3-state trail

Mason-Dixon Trail

across 3 states · centroid 39 mi from Baltimore

Mason-Dixon Trail is hiking trail crossing Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania. This page summarises what we have from public sources (OpenStreetMap and trail-association data); always verify current conditions and trail status with the maintaining organisation before heading out.

States: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania
Network: Regional (rwn)
Reference: MDT
Centroid nearest city: Baltimore, MD · 39 mi · ~1.1 hr drive
Centroid coords: 39.8228°, -76.3644°
OSM relation: 1820324

From Wikipedia: The Mason–Dixon Trail is a 193-mile (311 km) hiking trail that begins at the Appalachian Trail in south-central Pennsylvania, continues through northeastern Maryland and northern Delaware, and re-enters Pennsylvania shortly before ending at Chadds Ford. It is named for the historic Mason–Dixon line, which it crosses twice. About one-third of the route follows roads through rural areas, but the rest is on traditional footpaths. The trail also traverses many tracts of private land, at which passage for hikers has been arranged with owners. This results in occasional relocations. The trail takes hikers through a variety of rural and semi-urban landscapes, with most of the route in Pennsylvania featuring farmlands and forested areas, and most of the route in Maryland and Delaware featuring historic sites and small towns. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Mason–Dixon Trail, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Mason-Dixon Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed

Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Baltimore, MD — 39 miles away (~1.1 hr drive). See accommodation in Baltimore on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Other trails within 50 miles

10 nearby

Pennsylvania

Conestoga Trail System

15 miles from this trail's centroid

Pennsylvania

York County Heritage Rail Trail

20 miles from this trail's centroid

Maryland

Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail

21 miles from this trail's centroid

Pennsylvania · 143 mi

Horse-Shoe Trail

33 miles from this trail's centroid

Pennsylvania

Brandywine Trail

39 miles from this trail's centroid

Maryland

Patapsco Traverse (south hiking)

45 miles from this trail's centroid

Sources

Public data + curation

Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.