Nice paths, old-growth trees, waterfalls, slow waters, wild birds, dragonflies!…read more Swallow Falls State Park near Deep Creek Lake, MD, is a nice park with well-marked paths and plenty of parking. We hiked half-a-day (Jun 2026) from the parking lot to scenic waterfalls in forests where Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone camped-in 1921. We saw some of the 37-acres of 360-year-old eastern hemlock and white pine trees, the largest of the few areas in Maryland that have never been logged, bypassed during the eastern-US logging boom of the the late 1800s and early 1900s. They tended to look a little scraggly around the base, i suppose from living an un-trimmed life in the un-tamed weather and climate. We were thrilled to read that, on June 16, 2026, the removal of old-growth forests that were threatened by bridge construction on Swallow Falls Road was blocked by the courts. Thank-you to the folks of Garrett County and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance!!! We love these old trees :-) We heard twittering birds, possibly blackburnian warblers, chickadees, nuthatches, and kinglets. We followed a rising rumbling sound, and found ourselves at a tall waterfall that roars and mists. We were careful to avoid rushing waters, and found that wading and crossing were pleasantly refreshing and not too slippery. We saw kayakers, and one paused to explain they liked these calmer waters for beginners and for staying in condition in less challenging settings. We loved the gold and black "black-shouldered spinylegs" dragonflies, we and may have glimpsed a rare all-black "sable clubtail" dragonfly, who flitted about but didnt wait for a photo or an entomology app. Let's say we saw one :-). It was a lovely cooler half-day deep in nature in a not-too-challenging environment in rare-these-days old-growth forests.

This is an easy hike with a lot of great water views. The trail is in good shape and easy to…read morenavigate. The area had over 2 inches of rain so the water was flowing quickly during our hike. If you take kids on this hike you will need to keep a close eye on them.

Beautiful scenic views of the water falls and canyons! Nice hikes with good signage and ample…read moretrailhead parking.

The views were breathtaking. Not handicapped accessible though. If you have trouble walking or…read morecan't walk it's not a place for you which is extremely unfortunate because the waterfall I was able to walk to was beautiful.

Deep creek is my favorite lake, we spent a good time here for the 4th. The lake was clean and the…read morepeople watching was top tier. We will definitely be back while we live in Maryland.

Still a great campsite and State Park experience at Deep Creek. We were here this time in June, but…read moreit's been a long mild spring this year, so it's been cool and wet. There were clouds sitting on the lake for the few days we were here, very misty and Will-O-the-Wisp magical. We ended up traveling to some breweries, Swallow Falls (massive rapids with all the rain), did some local shopping and caught a movie. The camp sites weren't crowded at all and we had no problem making last minute reservations for a Sunday and Monday night.

Tony and I were driving South on RT 26 from Bruceton Mills to Kingwood in WV. I saw a sign about…read moreVirginia 1847 Iron Works Furnace part of the River of Promise Trail. Located on the Banks of Muddy Creek that flows into the Cheat River. The park is Free to enjoy with Free parking along the road. Across the street is abandoned road side picnic area and shelters from the 40s to the 60s. Once we went down the steps to the abandoned iron furnace works, I saw an amazing waterfall along the rocks The falls were gorgeous. I will definitely go here again. If you swim, it's not super deep but enough room to get wet and enjoy but remember No Lifeguard...

This is a very impressive, 53 foot waterfall located in Swallow Falls State Park. It can be found…read moreon the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail and can be viewed both from above, via a nice overlook, or from water level by heading down the stairs to the trail. It's a beautiful view!

I was staying at Hidden Valley recently and I was looking for a cool place to hike in the area that…read moreI hadn't been to before and I happen to discover this gem. What a great spot for a hike, but an even better place for a swim, relaxing, a picnic on the grass or some sun on the sand by the water. So after we arrived we hit the trail that ran along the water while taking in the small but beautiful lake. We then proceeded to head into the woods. It was a great little hike and the trails were very easy. After we were done hiking we got the huge blanket and the cooler with snacks and drinks in it out of the car and headed over to a shaded spot under the trees. We sat in the grass area in the left corner of the parking lot and listened to music, ate, drank and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. Then after that we packed up our stuff in the car and headed down to the water and enjoyed the lake which is very clean and refreshing and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I love that they have sand and everyone looked so happy. They also have an area where you can purchase food and beverages but they also have many other great amenities which I am sure can be discovered on here or on their website. I am so glad I discovered this place. I will most definitely be stopping by again when I am in the area. Enjoy :)

As if there wasn't enough parks in the Laurel Highlands, there is Laurel Hill State Park a 3,935…read moreacre natural area of beautiful forest, overlooks, ponds and streams. My recent visit was promising at first, but the rain just kept coming all day long and it "dampened" my spirits completely. I stopped by the main office and got directions to the Jones Mill Dam. Since it was raining so much I gave it some time to clear up, but to no avail. This park is certainly worth checking out and it will be super beautiful later on in the Spring. The wood frogs, spring peepers and other animals will be active. On the same road that this park lies on is two other parks: Kooser State Park and Laurel Ridge State Park, so it is possible to hit those up while in the area. I will certainly make the trip out here later on towards May.

I recently photographed a wedding at the Scenic View. The grounds are really beautiful and the…read morelookout trumps all. There's a tower up a long, winding road, but you don't even need to go up into the tower to see the gorgeous mountain view. The landscape is breathtaking, I'm sure, during any time of the day. But we went up at sunset after a storm and it was nothing short of spectacular. I cannot wait to get back to Penn's Scenic View for the view alone!

Penn's Scenic View is such a beautiful place. My large family would go up every year and rent out…read morethe Stable Lodge there. Of course, I loved being with my family. However, I loved going for walks in the area. It's such an amazing experience. Peace, quiet, utter bliss... what more could you ask for? If you walk up this dirt road, you'll encounter a wooden tower on a hill. If you walk up the tower, you can take in the breathtaking view. A full 360° of trees. It's all picture-worthy. You truly won't be disappointed. You can continue to walk around to discover new things. There's a lake next to the Lakeside Lodge. I would always see weddings take place at the lake from the Stable Lodge. It was really nice to see something like that. Unfortunately, this place is private property. You can't just walk in willy-nilly. We rented out a cabin, that's the only reason we were granted access. The place is being sold. It's up for around $1.3 million dollars. Therefore, we can't rent out the Stable Lodge anymore. The whole place is gated off. I wish I could go back up there, just one last time. It's truly amazing. That place means a lot to me. My family has been going up there since I was a baby, and I'm 17. A lot of memories are kept there. It's also the place where I found myself. I would do whatever I could to go up there just one last time. I want to share the experience with my girlfriend. I would pay that $1.3 million to go back up there. If you're lucky enough to visit the 18 acres of pure scenery, you won't be disappointed for even a second.

My fourth trip to Falling Water…read more... Never went in the Fall before.... It is the best time to visit.... After middle of October and before November is perhaps the best. Check for activities before coming. They may be doing renovations. If one wants an inside tour, one must book a reservation before arriving. If one wants to come a certain date, one may need to book weeks or months in advance. I was lucky never have an issue. Although on this tour, all I can do is an outside tour, I am fine with that since this is my fourth trip. It is as beautiful as ever. The house is 90 years old. I simply enjoy walking the grounds and taking photos. This is my last trip here because rental car has gotten to be very expensive. Even though my airfare was at no cost, my hotels and car rental were very costly. I will most likely never come to the East coast again. That is ok since I have travelled up and down the Atlantic coast many times. I am content to have this one last trip. Ray out.

Amazing! Totally worth seeing!…read more October is a very popular month (fall colors & good weather) so you need to buy you tickets months or weeks in advance, depending on the tour. The outdoor only tours are often still available 24hrs prior. You buy your tickets online then drive up to the entrance gate. Then you park and can walk into the trails and visitor center with art galleries, gift shop and restrooms. This is an amazing place especially considering it was designed almost 100 years ago!

My husband and I just went on a camping trip to Coopers Rock and loved our time there! The views…read morewere beautiful, the trails were well cleared, and the bathroom at the main overlook site was one of the cleanest bathrooms we've ever been in. The Ravens Rock trail has a beautiful outlook with cool, large rock structures. And the rock city trail was super fun too! The free maps of all the trails are very helpful. Some blazes could've been marked a bit clearer and some signs for trail heads could be adjusted as well. There is limited parking at trail heads so be sure to get there early to beat the crowds. The trading post was a fun addition with Coopers Rock merch, stickers (our personal fav), some local goods, firewood, some camping supplies, and even some ice cream treats! Overall we had a really nice stay!

Tony and I stopped at Cooper's Rock near Bruceton Mills to enjoy the beautiful weather and to enjoy…read morethe Almost Heaven Swing located there Its free to enjoy with tons of trails for hiking

Tube Park Review…read more This review is specific to the Tube Park. Highly recommend getting tickets ahead of time online. All sessions for the day were sold out when we visited. The lodge area for the tube park is very small, so don't expect to be able to change clothing quickly inside due to how busy it is. There's a fire place inside and a huge fire pit outside. Very small concession inside with about 8-10 small snack items to choose from. The staff here are top notch - very kind to each other and talkative to visitors. 10 minutes before the session starts, the group gets a safety briefing and reviews the rules. There's a nurse/medic on site. This is fun for the whole family. 1200 feet long and very fast. Be sure to read the requirements online for kids. Extra safety precautions are taken onsite for young kids.

I was disappointed with my stay at Canaan Valley Resort. As someone with disabilities, I found the…read moreproperty to be less accessible than expected, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. One of the most frustrating moments was at dinner. Our tour group was told we could not sit by the windows and enjoy the view because we were "with a tour and not paying customers." Considering many of us paid nearly $2,000 for this trip, that was insulting. We were also not allowed to order from the regular menu and pay ourselves if we wanted something else. Unfortunately, the meal provided left me sick for going on 2 days. The resort itself also had several maintenance and convenience issues. The ice machine on our floor was broken, the snack machine and soda machine was nearly empty, and the shower had VERY poor water pressure. The gift shop closed before 7 p.m., making it impossible to purchase basic necessities when needed. There was also very little to do in the evenings. The pool closes at 8 p.m., and by 7 p.m. most activities and amenities seemed to be shut down, leaving guests with few options other than returning to their rooms to watch TV. Overall, the resort did not meet my expectations, particularly regarding accessibility, guest experience, and customer service.

I've been to so many parts of this forest that it's mind boggling. It's beautiful in ways that…read morewords could never describe. There is so much to see and so many cool places to explore. One of my favorite parts is Bickle Knob because the views from the fire tower are beyond spectacular. Bowden Cave is also a great place to explore as well. There is a ton of great places to camp, mountain bike, and hike. If you are ever able to stop in any part of the Monongahela National Forest please do yourself a favor and do it. Have fun and be safe!

Driving through WV, Monongahela National Forest is a must do. It's absolutely beautiful with tons…read moreof hiking trails. Many of the trails have adequate parking spots and restrooms. We went through the Cranberry Glades and also found a random trail that led to waterfalls. This forest is GIANT. We want to come back again and find a camping ground because this national forest is truly stunning.