Our next adventure brought us to the state of Maryland. We wanted to see some waterfalls of course, which brought us to Swallow Falls State Park. The park is notable for its stand of old hemlock trees, some are more than 300 years old. The day couldn’t have been more perfect when it came to the weather and sunshine! The water was cold, but the warmth of the sun through the leaves made up for the flowing cold water beneath our feet. It only took about two and a half hours to get to get to the park and was a beautiful drive. This park was extremely easy to get to and a lot of fun exploring.
Getting to Swallow Falls State Park
You can easily put “Swallow Falls State Park” into Google Maps on your phone, but the full address is 2470 Maple Glade Road Oakland MD 21550. The park is open from 8AM to sunset. There is a charge to enter the park, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, as well as weekends in May, September and October $3/person for Maryland residents, $5 for out of state residents. All other times $3/car for Maryland residents, $5/car for out of state residents. Off of the main parking lot you’ll find the Canyon Trail, which is clearly marked.
Exploring Swallow Falls State Park
The trail is called the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail. The trail entirely is about a 1.5 mile walk, depending on if you stay on the trails, which of course we never do. There were some delicate areas full of rhododendrons and slate rock on the trails. The first waterfall we saw next to the Youghiogheny River was called Muddy Creek Falls. One advisory we can say is be careful on the wet rocks near the falls, it was extremely slippery! Of course, we had to go right next to the falls, which is where it was slippery. This waterfall was really cool because you could see it at every angle. You could travel below, and on top of the falls if you’d like. Unlike most of the falls we go to, these falls allowed hikers to go by the falls with only a few advisories. The Muddy Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall and it is actually Maryland’s tallest free-falling waterfall!
After taking pictures and filming at the Muddy Creek Falls, we decided to explore the trails. The trails were not difficult and perhaps one of the easier trails we have been on. The trail was welcoming and quiet. We saw people hiking, exercising, and many families! It was truly remarkable. Continuing on the trail, we realized that there was another gorgeous waterfall. These falls were called Upper Swallow Falls. These falls you could climb down to as well, and could be seen at every angle. These falls seemed really high when you stood on the edge, and the water was really flowing when we went. Was easy to get to and could be seen from a far distance as well.
And once again, we started to head home, and saw another waterfall. This waterfall was our favorite! It is known as Tolliver Falls. Its very easy to get to, a little mud here and there due to the rain from the day before, but easily accessible. These falls barely let the sunshine through, and had clear water surrounding it. You could swim in this water, and walk around near the falls. When walking on the upper part of the falls it was extremely slippery though. We loved these falls! Just these little falls alone would be worth the trip. The green of the nature, the colors of the rocks, and the hemlocks surrounding, was an astonishing scene.
Overall, our trip was a lot of fun! There was a charge due to it being Memorial Day weekend, which was $10. From the sign it looked like it was $3, but I think it changes maybe monthly. After our fun day at the park, we decided to get some Japanese food in a town called Uniontown. The restaurant was called Shogun Hibachi Steakhouse, and it was really good! We got some hibachi, stopped for some coffee and drove home with our bellies happy! The trip was great and we highly recommend Swallow Falls State Park. We had a great time and was an amazing day trip for us.
Swallow Falls Photo Gallery
