Patapsco Valley State Park visitors can expect an expansion of the McKeldin Area’s adaptive trail network in the new year, with the trail loop likely to open for public use in February.

About two years ago, the nonprofit organization Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park built a 1.5-mile adaptive trail loop in the McKeldin Area near Marriottsville, according to Dave Ferraro, the organization’s executive director. Now, the organization is working to bring the loop to 5 miles to complete the expansion, which is set to happen in January.

“I just think it’s something that’s just very inspiring because, in the course of these past four plus years, we’ve all been able, through the adaptive community, to see a constituency, if you will, that really had been underserved up to that point,” Bruce Clopein, president of Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park said. “And to me, whether it’s that trail or the other adaptive initiatives, it’s wonderful to see worlds opened up to people.”

Clopein was inspired to make the park accessible for everyone after watching the impact on his mother, who suffered a stroke while he was in high school, combined with his love for the outdoors. Everyone in Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park is inspired by their memories in the park, Clopein said, and they want to make sure everyone can have their own memories regardless of their ability.

The updated adaptive trail loop is wider, at 48 inches, and the grade will be gradual to avoid any steep climbs or downhills. Ferraro said the trail surface will be built to limit the out slope – when the outside edge of the trail bed is lower than the inside – to no more than 10% to prevent adaptive bikes from flipping over. There will also be “robust signage” to foster easy access and clear communication about where a user is should they run into an issue on the trail.

“But the other thing you can expect is a really killer trail. I mean, it doesn’t feel like a paved county park. I mean, this is a real backcountry forest experience. It’s high above the river. It’s bouldery. It’s full of wildlife. It’s a real forest experience,” Ferraro said.

While the trail was designed to accommodate handcycles, Ferraro said people with all kinds of abilities have been interested in it. He’s seen more grandparents hiking with their grandchildren, kids and beginner mountain bikers using the trail, and people with mixed abilities joining to hike together.

Building a natural surface trail in Patapsco Valley State Park costs about $35,000 per mile, Ferraro said. The McKeldin Area loop was about a $140,000 project, with funding coming from the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, grants and private donations from organizations such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute, one of the group’s partners.

Much of the funding was provided through the State Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program. Next year, Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park is set to receive Recreational Trails Program funding for another 5-mile trail in the Woodstock area, Ferraro said, which will connect to the McKeldin loop for a total of 10 miles of adaptive trails. Completion is expected in 2026.

For now, the McKeldin Area was considered the best location for the trail, Ferraro said. The southern parts of the park are more heavily used, making it difficult to develop an adaptive trail. Also, the McKeldin Area has plenty of room for accessible parking as well as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) bathrooms in close proximity to the trail.

Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park also runs a number of other adaptive programs with its partners, from fishing to paddling, hiking and cycling. The organization isn’t adaptive-focused, but because of its strong partnerships, it’s been hosting more programs for the adaptive community, Ferraro said. As that community is integrated into events and programs, the “braiding” of adaptive and traditional communities together has been “kind of the coolest thing,” Ferraro said.

Both Ferraro and Clopein said that the adaptive trail network will put Patapsco Valley State Park on the map as an East Coast destination. The hope is that the push for these trails will encourage other parks in Maryland to follow suit.

“So, not that we don’t want to continue to have other extensions and enhancements at Patapsco, but for me, just as important, if not more so, is to see this open the door for adaptive initiatives in other parks throughout the area, throughout the region,” Clopein said.

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