Paint Branch Stream Valley Park Trail

The spawning-season swim upstream may not be as smooth as a paved trail, but Paint Branch watershed's brown trout don't seem to mind because at least they're alive. Their DC metro area cousins have not been as lucky. Paint Branch, due to its cold water temperature and low pollution level, is home to the last self-sustaining brown trout population in the region. Or at least it is for now.

Bridge along the trail crossing Paint Branch

The Trail

Recession notwithstanding, compared to the brown trout, times aren't nearly as tough for joggers and cyclists zipping along eastern Montgomery County, Maryland's Paint Branch Stream Valley Park Trail. This 3 mile paved trail near Colesville parallels Paint Branch between Fairland Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park. Featuring stream valley flora and the photogenic ripples of Paint Branch, trail users emerge in droves on sunny weekend days. If you're out for more than just a workout, here's what to see:

• Historic Mills - Four different mills, including the Valley Mill, churned the water of Paint Branch between the late 18th century until the 1930's.
• Pilgrim Hill Nature Trail - If you're traveling south from Randolph Road, this half mile natural surface trail detour starts just beyond the Pilgrim Hill Local Park ball field.

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park

Pond in Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park

Prior to Paint Branch's intersection with Columbia Pike (Rte. 29), the trail extends westward into Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park. Designed as an "Active" park - which means it's highly developed for recreational uses - MLK Jr. Park offers its own set of paved trails to complement your Paint Branch experience. The system is a series of three separate paved loops varying in distance:

• Pond Loop (0.4 miles)
• Heart Smart Trail (0.8 miles)
• Perimeter Trail (1.2 miles)

Check out the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational  Park Trail Map to get your bearings.

Paint Branch & the ICC

The ICC footprint does not directly interfere with the trail itself - the east-west route of the future highway is a short distance north of Fairland Road. However, as watershed ecologists can attest, negative impacts upstream tend to be magnified downstream. The scope and expenditure of the ICC Compensatory Mitigation and Environmental Stewardship program is unprecedented for a highway project. With this monetary investment and the engagement of environmental organizations, it is our hope that Paint Branch will continue to flow cold and clear for generations to come.

Location / Directions: Colesville, Maryland
Trail Distance: 3 miles
Surface / Difficulty: Paved; Easy
Trail Map: Paint Branch Trail Map

The Maryland Sierra Club lost the Paint Branch fight, but the Mattawoman Creek tussle is just starting to heat up...and they need your help.

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