Rachel Carson Greenway

The Rachel Carson Greenway is a set of three trails in Central Maryland. The Greenway is named for "Silent Spring" author Rachel Carson, who lived in the area. The trails, under development as of 2006, will be about 25 miles long when completed. The Greenway includes two trails in northern Montgomery County and a third trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, which extends from eastern Montgomery County to western Prince George's County.

The three trails are not yet connected and one must cross roads or find some other means of getting from one trail to the next. The most notable trail is the Northwest Branch Trail which is about 10 miles total and it begins near Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, Maryland.

The Northwest Branch Trail (NBT) moves towards the Brookside Nature Center and then crosses over Kemp Mill Road into the main portion of the trail system. The bulk of the trail is from Kemp Mill Rd. to U.S. Highway 29 (Colesville Road). However, the trail also continues south of Route 29. There are no restrooms in the Northwest Branch Park with the exception of the trailhead in Wheaton Regional Park.

Two trails make up NBT south of Brookside Nature Center. One trail runs along the west side of the creek and the other along the east side. The trail on the east side is more difficult and more suited for hiking.