Cunningham Falls Hike
Waterfall · about 78 ft high | Maryland
1.2 mi round trip
142 ft
Easy
Cunningham Falls Hike at a Glance
The Cunningham Falls hike via the Lower Trail is 1.2 mi round trip with 142 ft of elevation gain.
| Falls height | About 78 ft |
|---|---|
| Elevation at the falls | ≈ 1,280 ft |
| Trail | Lower Trail |
| Distance | 1.2 mi round trip |
| Elevation gain | 142 ft |
| Difficulty | Easy |
Your time: about 30 min of moving time at Naismith pace (3 mph plus 1 hour per 2,000 ft climbed); about 35 min at a relaxed pace. A 160 lb hiker with a daypack burns roughly 270 kcal.
Adjust for your pace and breaks →Route line not shown. The 1.2 mi distance and 142 ft of gain for this hike are verified (hikingproject.com), but we don't yet have a trail track we trust, so the map shows only the destination. Carry an official map.
About Cunningham Falls
Cunningham Falls is a waterfall in Maryland, about 78 feet high, on land managed by Cunningham Falls State Park (Maryland Park Service). Its height is from en.wikipedia.org.
The Hike
The hike to the falls follows the Lower Trail: 1.2 miles round trip with about 142 feet of elevation gain, from Day-Use Area parking at Hunting Creek Lake (William Houck Area). Distance from hikingproject.com. By the National Park Service difficulty formula (distance against climb) that puts it at Easy.
Before You Go
- Rock around waterfalls is slick when wet; stay on the trail and back from the edge.
- Check Cunningham Falls State Park (Maryland Park Service) for current conditions, closures and parking before you go.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the hike to Cunningham Falls?
The Lower Trail to Cunningham Falls is 1.2 miles round trip with about 142 feet of elevation gain.
Where does the Cunningham Falls hike start?
It starts from Day-Use Area parking at Hunting Creek Lake (William Houck Area).
How tall is Cunningham Falls?
Cunningham Falls is about 78 feet high.
Safety Information
Current Hazards
- Slippery wet rock near the falls
- Fast, high water after rain or snowmelt
- Check weather before departure
Turn-Around Time
3:00 PM
Plan to reach the falls by this time so you are back before dark.
Essential Gear Checklist
* Critical items - do not hike without these
Emergency Contacts
Emergency / Search & Rescue
911Point Forecast
NWS Point Forecast →In most of the US, backcountry search and rescue is dispatched through 911 — tell the operator you have a hiker emergency and your GPS coordinates.
Downloads
Sources for The Cunningham Falls Guide
Where the trail data, elevation and route line on this page come from.
- Verified against
- hikingproject.com
- Distance
- hikingproject.com
- Falls height
- en.wikipedia.org
- Falls location
- gowaterfalling.com
- Elevation
- ≈ Copernicus GLO-90 elevation model at the falls coordinates (via Open-Meteo)
Conditions change. Check the land manager for closures, fees and weather before you go.