intruduced. There are some water fountains in Arnold and Severna Park as well as many shops, stores and parking just off trail for convenience. Open from dawn to dusk and occasionally there are rangers who ticket people after dark. Watch out for people cycling over the posted speed limit of 15mph, it is a multiuse trail with runners, families and pets so share the path and be safe. read more

I live close to the trail and really enjoy having the easy access. It is nice to walk the dogs and get some exercise at the same time. If I am feeling adventurous I will bike to Annapolis, get some lunch, and bike back. read more

Awesome trail to go on. I love being able to walk my dog on it everyday because it's super close. However it is very dangerous to cross roads since cars can't see the trail until they are already passing it. It is kept well maintained and is the perfect place to walk, bike, or run as long as your careful. read more

What do you think....there is a community that is looking at cutting through this trail so they can have car access to a community pool they want to build. Any thoughts? read more