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Swallow Falls State Park is located in the mountains nine miles north of Oakland, Maryland and contains some of Maryland’s most picturesque scenery. The park features three of Maryland’s most spectacular waterfalls along a 1 ¼-mile trail through old-growth hemlock forest – the last large hemlock forest in the State. The Youghiogheny River and several of its tributaries converge in the park. At nearly 60 feet tall, Muddy Creek Falls, a highlight on the park’s main trail, is Maryland’s tallest free-falling waterfall. The park’s rivers and streams pass through shaded rocky gorges and feature rippling rapids and white water. With 257 acres, the park is compact enough to allow thorough birding coverage, but be aware that some of the trails are hilly and can be muddy and slippery after rain. The park also features camping, fishing, and picnic areas. The trails at Swallow Falls weave through a 40-acre grove of old-growth hemlocks. Managed as a sensitive area, the dense woodlands in the park provide ample cover for forest interior birds like Blue-headed Vireos, Hermit and Wood Thrushes and various warblers. Because of the parks’s habitats and location in the mountains, the breeding birds at Swallow Falls include many that are known only as winter visitors or migrants in other parts of the state. The list of breeding warblers is especially impressive (see below). In addition to birding on foot using the park’s trails, it is also possible to bird by car from Maple Glade Road, which runs through the park. Broad shoulders allow for quick pull-overs on this little-traveled road.