Cunningham Falls Trail

Cunningham Falls Trail leads directly to the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland — a 78-foot cascade of Big Hunting Creek dropping over a wide ledge of ancient metamorphic rock in the Catoctin Mountains. The falls spread across a broad rocky face in a fan of white water rather than a single plunge, creating a distinctive visual different from the narrow vertical drops typical of many Appalachian falls. The trail follows Big Hunting Creek upstream through a mixed hardwood and hemlock forest along a well-maintained gravel and boardwalk path accessible to hikers of nearly all abilities. The creek itself is a nationally recognized trophy trout stream managed for catch-and-release fly fishing, and anglers working the pools below the falls with dry flies are a common sight from spring through fall. At peak flows during spring snowmelt and after heavy rain, the falls are thunderous and the mist carries downwind for hundreds of feet. In winter the falls partially freeze in spectacular fashion, with ice columns and curtains forming across the rock face while open water continues to flow beneath. Interpretive signs at the falls explain the geology of the Catoctin greenstone — a billion-year-old volcanic formation that outcrops throughout the mountain range and provides the distinctive blue-green colored rock at the base of the cascade. The short length makes this an ideal destination for families with young children or hikers with limited mobility.