Swallow Falls State Park
Maryland

Travel into a magical land of towering whispering trees, tumultuous  waterfalls, and astounding surprises around every bend.  The Swallow Falls State Park about nine miles north of Oakland, Maryland is beautiful beyond words.

The campground has 65 well-tended sites, with level concrete pads for RV's or tents, a picnic table and a fire ring, as well as nearby restrooms.  Sounds pretty standard, right?  Well, toss the standard into this breathtaking scenery and you have the recipe for an unsurpassed camping trip where Mother Nature has outdone herself.

The Youghiogheny River is nearby, offering a unique hiking experience along the river trails where the geology and plant-life made it feel like we were hiking into Middle Earth.  Amazing!   From fishing to hiking, camping to photography, this area offers something for everyone... even bears!  As in most areas like this, there are bear warnings, so do take the recommended precautions.

My children enjoyed fishing in the river and watching the swollen river toss water over the waterfall.  The well-constructed wooden viewing area gives a stunning view of  the falls, and is accessible to the disabled as well. 

Going a bit further, you can take the stairs to the hiking trails right alongside the river where you would definitely benefit from wearing sturdy shoes.  The roaring river nearby echoes off of the rocks in the canyon as you hike through some of the most amazing scenery. 

Not only did we explore the river, the trees and the rocks, we found amazing little mushrooms hidden away -- in plain view, but unless you were looking right at them, you wouldn't notice them.  Of course we didn't eat or touch them, but left them for the enjoyment of the next family to come by.

The staff of the park were friendly and well-informed, and easy to find when we had questions (which is always nice!).  This is one park I can see myself returning to with my family time and again.

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A nice trip just a few miles up the road is the Herrington Manor State Park.  This location has an entirely different feel to it, very open and inviting.  We liked the mysterious/forest effect of Swallow Falls, but if you enjoy lakes and green open country, then Herrington Manor is the place to be!

Wooden docks nestled up against the grassy banks where we fished for an afternoon.  The large building housing the snack bar and clean restrooms was close and easily accessible for even the smallest child's frantic rush to the 'facilities'. 

A pretty white sand beach fronted the lake on another side, and forested hill for the adventurous hikers lay within walking distance across the lake. 

People in rowboats, canoes, jet skis, motor boats and ski boats were all enjoying the lake on the sunny day that we visited, as well as swimmers in the cordoned-off swimming area near the beach.

So take a friend, take your family, take a picnic, and take yourself into a relaxing world in either of these special places. 

Submitted by:

Tanya Curtis
Owner of Travel With Humor
and Independent Travel Writer

When life hands you lemons... throw 'em back!