Located near the famous Swallow Falls, Herrington Manor is a state park in Maryland and a popular hiking spot for people from Deep Creek Lake. We've never been here in other seasons; we came out on a windy, snowy and cold January weekend in 2024 to cross-country ski! The good: friendly staff (who was new and not knowledgeable though); they rent ski equipment in the lake house (we didn't go down there as we have our own skis); free. They do have some trails groomed, nice and well done given that they don't seem to be well staffed. They even offer cabins for people to stay in. The bad: Not as scenic and well organized as cross-country skiing at the New Germany State Park (about 30 minutes from here). We tried both places and prefer skiing at New Germany. Trails are not maintained at Herrington Manor so it's a bit tough to try to ski (so many branches, etc). Trails aren't well marked either, and that map is quite useless. So it took us quite a bit of time to figure everything out and trying GPS on our phone. read more

See all

This is a neat park and little beach to go swimming if you're in Garrett County. Parking is available, the lake water is good, there are picnic tables, changing facility, and even a little shade. Although I'd probably not go there if it was a busy holiday weekend and packed crowded, any other time is great. I've never rented one of the cabins, but I've heard people seem to enjoy them. read more

The cabin was in pristine condition and amenities were provided. Wood was readily available for a fire. We went in June and it was surprisingly cold. Even though there were other families in nearby cabins it was so nice and serene. The grill provided in the back yard was large enough to cook a pretty large meal. There's a lot of trails to checkout. I would definitely go ahead. Plan way in advance. We went on Father's Day and had to book a year in advance. read more

See all

Saturday May 19th, my hubby and I enjoyed hiking at this lovely State Park. There is a cost for this park. Maryland state residents $3 per person, out of state residents $5 but the fee also includes Herrington Manor State Park. One fee for both parks! When you enter this park, the ranger station to collect money for daily use is right there, then the road splits. Keep to the right and it takes you to the gorgeous lake, picnic tables with grills, concession center and beach area. There is plenty of parking here! The beach has a lifeguard on duty during peak season and hours. They also rent canoes and kayak boats. Very nice park and beach area! There is also a boat ramp located here too! There are some hiking trails and cross country skiing trails here! If you take the road to the left at the Ranger Gate house it leads to the playgrounds, picnic areas and rental cabins (which look very nice from the outside). read more

See all

We visited nearby Swallow Falls State Park in the morning, and the friendly staff at the entrance told us that our entry fee to Swallow Falls also covered same day entrance to Herrington Manor. We appreciated the tip and decided to come on over and check it out. There is a 5.5 mile connector trail between the two parks, or you can drive over and park separately using the receipt. Herrington Lake is a lovely option for water activities and has a nice beach that offers a lifeguard during peak hours. There are several trails, a playground, and some athletic fields. We saw a lot of wildlife, particularly deer, too. We spent some time on the beach and playground, but ended up doing some driving around the park because a storm rolled in and chased us back to the car. It's a very scenic area, and I'm glad the staff at Swallow Falls gave us the tip! read more

See all

We had a great weekend. Cabin was so much more than we expected. Park is beautiful. We enjoyed fishing and swimming. Lots to do nearby. We will go again. read more

For me, Garrett County in western Maryland is the perfect winter getaway from DC. It's just over three hours away but it feels so completely different because of the change in elevation. When it rains in DC, it snows in Garrett County, which is what brought us to Herrington Manor this past weekend. I'd managed to reserve for the weekend a two-person, heated cabin with hot water, which was the perfect way to enjoy some cross-country skiing. The cabin was sparsely furnished with just a bed, a table, and three chairs, and the kitchen had pots, dishes, utensils, and kitchen appliances. But I can't tell you how great it was to have arrived late Friday, get a fire going in the wood-burning stove, and then to wake up the next morning, and ski out the door right onto the trails after making ourselves a good hot breakfast. Herrington Manor has miles of wonderful beginner to intermediate trails that wind through the woods and across open areas that are barely used by other skiers. Because it's even farther out than New Germany State Park, even fewer skiers will travel the extra half hour, which is just fine by us. I fell in love with cross-country skiing at this park when skiing one day years ago, a small herd of deer ran across the trail. Getting so close to nature in the dead of winter made me love this sport! This year didn't disappoint either in the wildlife observations. We again saw deer and also a brown fox running trough the snow. Heading back to our cabin, we were able to have a hearty lunch with the food we'd brought, rest a bit, and then head back out for an afternoon ski. While it snowed most of the morning the afternoon was clear and sunny and again such a contrast to experience the park under such different conditions knowing our cabin was so close by. After showers and a nap, we headed out for an early dinner knowing we wanted to get a good night's sleep so we could get in a decent day of skiing on Sunday, which started with a pre-breakfast ski before checking out by 10:00 and heading over to New Germany for more skiing. Staying in the cabin was so enjoyable I only hope that we can get one more ski weekend in before winter's end. I'm already online looking for a cabin! read more

See all

Delightful lake swimming for the kids! My wife, 2 sons (7 yr old; 5 yr. old), and I travelled here after visiting Swallow Falls State Park. We almost did not make the trip because it's about 4 miles to the south and further away from Deep Creek Lake. But on a warm June afternoon, we were pleasantly surprised to find a pretty lake with a beach and lifeguard on duty from 11am until 6pm each day. By the way, if you pay for admission to Swallow Falls State Park first, save your receipt! Herrington Manor State Park is a "sister park" to Swallow Falls so you don't have to pay admission twice at the two parks on the same day. You get 2 parks for the price of one! The kids had their "day at the beach", but also enjoyed the pretty scenery around the lake. You can rent a canoe for $8 per hour or $20 per day. These are reasonable prices compared to Deep Creek Lake State Park. The Lake House also has kayaks for hourly rentals. If you have little kids, this is a nice place to visit on a hot afternoon. The drive is a little out of the way (16 miles from McHenry, MD), but you'll be rewarded with a kid-friendly setting for lake swimming. However, the lake water by the beach is more murky than what you'll find at Deep Creek Lake State Park. read more

Wow! What an experience at Herrington Manor State Park! My girlfriend and I went to Deep Creek Lake for a weekend getaway in the woods! And we picked a wild weekend of rain but that didn't stop us. We started to walk the 5.5 mi walk from Herrington Manor to Swallow Falls on a wet and muddy day. We went up and down the hills and enjoyed the scenery, BUT the trail is not marked very well so we couldn't move with much confidence. After about 2.5 miles in we got to a literal fork in the road and couldn't figure out the right way to go so we walked back and drove to Swallow Falls. But it was a beautiful hike. read more

Now this is a State Park. A very nice swimming area on a beautiful, calm day. There are trails to hike and kayaks/paddle boards to rent. None of those loud motor boats to drown out the serenity. We will come back. Great place to spend the day. We do have a question though about Maryland in general. We love it here so don't get mad but garbage cans are almost nonexistent. What gives? read more

Great fishing at the lake. Super quiet and the water is super clear. I recommend this place to anyone!

Absolutely beautiful!! We rented a cabin here for our annual Girls' Camping Trip and we were not disappointed! We had a blast. From the camp fire, to the hiking, to the gorgeous cabin we stayed in... I loved it all. You just have to come here and experience it yourself. Please do yourself a favor. Just do it! read more

Herrington Manor is one of our favorite places to visit while at Deep Creek. Their canoe and kayak rentals are reasonable. Our kids love paddling to the island and surrounding tributaries. There is a boat ramp if you have your own kayak or canoe. The beach area and swimming are are rarely crowded and the bathroom and shower facilities are clean. Food can be purchased on site, but we always take advantage of our ability to bring in a cooler and snacks. read more

I stayed at Herrington Manor State Park with my 5 other girlfriends and it was great! The cabins are adorable, well equipped, and well worth the money. They are much more authentic than a hotel, but just as nice. The park rangers are great - especially Roy. He helped us start a fire and then even told a ghost story. There are many nearby places to hike and explore. Highly recommend visiting here! read more