It took me a full two months of 2026 before I managed to get in a hike of more than five miles. But on the last day of February, T needed more than six miles to finish a 60-miles-in-60-days challenge. We figured we might as well do a state park to get in our Miles for Maryland. Thus we headed to our nearest state park, Seneca Creek, and did what could be described as a wide loop around the lake, with a few spurs.
We started at Quail Ridge, on the south side of the lake. This is the only picnic parking area open in winter, beyond the parking areas on the north side. It's also the only other open restroom, and not too far from the lake. (Good to know if you are walking around the lake, which is the most popular hike in the park.)
We followed Mink Hollow east to join the lake trail, then headed counterclockwise. Near the intersection with the greenway, we followed a side road to the picnic area and back to get some easy mileage. Once we returned to the south side of the lake, we followed the road over the highway to check out the disc golf course. The greenway passes pretty close by, but it really is a separate area from the main body of the park.
p>Our hike was 6.5 miles total, with 472 miles of elevation gain. 
