Gunpowder Falls Wildlands/Sweathouse Branch Trail, Baltimore, MD

Location

Really great trail fairly close to Baltimore... From Baltimore, if you take 83 N, 695 West, then get off at Belair Road heading north and go for ~5 miles.  You pass Perry Hall Road and quickly get out of the semi-industrial area there, then cross a bridge.  Immediately after the bridge on the right is a parking lot, and if you park there you'll see a welcome sign/map.  The trail starts behind the map by going through a tunnel that goes under the road.  The only tricky thing about this trail is that there are several river crossings, and they're not always well marked.  Half of the trail is along the river, and the other half is up into the hills and forest.  If you hike the river part first, you'll go about 2.5 miles and find that the trail gradually starts to become more wild.  If you see this, it means you've gone too far and missed the poorly marked indication to cross the river (got lost at this point my first time out).

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=297