On Mother’s Day, I wanted to try out someplace new to hike that wasn’t super duper busy. I often use an app called AllTrails to find the new adventures our family goes on, and that is where I found this gem. Wincopin Trails is a series of trails off Vollmerhausen Road in Jessup, MD. There is a small lot to park in, and it was filled to the brim when we arrived. Fortunately, someone pulled out as we pulled in so we got a spot. There are porta potties available. At the start of the trail was a map for us to use to plot our course. The plan was to do several of the trails starting with the red loop.
The trail starts off paved, but that quickly tapers off to a natural dirt and rock path. We were worried about the number of people due to the crowding in the lot, but there are enough trails that everyone spreads out. At this point in the day, we actually had the trail to ourselves for a bit and it was beautiful!
One of the things that piqued my interest about these trails was their proximity to the Middle and Little Patuxent Rivers. The red loop we were on started off up high on a ridge and we had beautiful views of the Middle Patuxent River on both sides of the trail. The trail then climbed down to follow the river. The path is rocky so watch your step!
As the trail hugged the riverbank, the views of the river were gorgeous! Pebble and I watched a great blue heron soar down the middle of the river and around a bend. The only thing that didn’t let us totally lose ourselves in our surroundings was the continual sound of traffic on I95, which wasn’t far off. When we finished the loop, we faced a steep, rocky climb back up the ridge. It wasn’t an easy climb, and I carried Pebble up because it was just too hard for her little legs.
After chugging some much needed water, we left the red trail for the yellow trail, which became the blue then green trails. These trails followed the same formula as the red loop. We started off high up, then slowly climbed down to the water. The further we moved away from the red loop, the quieter it got until we could no longer hear I95. The kids had a lot of fun climbing some of the giant old trees we passed, and Stormy kept asking when she could wade in the river! She loves water!
One of the neat aspects of the green trail is that hikers get a look at the industrial past of the area. Gabbro rock was once mined here to be used in roadbeds. We stopped to admire the view of the river from a Gabbro Bridge support. FYI, there is a high and dangerous drop off from the bridge support. While the view was gorgeous, watch your littles! We didn’t let Pebble near it at all!
The next historical ruin we encountered was the Stone Finishing Plant. We actually ate our lunch perched on an old wall here. Stormy and Rainbow couldn’t believe these remnants had once been a building!
After we’d left the Gabbro Bridge support, the trail had dropped down even further to closely parallel the river. That meant, after lunch at the old plant, we went on the hunt for the perfect spot to throw rocks into the Little Patuxent River. Stormy and Rainbow wanted to wade, too, but hubby and I didn’t want them too wet and uncomfortable on the hike back to the car.
Once the kiddos had their fill of trying to toss rocks the size of their heads, we headed back to the car. On our way, we passed the old stone quarry, which now looks nothing like a quarry thanks to the growth of trees and other plants. The climb up and away from the river was steep, but nowhere near as bad as the red loop climb. Pebble did this climb herself carrying a brick because why not?
All in all, it was an awesome Mother’s Day outing! By the end of our hike, we had gone a good four miles, and we were tuckered out! There was also a lot more people to dodge. Due to a full parking lot, people were now parking up and down the street. So we were happy to leave for less crowded pastures. If you try this hike, know that there will be plenty of people who also want to try it. It seems to be a popular place to go, and the trails are all well marked. I wouldn’t rank it as an easy hike, not with the climbs hikers need to do to leave the river area. Still it is a beautiful area, and littles will love the river area as there are plenty of places to toss rocks! We definitely want to return sometime! Happy trails!
