MD State Park Green Ridge State Forest

I just came back from my 8th trip out to Green Ridge State Forest in Western Maryland. It's safe to say this is my favorite camping spot in Maryland but it is not for everyone. One of the reasons I like camping is to get away from all the trappings of urban life - the hoards of people, screens, traffic, internet. It's nice to just get out into nature and listen to the birds, identify the trees, look for animals.

Geographically it is a big place by East Coast standards at around 50,000 acres it stretches from Pennsylvania to the Potomac River and is around 20 miles wide east to west. Elevations vary from nearly 2000 feet at the top of the ridges to a bit less than 600 feet at the banks of the Potomac. It is said to contain more species of trees within these 50,000 acres than all of Western Europe. This is possible given the number of microclimates within the forest.

Historically, proximity to the Potomac allowed for timber usage and like most of the Eastern Seaboard was basically deforested after the Civil War industrial period. In the early part of the 20th century there was a plan to develop the "World's Largest Apple Orchard" by the family that had used the land for timber making barges on the C&O Canal. The idea was to develop it into 5 acre parcels that families would purchase. This didn't pan out and the project went belly up. The land was acquired by the state and thus began active forestry management efforts. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps created many of the roads still used today as well as the campsites that are also still in use.

Within this large area, there are a bit less than 100 sites interspersed. Without first scoping out the area, it's a bit of a challenge picking a spot. I've been there after a heavy rain and noted some of the roads to be submerged. I'd recommend arriving while the headquarters is open and discuss with them what gear you have and which sites are most appropriate given the current conditions. Alternatively, you could pay and go pick a site then call or drive back to tell them which you've picked. That said, cell coverage is spotty in the forest. Given the size and the nature of the roads, it can be a 45 minute drive from the headquarters to some of the more remote spots.

In terms of activities hiking, paddling, biking, hunting, birding are the main things to do here. The Potomac is nearly always runnable and there are several other smaller rivers that can also be paddled when it's not too dry. There are several trails through the forest but I also find hiking the roads to be fine. The areas I go usually only have a vehicle (usually a truck) passing through every couple of hours.

For facilities, a fire ring and picnic table are about it for most sites. For water, I fill up my 2 7 gallon jugs at the headquarters when I check in. You'll want to bring in as much water as you think you'll need as it is a long ways back round trip if you have to refill. On one trip, I ended up bringing my jugs into a convenience store in Paw Paw West Virginia and refilling them in a back cleaning room but this was awkward and cumbersome. I've decided that digging a cat hole and burying the human waste is much simpler than using the bucket/bag method. Some pics of Green Ridge:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BczmFWddhFz3avX26