When preparing for the column this month I decided that it was probably time to take a look at some of the trails across the river in suburban Maryland. Virginia has a lot of great places to run, but, like many of us, I sometimes get stuck in my ways and don't venture away from my usual routes as much as I should. So one Saturday I piled into the car and drove up to Lake Needwood Park, part of the Rock Creek Regional Park system, located just outside of Rockville, Maryland.

Lake Needwood is 75-acres of paradise for all sorts of summertime activity: boating, fishing, picnicking; just about anything you can imagine. But it's also notable as the end of the line for the 14-mile (in Maryland) Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail, a paved path that runs all the way to downtown Washington and connects the entire regional park system like an artery. So, yes, long runs are very much possible at Lake Needwood and the parks along the Rock Creek trail, but you'll probably have to face some pavement to bring all the miles together.

I started off my run at the boathouse parking lot right in the middle of the park, planning to follow the trail all the way around the lake and end up right where I started. There were restrooms and plenty of parking, but I got the impression that the park could get pretty crowded on nice weekends. How did I figure that out? Those parallel parking lines on the access road, at least a mile from the nearest picnic shelter, told me all I needed to know.

Heading to the right past the boathouse, I jogged about a quarter mile on light gravel and then packed dirt before hitting the real trail. It was a fishing access road of sorts that followed along the shoreline, but it wasn't until I got around through the lake's wetland corner that I hit the true singletrack.

It's probably worth noting that the Lake Needwood loop trail and the other paths in the area are fairly popular with area mountain bikers. I didn't see any on my trip, but it's something you'll need to keep an eye out for when you are out there. A high-speed run-in with a Trek is the last thing any runner needs.

The trail fluctuates from hilly to flat to singletrack to fire road (it even comes up along the shoulder next to Beach Road at one point), so it offers some great variety without being too challenging or too awful long. At around three miles, it is definitely one of the shorter trails that I've visited, but it's a nice little waterside loop that can easily be done multiple times, so that sort of makes up for it. You also have access to the rest of the Rock Creek trail system via the hiker-biker trail, and there are a number of side trails reaching out from the lake in every direction, so the long run is certainly a possibility. Overall, I'd say it's short but nice, a good mix.

Getting to Lake Needwood from the DC area is a little tricky, but it takes about 45 minutes from my home in Arlington to negotiate all of the back roads and stoplights that stand in the way. Take the Capital Beltway north to I-270 and exit at West Montgomery Avenue, Exit #6A, toward Rockville. Bear right on West Jefferson Street and then take a left on First Street, continuing straight until you reach Avery Road. Turn left on Avery and drive about two miles to Needwood Lake Circle. Turn left and enter the park. You'll find parking lots and bathrooms off to your right just down the hill.

Since it's a little on the short side and can be hard to get to for non-Montgomery County residents, I'm going to give the Lake Needwood loop trail two Muddy Shoes out of five. It's a great trail for interval training or speed work, and the gentle grade also makes it perfect for beginners, but you just have to ask yourself whether or not a three-mile loop is worth a drive. I'd say yes if for no other reason than to throw some variety into a stagnant training program, and change things up a bit on a new trail.

Tim Sprinkle has been running the trails of Northern Virginia from his home in Arlington for the last four years. In that time, he has only cleaned his shoes once.