Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve
Dark Branch Trail–Sidewinder, 4 sights
8.3 mi · ▲ 498 ft · 3 hr 1 min
Dark Branch Trail–Sidewinder, 4 sights is an 8.3-mile out-and-back in Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve near Sugarloaf Vista, MD. It climbs 498 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Dark Branch Trail–Sidewinder, 4 sights
8.3 mi · ▲ 498 ft · 3 hr 1 min
Elevation 379–572 ft
Out & Back · Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve
Trailhead: 39.28387, -77.29300
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Sidewinder, heading SW.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Hyattstown Mill Road, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Dark Branch Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Pine Grove Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Timber Ridge Trail, heading NE.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Tobacco Barn Trail, heading SE.
- 1 miReach Sidewinder, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miTurn left onto Timber Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Pine Grove Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Dark Branch Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Hyattstown Mill Road, heading SW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Sidewinder, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~14 min). Leave by 6:37 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:40 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Kingsley Trail–Pine Grove Trail, 3 sights 5.8 mi · ▲ 197 ft
- Froggy Hollow Trail–Hyattstown Mill Road, 6 sights 9 mi · ▲ 472 ft
- Hard Cider Trail–Hyattstown Mill Road, 5 sights 8.1 mi · ▲ 420 ft
- Kingsley Trail–Pine Grove Trail, 3 sights 4.9 mi · ▲ 195 ft
- Beaver Valley Trail–Bennett Ridge Trail, 3 sights 6.6 mi · ▲ 522 ft
- Prescott Road–Sidewinder, 3 sights 6.4 mi · ▲ 530 ft
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