Chase Hoffberger 2020-12-31 16:07:14
With mountains, rivers, lakes, state parks, and forests, Maryland’s Western Region still holds the wild majesty of the frontier, and makes an ideal destination for adventure in the great outdoors. It’s home to the state’s highest peak— the 3,360-foot Hoye-Crest summit on Backbone Mountain—and world-famous Deep Creek Lake, home to 3,900 acres of fishing, water skiing, a sandy beach, and forested shores. Western Maryland also boasts Wisp Resort, the epicenter of skiing in the state, and summer adventure sports like rock climbing and white-water rafting. All that and cool towns like Frostburg, Hagerstown, Oakland, Cumberland, and more make this a true four-season destination. Deep Creek Lake State Park @mrgsalazar ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE Vast and varied, expansive and wild, Western Maryland is crossed by both the legendary Appalachian Trail, the world’s longest hiking-only footpath, and the rugged Eastern Continental Divide, which splits the region’s rolling mountain countryside. Western Maryland is dotted with seven peaks topping 3,000 feet including its tallest, Hoye-Crest (3,360 feet), Roman Nose Mountain (3,140 feet), and George Mountain (3,004 feet). Poor Big Savage Mountain. It may be a fan favorite, but at 2,982 feet, it comes up a little short. Hikers and bikers can choose trails ranging from friendly and fun rail trails to gnarly and burly singletracks crisscrossing the Continental Divide. Take in fantastic views of Big Savage Mountain, Meadow Mountain, and New Germany Lake. Those looking for a more level-footed path may want to check out the 28-mile Western Maryland Rail Trail or the Great Allegheny Passage, a hike-and-bike route that runs 150 miles from Cumberland to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with great options to stay along the way. Mountain Maryland is also home to Wisp Resort on the north end of Deep Creek Lake, a true four-season paradise with more than 30 alpine ski slopes in winter, the thrilling Mountain Coaster to tear down the hill whether there is snow or not, zip lines, mountain biking, and the remarkable Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI), the only man-made mountaintop white-water course in the world. GET OUT ON THE WATER Anybody out for summer fun will find it on Deep Creek Lake, which during the hot months becomes one of the state’s most popular destinations. Enjoy boating, fishing, and sunbathing, or hitch a couple of water skis onto the back of a motorboat and slalom around each bend. Anglers and gamblers alike flock to Lake Habeeb in Rocky Gap State Park, home of great fishing and camping as well as Rocky Gap Casino. Big-time trout anglers also have great luck on the Savage and Casselman rivers. Look for largemouth bass and yellow perch on the Piney Reservoir, or drop a line in Blairs Valley Lake, which straddles the state line between Maryland and Pennsylvania and is home to a wide variety of game fish. Experience the region’s world-class white-water rafting, kayaking, and tubing opportunities, which range from ASCI’s man-made courses to natural (and legendary) options with great guides running the Upper Youghiogheny and Potomac rivers. A CAMPER’S PARADISE With 17 state parks, three state forests, and more lakefront land than you’ll find anywhere else in Maryland, Western Maryland features plenty of idyllic spots for you to pitch your tent. If glamping’s your thing, consider a weekend retreat to the Blue Moon Rising Cabins near Deep Creek Lake. Paddlers will find more than 100 campsites in Green Ridge State Forest near the town of Little Orleans (population 42) on the banks of the Potomac River, and Rocky Gap State Park has nearly 300 sites around Lake Habeeb. Hard-core campers get what they’re looking for in Big Run State Park with 29 primitive sites. History lovers will love primeval Garrett State Forest, the westernmost and oldest state forest in Maryland. Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp Resort in Williamsport will delight any child. And for a fairytale getaway, consider a stay in a cozy treehouse. Western Maryland is home to Ella’s Enchanted Treehouses on the edge of the Savage River State Forest and the Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree just outside of Boonsboro at the entrance to Gathland State Park. Deep Creek Lake State Park @jessesechrest EVEN THE FESTIVALS ARE OUTDOORS Western Maryland is great for white-water paddling, hiking through the great outdoors, riding ATVs, and traveling atop snow covered trails. It is also where you will find some of the most eclectic and entertaining festivals in the country. Oakland’s Autumn Glory Festival is in October; the five-day fête combines the best of small-town celebrations with a truly epic display of fall color that has earned Oakland a reputation as the best fall foliage destination in the country. Deep Creek Lake hosts a bevy of festivals, including an Art, Beer and Wine Festival every September; Winterfest in February; and Fire on the Mountain each Fourth of July. There’s also the Garrett County Gran Fondo—a big bike ride—in June, and the Deep Creek Dunk in February. Here’s guessing you know what that entails... Grantsville hosts the National Road Festival in August, and Hagerstown’s annual Alsatia Mummers’ Parade has been happening every October for nearly a century and truly makes everyone who attends feel like they’ve come home for a holiday. And in nearby Sharpsburg, you must witness the eerie beauty of The Memorial Illumination. Set in the Antietam National Battlefield, 23,000 candles light up the December night, one for each soldier killed, wounded, or missing at the battle. And every summer in Cumberland, bluegrass great Del McCoury brings top players from around the world together for DelFest, a four-day festival that has quickly become the world’s premiere bluegrass and roots festival. Del Yeah! TOWNS AS BEAUTIFUL AS THEIR MOUNTAIN SURROUNDINGS Maryland’s Western Region is steeped in history with charming towns little changed by the centuries. Here, find iconic landmarks and sites Marylanders have cherished for generations—from the ornate buildings in Historic Downtown Cumberland to the Casselman Bridge in Grantsville, and beyond. The towns of Oakland, Grantsville, Frostburg, Hagerstown, and Cumberland are each a mini-urban oasis with all the comforts you want in a vacation. Check out a Hagerstown Suns game in summer. The Washington Nationals affiliate plays at historic Municipal Stadium, which opened in 1930. At the stadium you can catch more than 90 years of baseball history, and get a peek at the game’s future. Be amazed by the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown—one of the best small-town museums in the country, featuring more than 6,000 paintings from around the world and across the centuries. Find a lifelong treasure at The Gallery Shop in Oakland, featuring works by members of the Garrett County Arts Council. And check out the Garrett County Historical Society Museum in Oakland, the nearby Simon Pearce Factory Outlet, and the Allegany Arts Council’s Saville and Schwab Mountain Maryland galleries in Cumberland. The Saville Gallery is home to several signature shows each year, and the Schwab Gallery’s intimate space features a small stage for performances and special events. For performing arts, catch a show any time of year at the Cumberland Theatre. Delight the kids at Discovery Station in Hagerstown, a children’s museum with exhibits on dinosaurs, space exploration, and LEGOs. Speaking of discovery, the kiddos will love Discovery Center at Deep Creek State Park, an interactive showcase of the outdoors with exhibits on turtles, foxes, and black bears. A LITTLE HISTORY Back outside, history lives on in the region’s historic parks and battlefields. Most well-known is the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, site of the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Sharpsburg is also the site of the John Brown Raid Headquarters, where the abolitionist John Brown recruited and trained 21 men for his raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. And though the town is in West Virginia, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park stretches across the river into Maryland and represents a great place to learn about the old armory hub. Scenic Railroad @iamjayun The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad captures the old-time romance of riding the rails and even offers themed adventures including murder mystery dinner trains as you steam through the gorgeous Western Maryland mountainsides. Rail enthusiasts can double up with a trip to the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum. The Thrasher Carriage Museum offers a fascinating look into the charming history of horse-drawn carriages dating back centuries. If automobiles and nostalgic road trips are more your thing, you can check out the National Road Museum in Boonsboro, which honors the first federal highway—the National Road—which today you know as either Route 40 or Interstate 68. Then there’s the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and its too-cool C&O Canal towpath, complete with the Paw Paw Tunnel, a 3,118-foot-long tunnel built using 6 million bricks in the 1830s and ‘40s. On your way out, make sure to check out Sideling Hill, a man-made mountain pass on Interstate 68 that shows off more than 100 million years of rock formation. There’s an information center and walking trails for you to stretch your legs. Fun Facts Acclaimed author Nora Roberts lives in Boonsboro. The Roberts family owns many businesses in town— like the Inn, Turn the Page Bookstore and Cafe, Dan’s Restaurant and Tap House, and Vesta. Western Maryland is home to the state’s tallest waterfall, Muddy Creek Falls, which plummets more than 53 feet to the rocks below. Washington Monument State Park @billrulophotos Find more things to do in Western Maryland online at: visitmaryland.org/regions-cities/western-maryland Deep Creek Lake @deepcreekvacations
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