39° 38′ 14″ N, 76° 25′ 0″ W
One of our friends, Jimmy, found a nearby waterhole we could take a swim in, and so we headed to Rocks state park. I was expecting a hole in the ground with spring water bubbling out, but it turned out to be a waterfall, and the second tallest free fall in Maryland. It’s name – Kilgore Falls. Just note that the falls is not located in the main state park itself, but rather, it is 5 miles north in Falling Branch. There are only 20 parking spots available and you wouldn’t be allowed to stop anywhere else, so if you are unlucky, you have to wait for someone to leave. The good news is that it is free of charge and it does control the number of people around the waterfall area.
It happened that we had a long downpour a day earlier, so the half mile walk to the falls were muddy and slippery. However, we were blessed with huge amount of water and a large majestic waterfall. The granite rocks around the area are also massive and provided some breathtaking views. It is hard to imagine such a scene in the lowlands/farming area of Maryland. Don’t expect it to be Niagara, and you will be rewarded.
The water was cold, the rocks in the river were kind of slippery too. There are no facilities in the area so remember to bring a picnic towel if you want to bring some food to eat by the waterfalls. The one thing that surprised me was that there were no bugs and we were glad we didn’t have to hide in the water from the mosquitoes. Even though this wasn’t a waterhole, there is a rock by the waterfall that acts like a plank for jumping into a waist deep level pool of water. Be sure to check the height before jumping in – I don’t know if it is safe to jump in there all the time.
Well, enough of me talking and just stare at some nice pictures!
