Waterfall Hikes in Maryland

Waterfall Hikes in Maryland at a Glance

This page lists 5 waterfall hikes in Maryland from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 150 ft (Great Falls of the Potomac (Maryland)) to 2,370 ft (Swallow Falls).

5 of the 5 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Great Falls of the Potomac (Maryland) at 1 mi; the longest is Swallow Falls at 1.5 mi. Together the quoted routes add up to 6.2 miles of hiking. By their own ratings they break down as 1 easy.

All 5 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area.

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Every waterfall hike in Maryland, with route facts

Trail	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
Swallow Falls	2,370 ft	Canyon Loop Trail	1.5 mi loop	—	—	—	Swallow Falls State Park day-use parking
Muddy Creek Falls	2,350 ft	Canyon Loop Trail	1.5 mi loop	—	—	—	Swallow Falls State Park day-use parking
Cunningham Falls	1,280 ft	Lower Trail	1.2 mi round trip	142 ft	—	Easy	Day-Use Area parking at Hunting Creek Lake (William Houck Area)
Kilgore Falls	520 ft	—	1 mi round trip	—	—	—	Falling Branch parking lot, 1026 Falling Branch Road, Pylesville
Great Falls of the Potomac (Maryland)	150 ft	Great Falls Overlook Trail	1 mi round trip	—	—	—	Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

Route notes

Swallow Falls — a 1.5-mile loop via the Canyon Loop Trail from Swallow Falls State Park day-use parking.
Muddy Creek Falls — a 1.5-mile loop via the Canyon Loop Trail from Swallow Falls State Park day-use parking.
Cunningham Falls — 1.2 mi round trip via the Lower Trail from Day-Use Area parking at Hunting Creek Lake (William Houck Area), 142 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy.
Kilgore Falls — 1 mi round trip from Falling Branch parking lot, 1026 Falling Branch Road, Pylesville. Parking: Reservation fees are $3.00 per person for Maryland residents or $5.00 per person for non-residents, plus a processing fee..
Great Falls of the Potomac (Maryland) — 1 mi round trip via the Great Falls Overlook Trail from Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center. Parking: An entrance fee is required to enter the park at Great Falls..

1,280 ft