The Old Line State
Maryland
Appalachian ridges in the west, Chesapeake marshes in the east, and the AT passing right through the middle.
Maryland at a Glance
Allegheny Mountains
Garrett County in western Maryland contains the state's highest terrain, with Deep Creek Lake and Backbone Mountain accessible from George Washington National Forest
Appalachian Trail
The AT passes 40 miles through Maryland, including across Harpers Ferry and along South Mountain, the most accessible section of the entire trail
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay watershed drains 64,000 square miles, with Maryland forests providing critical buffering to water quality
Catoctin Mountains
Catoctin Mountain Park protects a forested ridge near Camp David, with trails through old-growth hemlocks and cascading streams
Migrant Corridor
Assateague Island on Maryland's coast hosts wild ponies and is a major bird migration staging area on the Atlantic Flyway
Potomac Heritage Trail
The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail runs 830 miles linking Maryland's mountains to the Chesapeake Bay
When to Visit
April through June and September through November. The western mountains are cooler in summer. Fall color in Garrett County peaks mid-October. Chesapeake region hiking is best in spring and fall.
Top Activities
Gateway Cities
Cumberland
Western Maryland hub at the Potomac's narrows, with access to Green Ridge State Forest, C&O Canal, and the Allegheny Highlands.
Hagerstown
Gateway to South Mountain State Park, the AT crossing, and the western approaches to Catoctin Mountain.
Did You Know?
Maryland's width at its narrowest point is only 1.8 miles, squeezed between the Potomac River and the Mason-Dixon Line.
The Appalachian Trail crosses Maryland in one very long day hike (40 miles), making it possible to hike the state's AT section in a weekend.
Assateague Island's wild ponies are split between Maryland (managed by the National Park Service) and Virginia (managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company).
Maryland's Big Run State Park in Garrett County was the site of one of the state's first hydroelectric dams, built in 1908.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park runs 184 miles along the Maryland bank of the Potomac River, with a flat towpath trail from Cumberland to Georgetown.