Trout - Paul Sarbanes Trail (MD - North Branch)

I had heard about the Paul Sarbanes trail a year or so ago but had a difficult time trying to find any information about it.On a recent research visit out to Garrett County, I stopped by the Jennings Randolph dam office and asked them if they knew where the trail started. I was disappointed to discover that the trail ran from the Maryland side down to the river. The only reason for that feeling was that I was standing on the West Virginia side talking to them and would be at least a 40 minute drive to move back to the other side of the lake. It's really logical when you think of it since Sarbanes was a Maryland legislator, not a West Virginia guy. Realizing that I would not have time to actually walk the trail, I decided to go ahead and at least find it to confirm its existence. After a long drive back to the Maryland side, I rolled into Maryland overlook number 1and was pleased to discover the well marked trailhead. According to the information posted, there are actually two trails that begin at this point. One is the shoreline access trail that runs a half mile to the edge of the lake. The other is the Sarbanes trail that is a more brutal 1.75 miles with a 500 foot vertical drop and ends close to the cable that delineates the upper end of the North Branch catch and release area. I did not have time to actually walk the trail to see where it ended up. However, when I compare the two-mile hike just to get to the river and add the challenge of the vertical to that, it's easier to walk up from the Barnum parking lot. The only thing to mitigate the tough hike is the fact that you do not have to drive all the way around to the West Virginia side to start your walk south from the Barnum parking lot. In addition, the Sarbanes trail puts you on the Maryland side of the river and that could be an advantage when the flow is high since it is sporty to cross the river from West Virginia to Maryland to access its more open bank. Getting There: From MD 135 from either Oakland or Bloomington, turn south on Walnut Bottom Road.  Follow it for 4.6 miles and turn right on Chestnut Grove Road.  The overlook parking in a 1/2 mile after the turn. Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the following places: Maryland DNR Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing Mid-Atlantic Budget Angler Tell a friend about this article by clicking on this link	View Larger Map Purchase Switchfisher's books using the links to Amazon below for: Wade Fishing the Rappahannock River of Virginia (more info) Wade Fishing the Rapidan River of Virginia (more info) Wade and Shoreline Fishing the Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass (more info) Trout and Smallmouth Fishing on the North Branch of the Potomac (more info)

 Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore

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Finally, access points may be different or restricted based on changes in property ownership since posting the original article.  It is up to you to make sure you are fishing where it is legal.