Swallow Falls State Park, in western Maryland, has the cascading Youghiogheny River, the state’s tallest waterfall, old-growth hemlocks, hiking paths and cross-country ski trails. It’s a popular destination for visitors from throughout the region, including white-water kayakers and people who appreciate mighty, centuries-old trees.
“The forest in Swallow Falls is especially important to us because it has the oldest hemlock trees in Maryland, as far as we know,” says Joan Maloof, founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network and a prominent voice in efforts to save ancient, native trees across the country.
In addition to the old hemlocks, a familiar part of the Swallow Falls experience is the one-lane steel bridge over the river that gets you to the park. (Garrett County refers to it as a “temporary bridge” that was built in 2011 above the previous steel bridge.) It requires drivers approaching from one side to yield to oncoming motorists.
As a long-time visitor to Swallow Falls, I’ve always found that bridge a quaint traffic-calming measure. It requires you to slow way, way down, which puts you in a good frame of mind as you enter the park.