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The Seneca Creek Trail Marathon is a point-to-point race, starting at the Damascus
Recreational Park and finishing at Riley's Lock. We recommend that runners park
their vehicles at the Riley's Lock finish area. We have buses to shuttle all
runners to the start line.
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Following are directions to the finish area, start area, and various points in between.
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Park here and take the bus to start
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Riley's Lock
Darnestown, MD 20874
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From 495, take the River Road west exit. Continue several miles until
River Road turns left at Seneca Rd. (there is a stop sign). Turn left, then proceed a few
hundred yards until Rileys Lock Rd. on your left (13015 Rileys Lock Rd). Please allow
30 minutes from the Beltway to get to the race site.
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From most of Maryland, go up I-270 to Route 28 West (be sure to get in
the local lanes as soon as you see the Montrose Road Exit). Go out Route 28 towards Darnstown.
Go past Shady Grove Road and Hospital and then a mile or so further go past Quince Orchard Road
(formerly Fuddruckers on your right, McDonalds on your left). Continue on Route 28 to Darnstown
about 1-2 miles. There is a traffic light and brand new Harris Teeter Grocery store on your left.
Take a left onto Seneca Road (Route 112) at the light. Go all the way till it ends and merges with
River Road. Go down River Road about a mile. You will be going down a hill. After passing a golf
course on your left look for the next road that goes left: Riley's Lock Road. Take a left onto Riley's
Lock Road and go to the very last parking lot, closest to the river.
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Take the bus from finish to the start here.
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Damascus Regional Park
23723 Kings Valley Rd, Damascus, MD
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From Interstate I-270, go to the Route 27/ Ridge Road/Father Hurley Blvd Exit
in Germantown (Exit 16). Go east towards Damascus. Go past the traffic light at Route 355 and
then Brink Road. Keep going straight. Maybe 4 or 5 miles (give or take) look for a traffic light
at King Valley Road. Take a right. Go about a mile down Kings Valley. You should notice a farm on
your right and the beginning of a park on your left. The next landmark is what I consider some
very ‘questionable art’: three red-ish banners sticking out of the ground. Take a left
into this parking lot. The registration table is at the first picnic pavilion on your right.
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From Riley's Lock to Damascus Regional Park |
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Exit Riley’s Lock Road. Go to River Road. Turn Left onto River Road. Turn Right onto Old River
Road right at the entrance to Poole’s store or right past it (they connect anyway). Turn Right
onto Montevideo. About 2 miles (this is ball-parking) take a right onto Sugarland Road. Go through
the intersection of Sugarland and Whites Ferry Road (Rt. 107 I think). Less than a block you will be
at Route 28.(Darnstown Road). Take a left onto Route 28 but immediately take a right onto White Ground
Road. Continue on White Ground about 2 miles when you will get to the bottom of the hill. Take a right
onto Schaefer Road. Now go about 3-4 miles staying on Schaefer. You will first go through a wooded area,
then the soccer complex area, then a subdivision area. Keep going until you get to Route 117 Clopper Road.
Take a Right onto Clopper Road. Take a left at the next light onto Route 118 Germantown Road. Go through
Germantown, over I-270 keep going until you get to Route 355, Frederick Road. Take a left onto Frederick
Road. Take a right Right onto Henderson Corner Road (less than a ½ mile). Take a right onto Route
27 Ridge Road. Now go about 3-4 miles to the stop light at Kings Valley Road. Take a right onto Kings
Valley. Go less than a mile to the park on your left. Look for the three faded red metal banners
sticking out of the ground maybe 15 feet high (this is very questionable art in my opinion). Take a left
into the parking lot. For Fields 3 & 4/Soccer Fields (Picnic Shelter B & C).
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Riffle Ford Road
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Go out Route 28 towards Darnestown. Go past Shady Grove Road and Hospital and then a mile or so further go
past Quince Orchard Road (Fuddruckers on your right, McDonalds on your left) Then go to the second light-
Riffle Ford Road and take a right. Go past some houses and Smokey Glen Farm (on your right) and then go
down the hill. You should notice a little brownish brick building (pumping station) on the right hand side
right before the bottom of the hill. Pull over and park past the bottom of the hill clearly parking on the
shoulder. Do not block either of the gravel driveways/roads and stay away from the fire hydrant. You can
park past the bottom of the hill on the other side of the bridge and on the other side of the street, just
pay attention to the signs and get completely off the street. Be careful entering and exiting your car as
traffic sometimes races down Riffle Ford Road.
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Watkins Mill Road
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Go up to Montgomery Village or Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg. Get on Montgomery Village Avenue going east
from Route 355 (Frederick Avenue). Go about a mile past Lake Forest Mall and you should notice a shopping
center on your left (McDonalds near the road) Take the next left on Club House Drive. Go to the first stop
sign and take a right turn on Watkins Mill Road. Go up and down a hill (you should notice a sign for Watkins
Mill High School on your left at the intersection) Keep going straight. Go up and down one more hill and then
down the next hill you should notice three or four old radio towers at the bottom of the hill (yes the radio
towers are at the bottom of the hill, I do not have a clue why this is). The parking lot is on the right hand
side of the road before the bridge and before the radio towers. There is also road parking.
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Black Rock Mill
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From the South: From most of Maryland and the Beltway go up I-270 to Route 28 West
(be sure to get in the local lanes as soon as you see the Montrose Road Exit). Go out Route 28
towards Darnstown. Go past Shady Grove Road and Hospital and then a mile or so further go past Quince
Orchard Road (Fuddruckers on your right, McDonalds on your left). Continue on Route 28 to Darnstown
about 1-2 miles. There will be a light here (Route 112, Seneca Road) and a new Harris Teeter Grocery
Store on your right. Continue on Route 28. You will go through one more traffic light. This is Route
118, Germantown Road. Still continue on Route 28 but look for your next right on Black Rock Road. Take
a right. The mill is about a mile down the road. It will be on your left. It is hard to miss as it is
an old stone mill. Please park legally in the mill lot and down the road beyond the bridge completely
on the shoulder as to not block anyone in.
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From the North or Germantown-Clarksburg areas:
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Either from Frederick County or Germantown area get to 270 and 118- Germantown Road. Go West. Go
through the built up part of Germantown, maybe two to three miles, then go past Route 117, Clopper
road, and then go past the new Soccerplex, also called Germantown Recreational area. Still stay on
118, go down a hill- it will be wooded and look for Black Rock Road to your right. Take a right and
get on Black Rock Road. You will go through an area with houses (this used to be called Browntown).
After a while, maybe a mile or two, you will be in a wooded area going down a hill. At the bottom
of the hill will be Seneca Creek and the mill. You will have to turn around to park.
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Berryville Road
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From Upper County (North and West such as Germantown, Poolesville, Leesburg, etc) come down 28 towards
Rockville, Go past Route 118 (Germantown Road). Look for your next right hand turn onto Berryville Road.
Go about two miles (this could be 1 and 1/2 , 2 or 3) You pretty much go on the semi straight part,
then bear sharp left past the new subdivision. You will be going down a slight hill and then you take a
sharp left to stay on Berryville. Go past a big mansion on your right continue to a little wooded area
and finally you will see the creek on your right. There is pull over type parking.
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Coming out Route 28 from Gaithersburg and Rockville: Go past Quince Orchard Road on Route 28. Continue through
on 28 , going past a traffic light at Riffleford Road and about a mile further to a light at Seneca Road (Route
112) Note: there are speed cameras on Route 28 as you are approaching Darnstown. Best to keep it slow from
Riffleford to 112. Take a left onto Seneca Road (Harris Teeter is across the road). Go down a few miles until
you see a sign for Berryville Road. It only goes to your right. Go down about a mile or so. You will go
through a section with houses then to a wooded section. You will need to go the lowest section near the creek.
There is a trailhead sign and there is a small upside down bus sign on a post. There is also a small kiosk
type sign that has been burned up. This is the place.
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Lastly for now, coming from the River say River Road or Riley’s Lock go down River Road South until it
merges with 112 (190 River roads goes straight while Seneca Road Route 112 veers left and up a hill) The
very first left is Berryville Road. Go as above.
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Questions?
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Please contact Stephanie Coffin, evenings from 8 - 9 pm at (301) 926-1755.
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