Why Nolands Ferry to Marble Quarry on the C&O Trail Makes for a Great Frederick Bike Excursion
Looking for a great place to bike around Frederick? You have options.
The Little Bennett Bike Trails in Little Bennet Regional Park are a great place for pretty much any level of biker. If you are more hard core, you probably want to check out the Frederick Watershed Mountain Biking Trails which are more intense and more of a test.
But Frederick has a gem of a resource in its backyard for biking – the C&O Canal Bike Trail, which makes for a great outdoor outing in Frederick. The C&O Canal Bike trail travels a total of 184.5 miles from Cumberland, MD, to Washington, D.C., but there are some great stretches in close proximity to Frederick.
This article will discuss one of our favorite routes near Frederick, Nolands Ferry to Marble Quarry, which makes for a great two-hour bike ride.
The Nolands Ferry to Marble Quarry Bike Route on the C&O
There are a plethora of C&O bike itineraries you plan that are close to Frederick, the most popular starting point probably being Point of Rocks about 20 minutes south of Frederick on route 15. From there you can head north or south on the trail along the Potomac for a great ride.
But we like starting a few miles south at Nolands Ferry and continuing south. From there, you can create an out-and-back trip to several landmarks, and we recommend a 14-roundtrip-mile route to Marble Quarry.
- Total Distance: 23 km, 14.3 miles
- Total Duration: ~1.5 Hours
- Trail Start: Nolands Ferry on the C&O Canal
- Distance from Frederick: 12.6 miles, ~23 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy, Mostly Flat
- Parking and Fees: Decent size parking lots with no fees
The C&O Canal Bike Path
Bike riding the C&O trail is real pleasure. You’re actually in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, riding a canal path that was originally built along with the canal as a main transportation hub from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. Its history goes back to George Washington and the 1700s.
It was important for commerce for many years, though slowly replaced by the efficiency of the B&O Railway along the same route.
Today’s bike path is lovely and mostly flat. It travels through greenery and past many landmarks, making it both an interesting and a nature-filled trail for bike excursions.
Review From Our Recent Bike Ride on the C&O
We like launching at Nolands Ferry because its as easy to get to from Frederick as Point of Rocks, but feels less crowded and more secluded. There’s a decent size parking lot with access to the trail, though it shares the area with a boat ramp used to access the Potomac.
There are also restrooms and a picnic area, which are useful either pre or post-bike ride.
This route has you going south from Nolands Ferry towards Washinton D.C., and you’ll be beginning at around mile marker 44.5 on the C&O.
The trail is a combination of gravel and dirt, but like most of the C&O, it is well-maintained and mostly flat. You’ll immediately be biking in dense forests with the Potomac River on your right and almost always within sight through the trees. The C&O Canal is consistently on your left.
We recently did this bike ride on a mild October day when the leaves were close to their peak colors, which made the vibe spectacular. Whenever you do this ride, you’ll find mostly sparse crowds, but there are generally bikers, walkers, hikers, and just regular families out enjoying the trail.
Take a Bike Stop at Monocacy Aqueduct
About 2.5 miles into your ride (20-30 minutes) you will come to the first major landmark along this route, which is an interesting destination to explore in its own right.
The Monocacy Aqueduct is located where the Monocacy River meets the Potomac. It was built in 1829 for boat transportation purposes and was considered a civil engineering marvel at the time. It also was the scene of intense Civil War drama and has since been restored by the National Park Service.
It’s a beautiful place to stop and gaze out over the Potomac and Monocacy Rivers, and you can ride your bike over the impressive structures that look like works of art.
Note you can drive and park at Monocacy Aqueduct and make it its outing if you want.
If you are a fan of Frederick Breweries, you might recognize the structure as the foundation for the logo for Monocacy Brewing, one of Frederick’s best breweries.
Other Stops Along This C&O Canal Bike Route
As you venture further south on the C&O, you’ll pass several other ‘locks’ on the canal. These locks are more interesting engineering designs that allow boats to travel up and down canals, involving changes in water levels.
Look for the sign at ‘Lock 26’, and you’ll find a large and certainly old oak tree. It is very climbable for both kids and adults!
With all these C&O Canal Bike Excursions, the nice thing is you are free to turn around and return to your starting point whenever you feel ready. For this particular route, we recommend going to the Marble Quarry Hiker/Biker Campsite, a nice place to take break or picnic, and return from there.
You may encounter through bikers camping at the site, but its possibly to walk down to the Potomac or just sit in the grass for a water or snack break. Marble Quarry is at about mile marker 38.2, about 7 miles from where you started at Nolands Ferry.
Just return the way you came for a total of a 14 mile journey.
Suggested After Biking Refreshment Stop on the Way Back to Frederick
You’ll be heading back to Frederick from the south. A perfect excuse to stop in at Prospect Point Brewing for a well-deserved after ride beer.
Resources to Help Your Explore More Biking on the C&O Near Frederick
- C&O Canal Bike Trail Maps – BikeCandO.com
- Nolands Ferry – CandOCanalTrust.org
- C&O Canal Bicycling Guide – BikeWashington.org
- C&O Canal National Historical Park – NPS.gov
