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I hiked this trail in sections with others and solo between August, 2023 and April, 2024. The distances presented are from what I remembered as well as from various souces. These sources varied so I used what sounded correct. I designed this distance calculator to go from south to north because the mileposts on the Seneca Creek Greenway were south to north. But, in my opinion, it is better to hike this one from north to south as there is more downhill hiking that way.
This is really a combination of two trails. The Seneca Creek Greenway presently goes from the Potomac River north to a bridge crossing between Huntmaster and Watkins RD at about 24 miles. You then cross a flood plain for about .3 miles, cross Magruder Creek and you are then on the Magruder Branch Trail for about the next 5.6 miles.
On Monday, January 22, 2024 I talked to a nice lady named Ruth at the Montgomery County, MD Parks and Recreation Department. I was curious because the website said that this trail would eventually go to the Patuxant River. I asked Ruth when this was going to happen. She said that there was no money budgeted for it so it would be a long time before that happened.
I did find a document online dated 05/03/2018 that proposed extending the Magruder Branch Trail into Damascus as well as connecting it to nearby Little Bennett Regional Park. You can read that document
Here.
Also, according to Google Maps, it is about 7 miles due east from the present northern Terminus of the Magruder Branch Trail to the furthest known western location of the Patuxant River. One would currently have to drive MD108 from Damascus, MD to get there.
So the Seneca Creek Greenway/Magruder Branch Trails may eventually get completed between the Potomac and Patuxant Rivers in the distant future. But for now, explore and enjoy the current Seneca Creek Greenway/Magruder Branch Trails between the Potomac River and just south of Damascus, MD.
