Ranger Tales
Swallow Falls: Maryland's Old-Growth Gorge
Walking tour

Swallow Falls: Maryland's Old-Growth Gorge

12 stops· 15 min· 0.9 mi· narrated by Ranger Quinn

🎧 Listen in the app

Buy the self-guided tour now, or get it in the app.

🎫 One-time purchase♾️ Yours forever — no expiry📡 Works fully offline
Highlights include
  • Walking the Canyon Loop
  • The Trees That Escaped the Axe
  • Muddy Creek Falls — the Tallest in Maryland
  • The Summer the Vagabonds Came
  • The Family Who Saved the Forest
  • What the Old Trees Have Seen
  • Swallow Falls & the Youghiogheny
  • The Mountains of Western Maryland
The tour

A walk into the wild green heart of western Maryland's mountains — Swallow Falls, where the Youghiogheny River tumbles over four waterfalls in a single mile through one of the last virgin forests left in the state. Ranger Quinn walks you around the Canyon Loop past Muddy Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall in Maryland, and under hemlocks that were old when the country was young. Ranger Boone Merrick rides along with the tales: the railroad family who saved this forest from the saw; the ancient trees that somehow escaped the axe; and the summer the richest, most famous men in America — Henry Ford and Thomas Edison among them — pitched their tents right here by the falls. Come in October, when the whole gorge burns gold and red over the white water — but any day, the sound of these falls and the hush of these old trees will do you good.

The route

Walking route · 12 stops. Live GPS playback and turn-by-turn pins are in the app.

Every stop

What you'll see and hear

12 narrated stops along the way — waterfalls, overlooks, history, and Ranger Boone's campfire tales.

  1. Welcome to Swallow Falls
    01

    🥾 Welcome to Swallow Falls

    Swallow Falls State Park, Garrett County MD — four waterfalls and Maryland's last old-growth forest on a ~1.3-mi loop. Muddy Creek Falls is the state's tallest (53 ft). Best foliage in October. Wear real shoes — the t…

  2. Walking the Canyon Loop
    02

    🎧 Walking the Canyon Loop

    How the loop trail works — the falls in order, the footing, and staying safe near the water.

    Walking the Canyon Loop guide →
  3. The Trees That Escaped the Axe
    03

    🌲 The Trees That Escaped the Axe

    The Youghiogheny Grove — 300-year-old virgin hemlock and white pine, never logged.

    The Trees That Escaped the Axe guide →
  4. Muddy Creek Falls — the Tallest in Maryland
    04

    🌲 Muddy Creek Falls — the Tallest in Maryland

    The 53-ft plunge of Muddy Creek Falls — the highest free-falling waterfall in the state.

    Muddy Creek Falls — the Tallest in Maryland guide →
  5. The Summer the Vagabonds Came
    05

    🔥 The Summer the Vagabonds Came

    Now let me tell you about the most famous camping trip that ever happened right where you're standing — because back around nineteen eighteen, and again in twenty-one, the tents pitched by these falls belonged to some…

    The Summer the Vagabonds Came guide →
  6. The Family Who Saved the Forest
    06

    🔥 The Family Who Saved the Forest

    I'm Ranger Boone Merrick, and I want to tell you how these ancient trees are still standing at all — because by rights, they shouldn't be. Every other forest in these mountains came down. Go back to the early days. A…

    The Family Who Saved the Forest guide →
  7. What the Old Trees Have Seen
    07

    🔥 What the Old Trees Have Seen

    Put your hand on one of these old hemlocks for a moment, before we walk on — and think about what a tree like this has lived through, standing in these woods the whole time. A tree like this, three hundred years old…

    What the Old Trees Have Seen guide →
  8. Swallow Falls & the Youghiogheny
    08

    🌲 Swallow Falls & the Youghiogheny

    The Swallow Falls themselves, where the Youghiogheny River pours over ledges of ancient rock.

    Swallow Falls & the Youghiogheny guide →
  9. The Mountains of Western Maryland
    09

    🎧 The Mountains of Western Maryland

    Where you are — the high Allegheny plateau, and nearby Deep Creek Lake, Maryland's largest.

    The Mountains of Western Maryland guide →
  10. Tolliver Falls — the Quiet One
    10

    🌲 Tolliver Falls — the Quiet One

    The small, graceful Tolliver Falls — the loop's gentle final waterfall.

    Tolliver Falls — the Quiet One guide →
  11. October Gold & the Life of the Gorge
    11

    🎧 October Gold & the Life of the Gorge

    Peak foliage timing and the wildlife of this cool mountain forest.

    October Gold & the Life of the Gorge guide →
  12. Closing the Loop
    12

    🌲 Closing the Loop

    The walk back through the forest — and a farewell from your rangers.

    Closing the Loop guide →
Plan your visit

Good to know

How long is the Swallow Falls: Maryland's Old-Growth Gorge tour?
The tour has 12 stops over about 0.9 miles with roughly 15 min of narrated audio. You set the pace — pause, linger, or skip ahead anytime.
Do I need cell signal to use the tour?
No. Download the tour before you go and it works completely offline — the audio plays by GPS even with no bars, which is exactly where most park tours lose signal.
How does a self-guided audio tour work?
You walk the route at your own pace and the Ranger Tales app plays the story for each stop automatically when you arrive, using your phone's location. No tapping, no reading while you walk. Ranger Quinn guides and Ranger Boone tells the campfire tales.
How do I get the tour?
Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store, then unlock this tour inside the app. The tour downloads to your phone so it's ready offline before you arrive.
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Change of mind? Full refund if you request it within 24 hours of purchase. If a verified technical issue prevents access, contact support within 7 days for a refund or credit. All requests are reviewed at our discretion and refunded to your original payment method.
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Swallow Falls: Maryland's Old-Growth Gorge — in your pocket

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Swallow Falls: Maryland's Old-Growth Gorge
one-time · yours forever · works offline