It contains three linked trails, one unconnected, with plans to bridge the gap in the middle, bringing the total length to 10 miles (16 km).
Spurs off of it connect to the Harford Mall and Liriodendron mansion, and branches out to a dog park at the end.
It serves as a shortcut across town, rather than walking along highways, and contains several bridges across branches of the creek while cutting through the forested Heavenly Waters Park.
Construction for an extension from Bel Air to the Edgeley Grove area in Fallston is planned, and a 4.1-mile (6.6 km) northern link at Dooley Road, near the state line in Cardiff is under study.
On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at around 6:00pm, single mother of five Rachel Morin, 37, went for a walk on the Ma and Pa Trail as part of her regular exercise routine and failed to return.