Things To Do on an eBike in Harford County
Harford County rides are a short urban trail in Bel Air and the state park trails along the Susquehanna.
Shops are on the eBike shops in Bel Air page. The county has two documented items.
Where to ride in Harford County
This page covers the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air and the trails at Susquehanna State Park.
A trail corridor through Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland.
Compared with Baltimore County's long Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail to the west, Harford County's Ma and Pa trail is short and still being extended.
1. Ma and Pa Heritage Trail, Bel Air
The Ma and Pa Heritage Trail follows part of an old railroad corridor in Bel Air. The trail's site says cyclists have used it since 2001, and a Forest Hill connection is planned.
Distance: About 3.3 miles in the Bel Air section; about 7.75 miles planned; start: Williams Street to Edgeley Grove, Bel Air; surface: Mixed pavement, boardwalk, and hard gravel.
eBike access: The trail's maps page and FAQ do not state an eBike rule, and we found no county page that does. Etiquette and planning: Check the trail map for closures and slow down on boardwalks. Managing source: Ma and Pa Heritage Trail.
2. Susquehanna State Park trails
Susquehanna State Park has more than 15 miles of trails, and the state lists a 2.2 mile flat, improved accessible section.
Distance: More than 15 miles of trails; 2.2 miles for the accessible greenway; start: Susquehanna State Park, near Havre de Grace; use the state trail page; surface: Natural-surface trails, with an improved accessible section.
eBike access: The state's trail page is the source. Under COMAR 08.01.10.03, Class 1 eBikes are limited to designated trails, so ask the park. Etiquette and planning: Stay on marked trails and check for hiker-only routes. Managing source: Maryland DNR, Susquehanna State Park.
Planning a Harford County ride
Start in Bel Air for a short paved-and-gravel ride, then drive to the park for natural-surface trails if you have a Class 1 bike.
Call the park before riding, since the state page does not name designated trails.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day: Ride the Bel Air section of the Ma and Pa trail out and back.
Full day: Add a Susquehanna State Park ride after confirming designations.
What not to ride
Undesignated state park trails: Under COMAR 08.01.10.03 only Class 1 eBikes are allowed on designated trails.
When to ride Harford County
Start early in Harford from June through August, and carry water on any ride longer than a short loop.
Shop hubs
The directory lists one town, Bel Air. The town page lists each business with its address and phone.
Rental and tour operators
If you need a rental bike, the directory has no card for one in this county. If a rental matters, phone the business found at the Harford County eBike shops page.
Maryland eBike rules snapshot
Maryland defines an electric bicycle in Transportation Article 11-117.1 as a vehicle designed to be operated by human power with the assistance of an electric motor, with fully operable pedals, two or three wheels, and a motor rated at 750 watts or less. A Class 1 motor assists only while you pedal and ceases to assist at 20 miles an hour. A Class 2 motor assists whether or not you pedal and also ceases at 20. A Class 3 motor assists only while you pedal and ceases at 28. Section 11-104 counts an electric bicycle as a bicycle, and section 11-135 leaves it out of the definition of a motor vehicle.
The operating rules are in 21-1205.2. An electric bicycle may be operated wherever a bicycle is allowed to travel, including bike lanes. A local authority or State agency with jurisdiction over a bicycle path may prohibit a Class 1 or Class 2 on it. A Class 3 may not use a bicycle path unless the path is within or adjacent to a highway right-of-way or the authority allows it, and an authority may regulate any class on a trail designated nonmotorized with a natural surface tread of cleared and graded native soil. A person under 16 may not operate a Class 3 on a public highway, though a child under 16 may ride as a passenger on a Class 3 built for passengers. Section 22-420 adds the permanent label showing class, top assisted speed, and wattage, requires the motor to cut out when the brakes are applied (and, for Class 1 and Class 3, when you stop pedaling), and requires a speedometer in miles per hour on a Class 3.
For helmets, 21-1207.1 requires anyone under 16 to wear an approved helmet when operating or riding as a passenger on a bicycle on a highway, bicycle way, or other property open to the public, and the section is enforced by a warning that comes with educational materials. Because section 11-104 counts an electric bicycle as a bicycle, we read that rule as covering e-bike riders under 16, although 21-1207.1 does not name them. We found no statewide helmet rule for adults, no statewide license or registration requirement, and no statewide e-bike speed limit. Read our Maryland eBike laws guide, then check the posted sign and the local code.
Land managers add rules on top of the statute. For Department of Natural Resources land (state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas), COMAR 08.01.10.03 lets a person use a bicycle or electric bicycle on public roads, parking lots, and off-road vehicle trails, and limits bicycles, adaptive bicycles, and Class 1 electric bicycles to designated trails; Wildlands are closed to both. The Department's e-bike page says the regulation took effect on May 26, 2026, and its July 1, 2026 announcement says Class 2 and Class 3 bikes stay on roads, lots, and off-road vehicle areas. The older DNR statewide park policies page still says e-bikes are prohibited on park trails except Class 1 on the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail and the Western Maryland Rail Trail, so we follow the regulation and tell you to check the trailhead sign.
The National Park Service lets e-bikes go where bicycles go and prohibits motor-only use, and at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal park the bicycling page requires pedaling and sets a 15 mph limit. County and city park agencies, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and trail authorities set their own rules, which we name route by route.
Where a trail sign, a county ordinance, a land manager, or a municipal code says no eBikes, that rule controls. We name the managing source for each route below and mark what we could not confirm.
We found no Harford County or Bel Air ordinance written for eBikes on trails.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air?
About 3.3 miles, with about 7.75 miles planned.
What surface is the Ma and Pa trail?
A mix of pavement, boardwalks, and hard gravel.
Is there an eBike rule for the Ma and Pa trail?
We found none. Follow posted signs.
How many miles of trail does Susquehanna State Park have?
More than 15 miles, according to the state.
Can I ride a Class 2 eBike at Susquehanna State Park?
On roads and parking areas only, under the state regulation.
Do Maryland eBike riders have to wear helmets?
For anyone under 16, yes. Section 21-1207.1 requires an approved helmet for a person under 16 who operates or rides as a passenger on a bicycle, and an electric bicycle is a bicycle under 11-104. Adults are not covered by that section, and it is enforced by a warning. See the Maryland eBike laws guide.
Is there a minimum age to ride an eBike in Maryland?
Only for Class 3. Section 21-1205.2(b) bars anyone under 16 from operating a Class 3 on a public highway but lets a child under 16 ride as a passenger on a Class 3 built for passengers. We found no state minimum age for Class 1 or Class 2, so local rules and rental policies decide.
All shops in Harford County
The Harford County eBike shops page is the complete list, with 1 listing in 1 city.