State Parks and National Parks

Swallow Falls State Park

This 257-acre mountain park in Garrett State Forest showcases some of Maryland's most beautiful scenery.

It is renowned for its waterfalls, including the park's namesake and spectacular Muddy Creek Falls, a crashing 53-foot drop.

The Youghiogheny River flows along the park's borders, tumbling through tree-shaded gorges and punctuated by boiling rapids ranging up to Class V in intensity. One of the toughest rivers in the East, the Youghiogheny supports seasonal rafting expeditions that start below the state park.

There are two major trails through the tall hemlocks at Swallow Falls. A short hiking loop passes the different falls. A 5.5-mile mixed-use trail links Swallow Falls with Herrington Manor State Park, known for its lake activities. Overnighters at one park may use facilities at the other without paying a day-use fee.

Campers find 65 improved sites at Swallow Falls, including four wheelchair-accessible sites. There is a modern washhouse with laundry tubs and showers, as well as a pet loop and RV dump station. Camping is available from spring through autumn.

Garrett State Forest, the state's oldest, supports a number of activities not allowed in Swallow Falls, including backcountry camping, snowmobiling and hunting.

Both state parks and the 6,781-acre state forest are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including black bear. Birdwatching walks are among the programs offered by park naturalists.

Of historical interest are 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps buildings, including a stone pavilion. A plaque at Swallow Falls itself marks the site where Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and naturalist John Burroughs often camped.

Swallow Falls is located on Swallow Falls Road, four miles past the entrance to Herrington Manor and three miles east of the West Virginia border.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Swallow Falls State Park. Courtesy of Swallow Falls State Park.