While I'm sure there is excellent hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, camping - etc. - etc. - etc…read more going on here, we just came for the overlook. For years I've seen the signs, the same as everyone that traverses 68, about a scenic overlook, this time, it was finally time to see just how scenic is scenic. First off, super easy to find the overlook. Exit 64 off of 68, this applies to either direction, then it's just two right turns to the main park office. Plenty of offseason parking in winter, as you would expect, and there is good signage telling you where to go for the office, the overlook, outside seasonal restrooms and some of the nearby trails. From there it's maybe a fifty or sixty yard walk down a small sloped path to the wooden planked overlook. Kudos to the staff that even though it had just snowed the day prior, they had a small path cleared so that you could walk out on to the platform. Granted, the platform was also coated in thick ice, but that's another story. Excellent views of the forest landscape and of Fifteen Mile Creek. We didn't last long as even though it was sunny, it was still below freezing with a hell of a stiff breeze. On the way back up the trail we did stop briefly in the park office looking for a map as a souvenir/memento and while the door was open and there was a state vehicle parked outside (just our car and that one), nobody was there so we left as it felt...odd. The park itself is massive and hopefully in the future we can make the time to come back and explore more. Park website: dnr.maryland.gov/forests/pages/publiclands/western_greenridgeforest.aspx First picture is the Greenridge Overlook: www.mdmountainside.com/blog/post/green-ridge-state-forest-scenic-overlooks-tour/

Yelp Fam!!!! A…read moredifferent review for the start of this month. Camping is one of my favorite things in the world. Especially since I live in the city being able to have silence is few and far between. GRSF is a gem, you have the bare necessities to have a great authentic camping experience. You can register for a camp site at the self service station. Sign up for a site, pay your money, get camping. Tip*- you must take your trash with you. You can dispose of it at the rangers station Each site has : bench Fire pit Cleared area for tents/hammocks We always stop off at Belle Grove Store- They carry all the essentials and food if you need some grub. This go round we were at site 5. Truly perfect, tons of fire wood around, very quiet and peaceful. Take advantage of this beautiful state forest while the weather is nice!

Extremely nice and newer facility. You will find swimming areas, boating, fishing, golf, casino and…read morehiking trails all over. So much to do!

What a fantastic place for camping! Our kids had a blast and there was so much to experience. Great…read morewalking trails and beautiful beach/playground area. Will be back for sure!

This is a visitors center for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and it has a great location and…read moreexhibit space. It was really neat to see that it has a mini replica of the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel to access interactive exhibits and a section of a canal boat. The towpath is located nearby and we enjoyed taking a stroll on the gorgeous day to enjoy the area. To access the actual Paw Paw Tunnel, which is an amazing feat of engineering, we drove out to the Paw Paw Tunnel Campground and walked out and back from there.

Excellent educational exhibit of the history of the region and life on the canal. Call ahead as…read morethe current regime has cut funding for staffing.

A friend and I rode the Great Allegheny Trail from Myersdale, PA down to Cumberland, MD. It was a…read more33 mile ride overall, but we really enjoyed it. Now, neither of us are Lance Armstrong wanna-bes. We're old farts riding plain bikes. From Myersdale, the first 9 miles is uphill, but since it's an old railroad, it's a very gentle uphill slope. The highlight of this part of the trip was riding across the Keystone Viaduct. On our uphill leg, our average speed was 8.0 mph (from my GPS). At the end of the 9 miles uphill, we arrived at the Eastern Continental Divide. From there, it's ALL downhill all the way to Cumberland. We overheard someone else on the trail say that on the downhill side, "you don't need pedals, all you need are brakes." My GPS said our average speed during the downhill leg was 13 mph. There are a few spots along the way you could get on the trail and just do the downhill portion. We saw some families with kids doing the downhill portion, too. As an alternative, you can ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from Cumberland up to Frostburg, then ride your bikes from Frostburg 16 miles back down the hill to Cumberland. Lesson learned: We had planned to stop and have lunch in Frostburg, MD. When we arrived in Frostburg, we found there was a nice rest area for bicyclists along the side of the trail with maps of the town, park benches, bicycle racks, and port-a-potties. Unfortunately, the path goes by at the BOTTOM of the side of the hill that Frostburg is on. In order to go into town for lunch, we would have had to either bike or hike half a mile UP a steep hill. We decided not to do that. We just ate snacks that we had packed in our backpacks and continued onward to Cumberland. The scenery was beautiful. There were three long tunnels to go through. Each tunnel was either short enough it didn't need to be lit up because you could see light from either side, or had installed lighting (the Big Savage Tunnel was really long but well-lit inside). The trail is well marked with mile markers along the way so you can tell how far you are from Cumberland, MD. The trail ends right in downtown Cumberland next to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad train station and right where the C&O Canal Towpath begins. We had a great time and I would love to come back here and do the downhill portion with my kids sometime. I think we might try the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1-way trip up to Frostburg then ride our bikes down the hill. Side note: Why do I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Only because I try to reserve my 5 star ratings for restaurants that are truly spectacular, and I don't want to inflate my average grade with a rating for a bike trail. :-)

We did it! My husband Rick & I biked the 130+ miles of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between…read moreCumberland, MD & McKeesport, PA! I'm sore now! We'd been planning this trip for years as we are avid bike trail riders, and it's been our goal to bike the entire extant length of the trail. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Great Allegheny Passage, it's the ultimate in rails-to-trails conversions. It occupies the roadbeds of several abandoned rail lines including the Western Maryland, the B&O, and the P&LE. It connects with the C&O Towpath in Cumberland, and it's planned to connect with the present South Side/Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. Thus a bike ride all the way from Pittsburgh (Station Square) to Washington, DC will be possible. So my brother Paul drove us down from Pittsburgh to the Canal Heritage Center, a former railway station in Cumberland. This also doubles as the train station for the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. And yes, because my husband's a railfan, I've ridden their trains. We arrived in Cumberland in the afternoon and from the Canal Heritage Center, we set out for the initial 17 miles to Frostburg. Because we had to carry overnight bags and our food supplies (I'm a type-1 diabetic) we borrowed some kiddie trailers from a friend. Rick carried the overnight bags and I carried the coolers. The initial ride from Cumberland to Frostburg is also the steepest. The Great Allegheny Passage rises from an elevation of about 500 feet in Cumberland to about 1600 feet in Frostburg. But the climb isn't that bad as the right-of-way remains an active rail line at this point. It's not like you're climbing Sycamore Street in Pittsburgh or Lombard Street in San Francisco. Here the line follows the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. The State of Maryland had considered forcing the rail line to discontinue so they could build the trail. But then they realized how much money visitors bring into Cumberland and Frostburg because of the train line. The scenic highpoint here is Helmstetter's Curve, where the trail and rail line arc around the Helmstetter farm in a "U" pattern. It's a smaller version of Horseshoe Curve in Altoona. Just beyond that the train line and the trail share Brush Tunnel. The tunnel is lighted, but trail riders are warned not to enter when a train is approaching. The WMSR runs both diesel and steam locomotives. Guess which one we saw? I'll give you a hint--Railfan Rick was slightly disappointed. We arrived in Frostburg and spent the night at the Trail Inn. We set out again the next day and just north of Frostburg, we hit the Borden Tunnel. This tunnel is NOT lighted. You MUST dismount your bike and walk it through. This tunnel is over 900 feet long, so headlights or a working flashlight are recommended. Around milepost 20, we came up to the Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between MD and PA and the boundary between North and South (read your American history). A 1900 foot bridge connects the two sides. We turned to the north and went thru Big Savage Tunnel. This tunnel is 3,294 feet long, the longest on the GAP. It is lighted, but please take note. The Big Savage Tunnel is CLOSED between late November and early April and there is NO DETOUR route around it. So plan carefully if you intend to bike or hike in the area between those dates. Not long after leaving the Big Savage Tunnel, we came to the highest point on the Great Allegheny Passage at 2392 feet. We'd climbed 1892 feet since leaving Cumberland! A few miles later we hit Deal and from that point, it's all downgrade to McKeesport. Deal has restrooms, if you need to make a pit stop. Continuing northbound we made our way to Sand Patch, PA. Here we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide, marked by a short tunnel, which demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Much of the Great Allegheny Passage parallels the Amtrak Capitol Limited route and I've seen signs marking the divide while riding the train. We'd been following Flaugherty Creek and north of Sand Patch, we crossed the 909 foot long Keystone Viaduct. We made our way into Meyersdale, PA and as this is the largest town en route, we stopped at Food Lion for some supplies including steaks for our dinner tonight. We also made a rest stop here as we've been pedaling for about 20 miles with another 45 to go. Besides, I needed a snack for my blood sugars. Meyersdale was first settled by the Monongahela Indians and has hosted the PA Maple Syrup Festival for the past 60 years. --Continued in Part Two below--

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.

What a wonderful afternoon out in nature! The falls were beautiful and the hike was pretty easy. We…read morewere visiting some friends up in deep creek and we decided to take it outside and enjoy this beautiful day. So glad we did, it was one of the first "nice" days of spring when we attended. It was pretty crowded, but we still had no issues parking and even enjoyed the scenic drive to the park.

History is worth looking at. This is an interesting spot if you're a Washington fan. Get to know…read morehis early days.

Borrowed from the below site:…read more www.mdmountainside.com/listing/george-washingtons-headquarters/2042/#:~:text=The%20Headquarters%20of%20George%20Washington,the%20United%20States%20of%20America. "The Headquarters of George Washington is a historic site, located at 38 Greene Street, in the historic downtown district of Cumberland, Maryland. The centerpiece and primary attraction at the site is a historic log cabin twice occupied by George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. The cabin resides in an area known today as Riverside Park but was originally built about 2 blocks away. The original site is located nearby at 16 Washington Street. The cabin was originally built by General Edward Braddock's men, between 1755 and 1758, for then Colonel George Washington's use during his service in the French and Indian War. He later returned and used it briefly during 1794, then as the Commander in Chief, in order to review the troops gathered to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. This site is notable, as it signifies Washington's first military command. The original site lies on a hill that overlooks Wills Creek and the Potomac River. It was once the location of Fort Cumberland (Maryland) and today, The Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Cumberland, Maryland). The headquarters was part of Fort Cumberland during the French and Indian War, and it is the only building to survive from the original Fort. Though closed to the public, the cabin has windows visitors can peer into and see historical displays and artifacts of what the cabin may have looked like including a bed, desk, and fireplace as well as a life-size wax replica of Washington." If you come here, parking in the area is somewhat tight. During our visit, Greene and Baltimore Streets were under a lot of construction so we parked two blocks away for a buck in a pay lot near Basecamp Coffee. If you're so inclined, you could also park on the other side of the creek at the visitor center and walk over the bridge to get here. We came, read the placards, took a few pictures, walked a short distance to read a few more of the placards that go under 68 but then saw a few loud locals (i.e. homeless-hobo-vagrant) and thought better of going any further. With that said, this is by no means a stop that you're going out of your way for. At best, this is a few minutes passing curiosity just to say that you saw it. If you want something more substantive about Washington's time in the general area as a British officer, the NPS site Fort Necessity is the place. Tons of stuff there that George did including surrendering to the French. www.nps.gov/fone/index.htm

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.

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.

This stop was our two-day "play and reset" window between Acadia NP and New River Gorge NP -- a…read morequiet breather in the beautiful WV mountains. We stayed at the lodge and had breakfast there both mornings, mostly because options nearby are... well, nonexistent. Luckily the buffet was generous, the food was decent enough to fuel the day, and the views helped everything go down a little easier. Service, however, could definitely benefit from a hospitality tune-up -- a smile and a bit of warmth go a long way before coffee! That said, the park itself is lovely. We enjoyed peaceful trails surrounded by lush forest, and the falls are truly worth the trip -- dramatic and grounding. I got in a few good hikes, while my husband happily took in the waterfall views from the accessible paths, which are thoughtfully laid out and easy to navigate. In short: Beautiful park Scenic lodge views Buffet that gets the job done Service that could caffeinate their cheerfulness Perfect little nature pause before hitting our next national park.

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.

This is gem of a park and would be worth a stop off 68 if driving through with kids. They have two…read moreplayground areas that are well worth it. I went to the smaller one for younger kids and it was better than most of the playgrounds in Columbus. The only downside is they were missing their kid swings, hopefully they get those up soon. The toddler area is beside two Pavilions, restrooms, a place to grill, gazebo, and plenty of grass. You can park within 100 yards of the playground so you can walk to your car with your eyes on the kids. The pavilion has a charcoal grill if you need it. I didn't make it to the other side but they supposedly have a newer and better playground for a little bit older kids. They also have a few softball fields. The toddler playground has two toddler swings, two tire swings, 4-5 slides with one twisting and scary for two year olds. They also have a tunnel or two to walk through, a variety of ladders, climbing walls, monkey bars, and rings. Come here while waiting for Hey Pizza is not a bad idea. It is less than a mile from 68 so it would be quick stop and let the kids run type of place.