Three Notch Trail: short return from Baggett Park
Maryland · Rail-trail
From Baggett Park follow the main paved trail north toward Mechanicsville / Charlotte Hall. Turn after one outward mile or before the first road crossing, work barrier or uncomfortable rise; retrace. Stay on the existing northern course; no MD 235 shoulder, dirt nature trail or southern commercial-site links.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Laurel Grove / Mechanicsville · Maryland
- Ride length
- Up to 2 miles return
- Ride format
- Out-and-back
- Surface
- Asphalt northern main rail-trail
- Road crossings
- From Baggett Park follow the main paved trail north toward Mechanicsville / Charlotte Hall. Turn after one outward mile or before the first road crossing, work barrier or uncomfortable rise; retrace. Stay on the existing northern course; no MD 235 shoulder, dirt nature trail or southern commercial-site links.
- Elevation
- Former railway and ADA design context support a modest-effort expectation for this short course, by editorial inference. They do not certify current gradients, every bridge or parking approach; walk uncomfortable transitions.
- Starting location
- John V Baggett Park, 26929 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, MD
Chosen two-mile maximum return. County identifies approximately eleven continuous northern miles, while broader tourism totals and planned twenty-eight-mile right-of-way have different extents.
Approximate named public facility/access-area reference. Follow the guide to designated public visitor parking and the signed path; not a surveyed stall.
Three Notch Trail: short return from Baggett Park — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-21. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Laurel Grove / Mechanicsville, Maryland · Up to 2 miles return · Asphalt northern main rail-trail
Start: John V. Baggett Park public trailhead parking, John V Baggett Park, 26929 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, MD. County tourism identifies this public park and existing northern trail terminus. Use designated general park-user spaces, respecting sports reservations, and walk the signed connection to the asphalt Three Notch main trail. Do not enter the separate dirt Three Bridge Trail or drive / park on the railbed.
Ride: From Baggett Park follow the main paved trail north toward Mechanicsville / Charlotte Hall. Turn after one outward mile or before the first road crossing, work barrier or uncomfortable rise; retrace. Stay on the existing northern course; no MD 235 shoulder, dirt nature trail or southern commercial-site links.
Distance: Chosen two-mile maximum return. County identifies approximately eleven continuous northern miles, while broader tourism totals and planned twenty-eight-mile right-of-way have different extents.
Permission and effort: County’s current fact sheet explicitly permits bicycles and identifies completed Baggett–Mechanicsville Phase V. Former railway and ADA design context support a modest-effort expectation for this short course, by editorial inference. They do not certify current gradients, every bridge or parking approach; walk uncomfortable transitions.
Planning: Sunrise–sunset. No current ordinary trail or parking tariff established; posted terms govern. Yield to walkers, horses and buggies. Stop at all road crossings; no competitive speeding or alcohol. Pets on six-foot leashes. Ordinary pedal bicycles covered here.
Access reviewed October 20, 2026 Central (October 21 UTC): Fresh owner fact sheet still distinguishes completed northern phases from designed / future southern gaps. Its April 2025 comment deadline is not a 2026 construction completion. No current field inspection or promise of seasonal restroom availability.
Bring water and choose suitable weather. Parking walking is extra. No surveyed parking-space pin or navigable GPX is supplied.
Sources: Owner permission, material, rules and completed phase limits · Official public park and address