Cunningham Falls State Park Thurmont, Maryland July 2003

This is another state park that had been on our list of places to visit for quite a while. I had driven through the area numerous times over the years but it wasn't until a friend of mine camped there and recommended it that we finally made a reservation.

Cunningham Falls State Park is located off of Route 15 in Maryland, just west of Thurmont and about 18 miles north of Frederick. It consists of two sections, the Houck and Manor areas. The Manor area has 31 campsites and the Houck area has 145 campsites. Sites in the Houck area can be reserved in advance.

Our camping experience got off to a great start using the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' online reservation system. We were able to view maps of the campground and read descriptions of sites available during the period we would be visiting. Our reservations were quickly confirmed and we were ready to go.

Favorite Sites Here are some that looked good to us: Addison Run Loop (electric): 2, 5, 7, 17, 19, and 25 Bear Branch Loop (no hookups): 36, 38, 43, 54, and 56* Catoctin Creek Loop (no hookups): 60, 62, and 83 Deer Spring Branch Loop (no hookups): 95 and 103 Elderberry Loop (no hookups): 123, 126, 127, 135, 140, 141, 143, 144, and 148 * We really liked this site.

We were thoroughly impressed with Cunningham Falls. The park is situated in a particularly scenic area and the campsites were among the best maintained we had ever seen. All of the sites in the Houck area are wooded with level pads. Since the campground is in a hilly area, some sites drop off sharply just beyond the boundary of the camping pad. (Be sure to check the site descriptions carefully if you are going to be camping with small children.) All of the sites are fairly large. Ours was plenty big enough to easily accommodate our pop-up camper.

The bathhouses are modern and well maintained. The Houck area has a camp store that offers ice, firewood, basic groceries, camping supplies and some souvenir items. Security at the Houck area is good, also; passage through the campground gate requires a passcode (provided at check-in).

There's plenty to do in the area. Swimming, boating, and fishing are available in the 44-acre Hunting Creek Lake. Fishing is also available in Hunting Creek, which is a catch-and-release trout area. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the park.

The most popular attraction is the 78-foot waterfall for which the park is named. It's an easy ½-mile hike to the falls with some interpretive signs and benches along the trail.

The town of Thurmont is a quaint little place and worth a look. One section of town features a number of antique shops and craft stores. The Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo is located just south of town.

One evening, we took a drive over to Hagerstown to catch a minor league baseball game. The low admission price (we paid $5.00 per seat) even includes a fireworks display following Friday night home games. Nearby Frederick also hosts a minor league baseball team.

The campground is abundant with wildlife. On our first evening there, a deer wandered into the campground and grazed along side the road. The nearby woods were full of chipmunks that made frequent forays into our campsite looking for crumbs. As we were packing up to leave, I noticed a hawk sitting on a low branch about 6 feet behind our camper. He sat there for about a half hour, even posing for a few photographs, before flying off to a tree in the next site.

We found Cunningham Falls State Park to be just about the nicest state park we've ever visited. We're already making plans for a return trip next year.

For more information on Cunningham Falls State Park and surrounding areas, check out:

• Maryland Department of Natural Resources
• Thurmont, Maryland
• Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo
• Hagerstown Suns Baseball
• Frederick Keys Baseball