Cunningham Falls State Park

... families could hike, swim, picnic, explore, and generally have a great time at Cunningham Falls sans stupid restrictions. Regular visitors cleaned up after themselves, picked up the rare pieces of stray litter, shared (and promptly returned) tools, donated extras of oft forgotten items to those in need, and kept a mindful eye on each other’s kids and belongings. Why?

Because that’s how decent people behave in civilized society.

My last visit to the Cunningham Falls area was over a decade ago. It’s been said that time marches on. Sadly, time, bureaucracy and social decline had stomped the life from this place. When the time comes that I take my children to see the state where I’d lived half of my life I won’t be bringing them to Cunningham Falls. They don’t need to see my tears from remembering what once was.

It was by pure chance that my family and I came across this place while on a recent holiday in Virgina, from the UK. I can say with all honesty that I found it to be a plance of complete enchantment and tranquility. One member of the family is disabled and in a wheelchair so we were resticted to the places we could go, but despite this, we will be returning again on our next visit in spring/summer 2007.

Cunningham Falls State Park, located in the Catoctin Mountains, is known for its history and scenic beauty, as well as its 78-foot cascading waterfall. The Falls are located one half mile from the lake in the Houck Area via the Falls Trail.

Before the first Europeans arrived, many small Native American tribes farmed, hunted and fished the area. Tradition says the name Catoctin came from the tribe, the Kittoctons, who once lived at the foot of the mountains near the Potomac River. By the time the settlers began to arrive in the Monocacy River Valley, Native Americans were seldom seen.

Early settlers used timber from the forests to make charcoal to fuel the Catoctin Iron Furnace. Too many years of clear-cutting and unscientific farming practices contributed to the overuse and destruction of the land.

It’s a great place to go camping too!

...the biggest waterfall you’ll ever see (it is however the tallest one in MD), but me and two of my best friends went there a couple years ago and we had an absolutely awesome day. (Especially when we jumped over the fence and climbed up the waterfall even though you aren’t supposed to anymore :P)