At a Glance
Hours: 8 am-sunset, year-round.
Cost:
- May, September, and October weekends: MD residents $3/person; out-of-state residents $5/person.
- From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, daily: MD residents $3/person; out-of-state residents $5/person.
- From the Tuesday after Labor Day through the Friday before Memorial Day, daily (except as noted above for weekends in May, September, and October): MD residents $3/vehicle; out-of-state residents $5/vehicle.
- Annual state park passes or lifetime senior passes may be used.
- Additional charges for camping, picnic shelters.
Tips: The trails and the park as a whole can get crowded on nice weekend days. Arrive early and bird on weekdays if possible.◾ Most trails have good footing but may be slippery and have exposed roots. Wear sturdy closed-toe hiking boots or shoes. ◾ Be wary around the water; the trails and rocks may be especially slippery and drowning can occur quickly in the cold, swift water. ◾Hunting is not allowed in the State Park but takes place on surrounding lands. Hunting is permitted in the adjacent State Forest but not in the State Park itself. Be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly.◾The park advises that cell phone reception is spotty and you should not rely on the availability of cell phone communication. ◾Pets are not permitted in the day use area or on the Canyon Trail during the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day). See other pet policies in the main section of this webpage. ◾ Restrooms are near the parking area.
Best Seasons: Spring, fall, and winter. Access in winter may be challenging if snow has fallen.
Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Sang Run SE, Oakland NE
Local MOS Chapter: Allegany-Garrett Bird Club
Swallow Falls State Park
2470 Maple Glade Road, Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 387-6938; in Feb & March, call (301) 334-9189
Swallow Falls State Park is located in the low 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 river and streams pass through shaded rocky gorges and feature rippling rapids and white water.
Managed as a sensitive area, the dense woodlands in Swallow Falls State 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).
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 trails at Swallow Falls weave through a 40-acre grove of old-growth hemlocks on the west side of the Youghiogheny River. See the trail map at the link in the At a Glance section of this webpage.
Another hiking option is the Fisherman’s Trail on the east bank of the Youghiogheny; this trail is not shown on the State Park Trail Map but is described, illustrated, and mapped on the non-profit Garrett Trails website.
Complementing the relatively small complex of trails in the park is a 5.5-mile-long trail (the White Trail) through the Garrett-Potomac State Forest that connects Swallow Falls State Park to Herrington Manor State Park. Parts of the White Trail follow an old fire road and a railroad bed, making for a wide, level trail with easy grades. See Google Map of the trail.
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.
Birdlife:
Over 155 species have been reported on eBird from the hotspot for Swallow Falls State Park.
The park is one of the best places in Maryland to see Blackburnian Warblers, which breed here and can usually be found in the trees around the parking area.
White-winged and Red Crossbills have been reported as winter or early spring visitors.
Breeding birds include Ruffed Grouse, Black-billed Cuckoo, Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, both Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Pine, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, and Canada Warblers.
Wheelchair Access:
The trails at Swallow Falls are not wheelchair accessible. However, for those who are mobility-impaired, Maple Glade Road offers excellent birding from or near the car. There is designated handicapped parking and restrooms are accessible.
Although not available at Swallow Falls, an all-terrain wheelchair – an amazing resource – is available for FREE loan, one day at a time, to mobility-impaired folks who would like to explore other natural-surface trails in Garrett County. The wheelchair is available thanks to a grant secured by Garrett Trails, Inc., a non-profit that promotes development and use of trails in Garrett County, and the Garrett County Lions Club, located near McHenry, MD. The chair is non-motorized and you must have someone to help you on steeper slopes. It disassembles and folds to fit in your car. You can read about how to borrow the wheelchair on the Garrett Trails wheelchair webpage, and view videos showing how to use it. Use of the loaner all-terrain chair is restricted to trails specified by Garrett Trails that are listed on the wheelchair webpage. Read more about Garrett Trails, Inc. under Special Features below.
Pet Policy:
- Pets are not permitted in the day use area or on the Canyon Trail between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day.
- Pets are permitted in the day use area after Labor Day to the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.
- Pets are allowed in the campground.
- Pets are allowed on trails that connect with the state forest.
- Pets must remain on a leash and under control at all times.
- Pick up after your pet.
Special Designations:
Swallow Falls is contained within the Youghiogheny Valley Important Bird Area (IBA), as designated by the National Audubon Society. Sensitive species found breeding within this IBA include Alder Flycatcher, Golden-winged Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, and others.
A section of the Youghiogheny River, including the segment in Swallow Falls State Park, has been designated by the State as a Scenic and Wild River, and the corridor around the river is protected as the Youghiogheny Wild River Natural Environmental Area. Only passive recreational activities are allowed in the Wild River Natural Environmental Area, and there are limited access points, Swallow Falls State Park being one of these.
Special Features:
Swallow Falls State Park features camping, fishing, and picnic areas and pavilions.
Garrett Trails is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the development of high-quality, sustainable trails that provide access to Garrett County’s historic, municipal, and natural areas. The organization grew out of a task force that was appointed by the County Commissioners in 1998 to work with the Chamber of Commerce on a county-wide trail plan. The organization was formally incorporated as a stand-alone non-profit in 2008. The Garrett Trails website includes descriptions and maps of hiking/biking trails throughout the county, including some that are not in our Birder’s Guide but that may be interesting to explore.
Local MOS Chapter:
The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Allegany & Garrett Counties Bird Club, which hosts field trips in the region and meetings with informative presentations, all free and open to the public.
Parking:
Paved parking lot; also roadside parking along Maple Glade Road.
Directions:
From I-68, take Exit 14 at Keysers Ridge and MD Route 219. Follow MD Route 219 south for 19.5 miles to Mayhew Inn Road (2 miles past Deep Creek Lake). Turn right (west) on Mayhew Inn Road, and travel 4.5 miles to a stop sign at Oakland Sang Run Road. Turn left (south) here, and go 0.3 miles to first road on the right which will be Swallow Falls Road. Turn right (west) onto Swallow Falls Road and travel 1.3 miles to Maple Glade Road and the park entrance on the right. Turn north onto Maple Glade Road, which brings you into Swallow Falls State Park. Continue to the parking area.
Nearby Sites:
Garrett County: Broadford Lake ■ Carey Run MOS Sanctuary ■ Caroline W. Wilson MOS Sanctuary ■ Cunningham Swamp Wildlife Management Area ■ Finzel Swamp Preserve ■ Herrington Manor State Park ■ Loch Lynn Heights Wetland Trail ■ Mt. Nebo Wildlife Management Area ■ Piney Reservoir ■ Robbins MOS Sanctuary at Red Run ■ Youghiogheny River Reservoir
Habitats: Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Lawn, Ballfields, Golf Course Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass Field Freshwater Marsh or FloodplainRivers & Streams
Features: BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Birding By CarCampingEntry Fee (Daily, All Year)FishingHiking/Walking TrailsOvernight Lodging or CabinsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaRestroomsWater ViewYoung People / Families
Type: Audubon Important Bird AreasDriving Tour (Roadside Birding)State Natural Areas & WildlandsState Parks
