Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail
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The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail (WB&A) is a 22 mile long proposed rail trail from Glenn Dale to Odenton in Maryland. Despite its name, it does not actually connect with Washington, D.C., Annapolis or Baltimore.
The trail derived its name from the now defunct Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad along whose right-of-way the trail now runs. From 1908 through 1935, state-of-the-art electric commuter trains ran along this route carrying passengers between Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The same railroad right of way also serves as the basis for the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail
The first section of the trail, in Prince George's County, a 5.6 mile long stretch from MD-450 in Glen Dale to Race Track Road in Bowie, opened in 2000. A separate 2.3 mile long section, in Anne Arundel County, through Odenton opened in 2004 linking Waugh Chapel Road to Strawberry Lake Road, both located in Piney Orchard. The Prince George's County section was extended Northeast from Race Track Road to the Patuxent River in 2005. The Anne Arundel County section was extended another two miles Northeast in 2006 to connect Waugh Chapel Road to Odenton Road. A third length of the Anne Arundel County section opened in late 2007 incorporating two bridges, one passing over the Little Patuxent River. This third section runs south from Strawberry Lake Road to Conway Road. As of early 2008, plans exist to close the 1.4 mile gap between these two sections with a bridge over the Patuxent River, pending negotiations with local landowners.
The WB&A makes up part of both the East Coast Greenway - from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida - and the American Discovery Trail - from the Atlantic coast of Delaware to San Francisco, California.
