Western Maryland Rail Trail
Managed by Maryland Park Service
5 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fort Frederick State Park · Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Big Pool
6% of Big Pool’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 6% of Big Pool’s land is conserved, about 4 acres. 6 acres are parks and preserves, 134 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
6%
4 acres · of 0.1 sq mi of land
Trails
0.0 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6 ac
134 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.2 mi
0.2 mi paths
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
4 conserved acres
6% of Big Pool’s land. Who manages Big Pool’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service4 ac
Not recorded1 ac
Historic or Cultural Area · 4 acState Park · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 2 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 4 | Restricted |
| Western Maryland Rail Trail State Park | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
Biking & sports
0.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Big Pool: April, June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 45 | 53 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Big Pool →
Next door
Big Pool and its neighbors
Big Pool has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Pool | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ernstville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Big Pool
Are dogs allowed on Big Pool’s trails?
Western Maryland Rail Trail doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Big Pool?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Big Pool?
11,870 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Big Pool or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Big Pool neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →