301-387-6938 | Swallow Falls State Park

8 a.m. to sunset, year-round

SWALLOW FALLS TRAIL INFORMATION

The trail will get very icy in the winter and may not be passable.

Also, please DO NOT rely on cell phones for communication while in the park. Many phones and carriers do not get service.​

Pets are not permitted in the day-use area or on the Canyon Trail between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day. Pets are permitted in the day-use area after Labor Day to the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Pets are allowed in the campground. Pets are allowed on trails that connect with the state forest. Pets must remain on a leash and under control at all times.

301-895-5453​ | New Germany State Park

8 a.m. to sunset, year-round

NEW GERMANY TRAIL INFORMATION

New Germany has ten miles of multi-use trails. The trails wind their way through dense hemlock forest, colorful mixed hardwoods, rhododendron-choked stream valleys and towering pine and spruce plantation sites.

Most trails are wide enough for two-way traffic, although several offer a narrower path typical of most hiking trails. Hiking, trail-running and biking are the most popular activities throughout the year.

Whether walking along the lake or wetland, or hiking our scenic trails, visitors are sure to have an opportunity to view birds and wildlife. Abundant bird species can be found throughout the area, such as pileated woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, barred owls, great blue herons and an occasional osprey.

When snow is adequate, the park staff will groom and track the trail surface for skiing. Snowshoeing is permitted but snowshoe users must stay off the ski tracks.

301-334-9180 | Herrington Manor State Park

8 a.m. to Sunset (March – October)
10 a.m. to Sunset (November – February)

HERRINGTON MANOR PARK AND TRAIL MAPS

Herrington Manor was designated as a state park in 1964. The 365-acre park, located within Garrett State Forest, offers swimming, canoeing, kayaking, biking, picnicking, hiking, tennis, basketball, volleyball and 20 furnished log cabins for rental use year round. Interpretive programs are scheduled during the summer; and popular special events such as “apple butter boil” are held in the fall. At the heart of this park is the 53-acre Herrington Lake. Come try our cross country ski and snowshoe rentals as conditions permit, as well as fat tire bike rentals year round.

301-334-2038 | Potomac-Garrett State Forest

Office Hours: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

POTOMAC-GARRETT FOREST TRAIL MAP

Garrett State Forest is also home to the Rock Maze trail. Turn off of Swallow Falls Road, on to Cranesville Road, then on to Snaggy Mountain Road. The parking lot is immediately to your right and the maze trail is straight ahead from the parking. The trail is approximately 0.8 miles.**We have heard that the signage marking this trail has been removed due to vandalism.**

The Potomac-Garrett State Forest, situated in southwestern Garrett County in Western Maryland, has the distinction of being the birthplace of forestry conservation in Maryland. The generous donation of 1,917 acres by the Garrett Brothers in 1906 not only serves as the foundation of the Garrett State Forest but is the root of both Maryland’s present Public Lands system and Forest Service. Mountain forests, streams and valleys make up the nearly 19,000 acres of this State Forest.

301-897-0858 | Cranesville Swamp

CRANESVILLE PRESERVE MAP

This site was protected by The Nature Conservancy in stages, beginning in 1960. Since that time, the Conservancy has acquired more than 600 acres which will be held in trust in perpetuity. 

Cranesville Swamp is a boreal peat bog relic left behind from the Pleistocene Epoch. The swamp formed 15,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, when glaciers inched close but never reached Maryland. The climate warmed and the glaciers retreated but many of the boreal plants remain to this day. Nestled in a mountain valley bowl known as a frost pocket, colder conditions still prevail enough for plants to whisper of the past. 

A trail hike through spruce and larch forest reveals the diverse character of the animals and plants that call Cranesville Swamp home. Visitors may hear the croak of a common raven flying overhead or see golden-crowned kinglets flitting about the branches. The trail through the forest leads to a boardwalk that takes visitors through the swamp where Endangered bog copper butterflies (Lycaena epixanthe) rest on the shrubs of Threatened small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos). This protected area is one of the few boreal bogs still remaining in the southern United States and was one of the first National Natural Landmarks to be designated by the National Park Service in 1965. Cranesville Swamp is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy.

Deep within the bog, small pockets of virgin forest remain, somehow missed by the logging locomotive named the Swamp Angel that passed directly through the wetland in the late 1800s. Red spruce and white pine trees have been restored by the thousands and the Natural Area now supports thriving populations of wildlife such as American beavers, bobcats and American black bears. Rare species also abound, including the Endangered southern water shrew (Sorex palustris punctulatus), several birds such as the diminutive northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) and the increasingly rare Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla), as well as many dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies. Rare plants like the Endangered American larch (Larix laricina), a conifer that loses its needles in the winter, can be observed near the boardwalk. Other rarities are hidden away deep in the bog, like the Endangered creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula).

Maintained by the Deep Creek Lake Lions Club | Meshach Browning Trails

MESHACH BROWNING TRAILS MAP

301-746-5919 | Kendall Trail

KENDALL TRAIL + FRIENDSVILLE HISTORY TOUR MAP

Fork Run Recreation Area

FORK RUN RECREATION AREA INSTRUCTIONS 

FORK RUN TRAILS MAP

Red-1.75 mi
Gray Trail-1.44 mi
Green-2.3 mi
Beige-1.4 mi
Orange-.45 mi
(Distances are approximate)

Snow-ride on any mountain bike trail:
Garrett Trails MTB Trail Listing

CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE DUE TO COVID-19
Rent a Fat Bike at Herrington Manor SP
@the Lake House or call 301-334-9180
$10 an hour or $26 a day

One of the most fun rides, in my opinion, but feel free to set out on your own throughout the spring or summer. The roads are marked in yellow and click here for ride cue sheets

The “Diabolical Double” – the feature event of the Garrett County Gran Fondo, the Diabolical Double is a true, extreme epic on par with European climbing classics such as Etape du Tour, la Marmotte, and the classic Italian Gran Fondos. At 203K (126.2 miles) and over 16,500 feet of climbing, the Diabolical Double is an extreme challenge for even the most fit rider. Virtually all who have completed the Diabolical Double have considered it the hardest single day ride they have ever experienced.

The “Savage Century” – the Savage Century is an extremely challenging century ride, and with 105.8 miles and over 12,500 feet of climbing likely the hardest century ride in North America.

The “Masochistic Metric” – the Masochistic Metric is one-half the distance with one-half the climbing of the Diabolical Double at 64.8 miles and over 8000 feet of climbing. An extraordinary challenging ride itself, if you want to experience a true climbing epic, but 105 miles or 203K of it seems a bit excessive, then the Masochistic Metric is the ride for you.

The “Fabulous 44” – The Fabulous 44 is an excellent option for anyone looking for a longer, more challenging ride than the “Garrett’s Greatest 25” and wants a taste of the extremity of the three longer rides, but does not want to undertake the extreme challenge of the 100K, 100 miles, or 200K distances. The Fabulous 44 includes 42.6 miles and over 4500 feet of climbing.

The “Garrett’s Greatest 25” – A beautiful 25 mile ride along Deep Creek Lake and through the rolling Garrett County farmland, the Garrett’s Greatest 25 includes no major hills and just one of the seven Timed KOM Climbs.

SavageMan 70

Triathlon: 1.2 Mile Swim; 55.7 Mile Bike; 13.1 Mile Run
Aquabike: 1.2 Mile Swim; 55.7 Mile Bike

COURSE DETAILS & COURSE MAPS

Bike Course: The Classic SavageMan 30.0 features a gorgeous bike course that starts and finishes fairly level, but has several challenging ascents (and descents) throughout. This Olympic bike course is truly something special and is worth the trip alone.

SavageMan 20

Triathlon: 750 Meter Swim; 15.5 Mile Bike; 3.1 Mile Run
Aquabike: 750 Meter Swim; 15.5 Mile bike