Trail Discovery for Kids: Muddy Branch Trail, Montgomery Co.

Wood Frog

Muddy Branch Trail – River Road to Esworthy Road section

Darnestown, MD

Montgomery Parks

Hike Information

ü  The Muddy Branch Trail is 9 miles long from River Road at Blockhouse Point to Route 28.

ü  The River Road to Esworthy Road section is a 3.4 mile out and back hike.

ü  The trail meanders through park land along the Muddy Branch and up and down the stream valley.

ü  The hike’s gentle elevation gain and lose is 175 feet.

ü  The trail crosses two Muddy Branch tributaries without bridges or stepping stones.

ü  This trail is NOT jogging stroller passable.

ü  Use the Blockhouse parking lot on River Road. The Muddy Branch trailhead is across River Road to the right of the gas pipeline right-of-way.

ü  Link to the trail map.

Age Appropriateness

ü  This hike is best for children six years or older due to the hills and stream crossings.

What is fun for kids?

ü  The trail sits just above the Muddy Branch flood plain which has many vernal pools. Hiking this trail in March and April provides a great opportunity to see and hear many kinds of amphibians. Dawn and dusk are the best times to sit quietly and take in the action.

ü  Multiple opportunities to play in or alongside the Muddy Branch and its tributaries.

ü  About halfway, there is a great spot with some large boulders along the Muddy Branch to sit and have a picnic or a snack.

Caution

ü  Gas pipeline is adjacent to the parkland.

ü  No bathrooms or trash cans; pack-in, pack-out your trash.

ü  Feet may get wet during the two stream crossings.

Be Careful or You'll End Up on Your Butt

After the post Thanksgiving stuffing, my husband, kids, parents and I took a hike on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland to Weaverton Cliffs, north to the Ed Garvey Shelter and back. The leaves are off the trees and ankle deep on the trail. I forgot that freshly fallen leaves are slippery when I almost fell on my butt; however, I managed to catch myself before falling on the edge of a rock. That got me thinking about what are the hazards of hiking after the leaves have just fallen.

• Hiking on freshly piled leaves is liked walking on a newly polished floor with high heals; the wax provides a perfect opportunity to skid out. The waxy, protective coating on leaves is similar, particularly going down hill. To prevent this, I stepped from rock to rock because of their textured and abrasive surface. Furthermore, while hiking down hill, I took smaller steps and used my quad muscles as brakes.
• The ankle deep leaves messed with my depth perception and where the best spot was to place my foot on the trail tread. The rocks and tree roots played peekaboo, tricking me with my involuntary decisions to make the right choice.
• Often times when I hike, I rely on the trail tread to lead me in the right direction and check for blazes at turns and intersections. However, I found myself looking for the white blazes a lot more because the trail tread mimicked the forest floor.

The winter is one of my favorite times of the year to hike because the views are expansive through the woods and the trails are a lot less crowded in the DC area, except for the occasional burst of southwestern air that infiltrates our region in the winter. This causes people to stop hibernating and leave their dens to seek the fresh air of the trail.

To Hike or Walk

Do these questions or thoughts enter your mind when you think of a “family hike?”

• ·         How do I fit another activity into my over-scheduled family calendar?
• ·         There are dangerous things in the woods.
• ·         I don’t know where to go hiking. Where are the closest and best trails for my beginning family?
• ·         I have never been on a hike before. How do I start?

     The word “hike” can be intimidating to parents. Some parents visualize scenes of skyscraper mountains, deep canyons and vast, never ending forests. Big scenes that can be a little scary. Some parents can’t visualize anything because they don’t have a point of reference or connection. Let’s break the word down and use the less intimidating word of “walk.” More parents can visualize this word – a walk down their neighborhood street (with or without the dog), in a neighborhood park, or along the beach. These are known, provide a point of reference, and create a connection. Now, think of a walk in the woods, along a stream, to a pond, in a wetland, or many other possible places.    

     A hike is synonymous with it takes a long time to do - an all day event. Whereas a walk means a shorter period of time – an hour. Add a family’s perceived notion that a hike is an all day event together with their overscheduled lives, this equals a barrier to hiking on a trail. Yes, families today are overscheduled but let’s dispose of the perceived notion that a hike lasts all day. Instead, insert the word walk and go for an hour long walk on a trail with your family. When does your family have an hour in its schedule? Where is the nearest trail to walk for an hour?

The nearest trail is one click away:

• ·         Montgomery Parks or any municipality’s Department of Parks or Recreation or a state’s Department of Natural Resources or Environment.
• ·         Trail organizations, for example Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) or the Washington (state) Trails Association.
• ·         Trail books and guides – PATC guides or 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles.
• ·         OhRanger, type your zip code or click on a state to find a park with trails near you.

None of these sites or resources is geared to help families navigate which trails or “walks in the woods” are best for kids but below are some.

• ·         Trail Discovery for Kids, learn about trails with great playscapes (e.g. Billy Goat Trail, Section C).
• ·         Books – Family Hiking in the Smokies: Time Well Spent or Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine: Best Hikes for Kids. Search “kids hiking books” on Amazon and you will discover many resources.
• ·         Nature Rocks – type in your zip code and find a park/trail near you.

Don’t feel comfortable taking your family for a walk in the woods because danger lurks around the next tree or you have never taken a hike. Don’t fear, Washington DC and many major cities have organizations that guide families to explore and experience fun adventures on kid-friendly trails. These hikes provide opportunities for parents to feel comfortable in an unfamiliar activity in an unknown place and everyone can participate in unstructured play in a structured event. Check out this family hike opportunity.

Family Hiking 101: Exploration, Safety and Leave No Trace

Sunday, May 15, 2011

2:00 – 5:00 pm

Theodore Roosevelt Island National Monument

Join two expert guides from Hiking Along and The North Face on a two mile circuit hike around the perimeter of Theodore Roosevelt Island. The trail is natural surface and raised walkways through two ecosystems, a deciduous forest and wetlands. The hike is great for children of all ages with fun natural playgrounds: rocks for climbing, water for skipping rocks, and the monument plaza for a game of hide and seek. While hiking, learn about hiking safety, Leave No Trace, and the plants and animals surrounding the trail. Enjoy an afternoon in the middle of the Potomac River engaging in the great outdoors! The cost is $15 per family. To register, email jennifer@hikingalong.com.

    This spring, make it a family goal to venture outside of your familiar comfort zone and embark on a hike or a walk, if that word feels more comfortable. Seek out the extraordinary amount of resources available both on the web and with organizations whose mission it is to get more people, including families, outdoors. Hiking isn’t a scary word in your family? Then, step it up a notch and venture to adventure on a new level or outdoor activity. Happy trails!

History & Nature in One

Today, my kids would normally be in school but it was a work day for teachers; therefore, some friends and I took our children and went to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for a night and two days. I rented a Potomac Appalachian Trail Club cabin, only one of nine cabins are modern (electricity/plumbing) while the other 31 cabins are primitive (a roof over your head with a fireplace). Highacre is a beautiful old house, built in the late 1800's, that sits high on the cliff above downtown Harpers Ferry with an incredible view of the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers with the high ridges that surround the rivers. If it wasn't six degrees this morning, watching the sunrise from the front porch would have been breathtaking. Instead we witnessed it in warmth from the big dinning room windows.

  Whether you go to Harpers Ferry in the winter or summer, there are many activities to do providing different opportunities and experiences. The summer invites families to play in the rivers along the rivers' edges or drifting in the river's flow on an inner tube. The winter offers a family time to observe the icy caps on the rivers and hear the crackle of the ice and enjoy all the activities of Harpers Ferry with minimal visitors.

• Learn about Harpers Ferry in the 1800's, its abolitionist movement, and its place during the Civil War, in particular the John Brown raid, at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
• Watch trains as you walk the bridge over the Potomac River.
• Hike the Appalachian Trail into Maryland to Weaverton Cliffs or into Virginia to Loudon Heights.
• Watch the sunset at Jefferson Rocks.
• Hike the Maryland Heights Trail to experience an amazing view of the river's confluence and Harpers Ferry.
• Bike or walk the C&O Canal path.

Even though it was a frigid day, the sun was shining with blue skies; we layered up, crossed the train bridge over the Potomac, walked the C&O Canal Path, to the trailhead of the Maryland Heights Trail and ascended the ridge. Even though, my little one couldn't make it to the amazing view at the top of the cliffs, the rest did. Walking back along the train bridge, we viewed the waving arms of my daughter and our friends on the cliffs. The hike and its spectacular views were the highlight of the staycation in Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry is definitely a historical and natural oasis in the Mid-Atlantic.

Fall Family Hikes

The air is crisp, with an occasional scorcher to remind us of the hot summer, with beautiful blue skies and the leaves are changing into magnificent hues of gold and burgundy. Hiking Along hopes your family has been able to discover fall’s bounty for your senses thus far. If not, we hope you will consider joining Hiking Along with its partnering organizations on either of these two great fall hikes.

Saturday, October 23rd from 9:30 to 11:30 am, Hiking Along in partnership with a new organization, Conservation Montgomery, will lead a family hike on the Northwest Branch Trail (p.1) to learn about trees, their importance to people, animals, and the local watershed. Kids and parents will engage in hands-on activities along the trail, including a service project to collect native seeds for the Growing Native program. The hike is 1.5 miles out and back on a flat, wide trail that is jogging stroller friendly. The hike will begin at the Kemp Mill Rd. trailhead of the Northwest Branch Trail. A suggested $5 per person donation to Conservation Montgomery is greatly appreciated. To register for the hike, please send an e-mail with your family’s name, number of people, and contact e-mail to conservationmontgomery@live.com.

Saturday, October 30th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Hiking Along in partnership with Neighbors of Northwest Branch will lead a family hike on the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail, south of Burnt Mills (p. 3). The group will meet in the parking lot adjacent to the Trader Joe’s Plaza and will hike two miles out and back to the 495 overpass. On the return, children will have the opportunity to rock scramble. While on the hike, families will learn about the ecosystem of a deciduous forest in the Washington area. They will understand and follow a food web in the forest and what happens when a species is threatened or endangered. Children will learn about and provide solutions to the human impact on a forest food web. This hike is great for children 5+ years of age but all are welcome. The trail is not jogging stroller passable; however, a few backpacks can be provided for young children. Join the hike, see the forest colors, and learn about its animals!

If your family or group can’t make one of these great hikes, then e-mail Jennifer to schedule any one of the nine hikes in the DC area. In addition, check out Hiking Along’s blog to read “Trail Discovery for Kids” – a review of some of the best hiking trails for kids and families in the DC area. Some highlighted trails are Tom’s Trail in Wheaton Park, a short, easy and adventurous hike for preschoolers or to view the fall colors in Shenandoah National Park, hike with your family on the White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run 2 mile circuit. For more up-to-the-minute trail and nature resources, “like” Hiking Along on Facebook.
Happy Fall Adventures to you and your family!