Maryland is known for it’s seafood and the beautiful eastern shore, but it also has forests, rolling hills, and stunning mountain scenery. Here are a few of our favorite parks across the state where you can enjoy the great variety that Maryland has to offer. Most are part of the Maryland state parks system.
Parks on the Coast of Maryland
Elk Neck State Park
Elk Neck State Park is a gorgeous park along the Chesapeake with lots of birdwatching opportunities. You can also swim here if you are brave, though it’s not unheard of to come across a few dead fish, and the bottom is also quite rocky so you’ll need water shoes. There are restrooms with showers to rinse off afterwards.
Assateague State Park
Although wildlife is unpredictable, the chances are pretty good that you will see some horses if you visit Assateague State Park. If you go to the beach there, you may even see them enter the water for a little cool-down. You’re likely to find them strolling along the side of the roadway into the park in little groups with their foals, or even hanging out in the parking lot. The trails are short and pretty as well, and sometimes you can see the tiny deer that live in the park. You will certainly see plenty of birds. Assateague State Park costs $5 per person (free for under ten years old).
Sandy Point State Park
If you’re wanting to swim, you can visit Sandy Point Park, which is a sandy beach area on the bay, almost under the Chesapeake Bay bridge. It has everything you need – there are restrooms, a playground, picnic tables and concessions. It does get crowded in the summer, especially on weekends!
Terrapin Nature Park
Located on scenic Kent Island, MD, Terrapin Nature Park features short trails out to the bay and back, where you can admire wildlife at a bird blind, take in lovely wildflowers, and stop at picnic tables and a gazebo along the way. Though not a state park, it is well maintained, and worth visiting for its range of ecosystems including meadows, wetlands, tidal ponds, woodlands, and beaches.
Inland Parks in Maryland
Patapsco Valley State Park
Patapsco is very easy to get to from I-95, and very close to Baltimore, so if you’re looking for a pretty stop on a road trip, this is a great one. It is fun to cross the swinging bridge and check out the ruins on the other side, and just across the parking lot on the other side you can follow a short, kid-friendly trail up to Cascade Waterfalls. There is plenty of parking, and you will pass restrooms, picnic tables and a playground on your way to the Avalon area where the bridge and waterfall are located.
Tuckahoe State Park
Tuckahoe State Park in Queen Anne’s county has camp grounds, a lake and kayaks for rent, nice trails, and a couple of playgrounds, including a really fun recycled tire playground. There are also equestrian trails, and just next door to the park you’ll find Adkins Arboretum (a separate nonprofit) that features some unusual structures, a children’s garden, a plant nursery, some lovely trails, and some very noisy frogs in the summer time!
Susquehanna State Park
Located along the Susquehanna River valley, you can find forest and rocky hikes as well as the beautiful, wide river itself. Susquehanna State Park includes a family-friendly campground and opportunities for fishing and boating. If you enjoy history, you will be interested in exploring the restored Rock Run area that includes some beautiful old stone structures such as a working gristmill and former mansion. After checking them out, take a walk along the mighty Susquehanna as the sun goes down. The riverside trail is flat and paved, with overlooks every so often that can become covered in the summer but allow an excellent view in winter.
Mountainous Parks
Washington Monument State Park
As you head toward Western Maryland, you’ll find the lovely Appalachians and many gorgeous views. Wherever there’s a tower to climb and a view to be seen, we’re interested. This one is great because the climb up the hill to the tower from the parking lot is short and sweet, but also intersects with the Appalachian trail so you can certainly choose to hike farther. The monument itself is a tower, and it is enclosed with windows so no risk of anybody falling out if you have small children. There is also a playground and restrooms, so this park was a hit for us.
Rocks State Park
Rocks State Park in Harford County, MD, is aptly named. There are several different areas to visit. The Wilson picnic area includes a small playground, a riverbank, and picnic tables. A short drive away is the Rock Ridge Picnic Area parking lot. From here you can walk a very short trail out to the “King and Queen Seat,” which provides a beautiful (if somewhat terrifying) overlook on a jutting rock ledge. It is imperative to keep a tight hold of small children, as the massive rock piles are great fun to climb but are actually an outcropping of a very high cliff whose precipice has led to death and injury, as proclaimed by a sign in front.
From here, you can drive to a different, unattached part of the park (a few miles north) in order to see Kilgore Falls. Our children enjoyed this even more, and it was very lovely. The path is just a little longer – still only about a half mile. You can see the falls in the distance as soon as you reach the river, but in order to get close to the base of them, you have to scramble just a little over some slippery and muddy places, including crossing the river on wet rocks. Once there, there were lots more rocks to climb to get different views of the small but lovely falls.
Parks in Western Maryland
Deep Creek State Park
Deep Creek is the largest inland body of water in MD, and it is indeed quite huge. It was created as a reservoir from Deep Creek, and the water is crystal clear. You can spend a pleasant evening walking along the edge of the lake in any season, and stopping at the several playgrounds along the way. There is a Discovery Center with a nice gift shop, displays of the local flora and fauna, and some interactive things to do, like puzzles and stories. In summer, you’ll find people swimming and boating on the lake.
Swallow Falls State Park
Right at the parking lot of this park is the entrance to the trail, with a big clear sign. In the spring, the river becomes swollen and raging and the rocks are slippery, so care should be taken. You can also walk along the paved trail farther up, and head down to the base of the falls on the wooden stairways, without venturing onto the rocky trails that connect each fall.
The main event is Muddy Creek Falls, which are the highest falls in Maryland. It is quite impressive, especially with all the snowmelt and rain make it really thunder. At the base, you can get quite wet from the spray. There is also Tolliver Falls, (which looked like a little trickle in comparison!) and Swallow Falls, which is notable for the weird geological formation just below it, which looked like a giant Minecraft mushroom of rock with vegetation hair in the middle of the river. You will find a plethora of brilliant green moss and ferns throughout the park, and many of the tree roots are interestingly worn by the weather until they are as smooth and glossy as furniture.
