"For the first time ever, neighborhoods along College Parkway are connected to one another from Rt2 to Sandy Point State Park," Anne Arundel County's District 5 office wrote in its April 2026 ribbon-cutting post for the Broadneck Peninsula Trail. According to that post, the plan goes back to the 1999 Small Area Plans, so finishing it took more than 25 years.
This fall is the first one with the whole trail open. The best part sits at the far end. You can walk or bike from Arnold into Sandy Point State Park without paying entry and reach the bay on the same paved trail you can pick up near Bay Dale Drive. That stays true all season. What changes is how much time you get there. Starting in mid-November, the park closes to daytime visitors at 4 p.m. while Lights on the Bay is set up and running. The weeks between now and then are the easiest time this year to ride the full trail to the water.
What Opened in March, and Where It Runs
The Capital Gazette reported that the March 30, 2026 ceremony opened three new sections, which finished a trail of roughly 8 miles. The Severna Park Voice identified those sections as Phases 1B, 3 and 5. The county lists it as a paved path 10 feet wide along College Parkway, open from dawn to dusk.
The three sections that finished the trail filled gaps that had kept the old pieces apart:
| Phase | From | To | County-listed length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | East College Parkway at Peregory Park Place | Log Inn Road | 1.8 miles |
| III | Bay Dale Drive | AACC at Peninsula Farm Road | 2.47 miles |
| V | Log Inn Road | Oceanic Drive | 0.81 miles |
Phase III matters most for Arnold. It links the shops and restaurants around Bay Dale Drive to the Anne Arundel Community College campus, so the stretch from coffee to College Parkway is now trail the whole way.
How far the full trip feels depends on where you count from. The Anne Arundel Trail Network calls the route from the B&A Trail at Jones Station Road to Sandy Point about 9 miles. That count includes two short road pieces. One is a cul-de-sac road just past the Ritchie Highway crossing. The other is the park road from the end of the trail into Sandy Point. The group's Ride with GPS route marks both. If you start at the Jones Station end, the Jones Station Trail Crossroads Sign sits on the south side of Jones Station Road and explains how local and national trail routes meet there.
The county's construction page for the project still lists these phases as under construction. It was last updated in June 2025, before the trail opened, so it no longer reflects what's on the ground.
Choosing Where to Start
Where you park sets how much of the trail you cover before the bay. The Anne Arundel Trail Network lists four places to park along the route:
- Jones Station Park & Ride, at the western end near the B&A Trail. This gives you the full trip.
- Anne Arundel Community College, in the middle near Peninsula Farm Road.
- Broadneck Library or Broadneck High School, along College Parkway.
- Bay Head Park, the closest of the four to Sandy Point.
If you're starting with children or dogs, Broadneck Park at 613 College Parkway also sits along the route. The county lists a restroom, a playground and picnic space there, open sunrise to sunset. The Jean and Edgar Parker Memorial Rest Area, near College Parkway and Peninsula Farm Road, has two benches, a picnic table, a bike rack and a water fountain built for both people and pets, according to the Severna Park Voice. The county's ribbon-cutting post credits donations made through the trail's Friends group for extra amenities along the trail.
Starting at Bay Head Park makes for a short trip to the water. Starting at Jones Station is a full morning. With the park closing earlier from mid-November, that longer start leaves less time at the beach before 4 p.m.
Food Along the Way
The Anne Arundel Trail Network points to two clusters of places to eat along the trail, on Bay Dale Drive and on Cape St. Claire Road, plus 7-Elevens at Ritchie Highway and in Cape St. Claire.
Bay Dale Drive, at the Arnold end of Phase III:
- Rise Up Coffee, 1296 Bay Dale Drive, open daily, with Mad Eggs serving breakfast and lunch at the same address.
- Vivi's Chicken 'n Mac, 1272 Bay Dale Drive, which posts current hours and takes online orders on its site.
Cape St. Claire Road, farther toward the bay:
- Broadneck Grill & Cantina, 1364 Cape Saint Claire Road, with hours posted on its site.
- Dunkin', 1342 Cape Saint Claire Road.
The two clusters split the trip. Coffee on Bay Dale works at the start of an eastbound ride. Cape St. Claire Road works for lunch on the way back from the park.
The Bay End Is Free on Foot
The Anne Arundel Trail Network says people on foot or bike enter Sandy Point State Park free, while vehicles pay. Maryland DNR lists the off-season day-use fee, from October 1 through April 30, at $3 per vehicle, plus a possible transaction fee. In the off-season, the bike's bigger advantage is not needing a parking spot near the beach.
Summer is different. DNR requires day-use reservations for cars on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the Trail Network notes that the park fills up on summer weekends. In fall, the park is easier to get into on any day of the week. The trail is now the simplest way in from Arnold.
Mid-November Moves the Closing Time
DNR lists Sandy Point's regular hours as 7 a.m. to sunset year-round, except Christmas Day. From mid-November through January 2, hours become 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. "due to 'Lights on the Bay' program." DNR doesn't give an exact 2026 start date for the shorter hours, so call the park office at 410-974-2149 before planning a late-afternoon ride in the middle of the month.
The trail is also open only from dawn to dusk. Starting in mid-November, the park closes at 4 p.m. and the trail closes at dusk. A ride that reaches the beach at 3:30 still fits. One that leaves Jones Station after lunch may not.
The light show that causes the change runs after dark, which falls outside the trail's hours. Getting to it means a car.
| Event | 2026 dates | Hours | How you go | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights & Leashes | November 20–22 | 5 to 8:30 p.m., exit by 9 p.m. | On foot with pets, no cars on the route | $25 per car, at the gate |
| Lights on the Bay | November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027 | Sunday to Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m. | Drive-through | $25 per car |
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County runs the 2026 season, and ticket sales benefit the SPCA. According to the official Lights on the Bay site, online tickets carry a $3.52 processing fee, and cash or card at the gate has no fee. Large passenger vans cost $40, buses cost $60, and 3-D glasses are $5.
Lights & Leashes is the closest thing to walking the bay shore at night. Its event page describes a 2-mile paved route along the Chesapeake Bay, with photos with Santa, pet vendors and no cars on the route. The organizer says the route is fully handicap accessible. The pricing is per car, so even this walking event expects you to arrive by car and park.
That leaves two ways to reach the same stretch of shoreline this season. In daylight, the trail takes you into the park free on foot or bike. After dark, both light events start with a car at the gate, whether you then drive the route or walk it with your dog. From mid-November, the 4 p.m. closing separates the two, and the daylight option gets shorter every week.
If you're thinking about how close your next home should be to a College Parkway trail access point, or which Broadneck streets put Bay Dale Drive and Sandy Point within a bike ride, our team is happy to talk through what the finished trail connects on the peninsula. Reach out to Chesapeake Home Team and let's connect.
