Cunningham Falls State Park is a public recreation area located west of Thurmont, Maryland, in the United States. The state park is the home of Cunningham Falls, the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland, a 43-acre (17 ha) man-made lake, and the remains of a historic iron furnace.[5] The park is one of several protected areas occupying 50-mile-long Catoctin Mountain; it is bordered on its north by Catoctin Mountain Park and on its south by Frederick Municipal Forest.
Before the arrival of European settlers, Native Americans used the Catoctin Mountain area for hunting and fishing and also quarried it for rhyolite to make projectile points.[6] During the 19th century, settlers began cutting the area's forests for charcoal to power the Catoctin Iron Furnace. "Charcoal flats"—square areas measuring approximately 25 by 25 feet (7.6 by 7.6 m), cut flat into the hillsides and linked by mule trails—were used to build charcoal kilns. The charcoal flats can still be seen in the park.
Over two hundred years of abuse of the forest led to the destruction of the land.[7] In the 1930s, after years of clearcutting for the making of charcoal, mountain farming, and timber harvesting, the land was purchased by the Federal government. Beginning in 1935, workers with the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps began constructing the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area to transform the area for recreational use. The site's northern portion was transferred to the National Park Service on November 14, 1936, and renamed and reorganized on July 12, 1954, as Catoctin Mountain Park. The southern 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) were transferred to Maryland as Cunningham Falls State Park.[8]
Features
View from the top of Cunningham Falls
Known locally as McAfee Falls, after a family of early settlers,[9] 78-foot (24 m) Cunningham Falls was apparently named after a photographer from Pen Mar Park who frequently photographed the falls.[7]
An old homestead can be seen above the falls. There is an abandoned iron mine located in the park in addition to the ruins of the third Catoctin iron furnace, owned and constructed by Jacob Kinkel, in the 1850s-1860s.
Activities and amenities
Recreational activities include hiking, hunting, swimming, boating, fishing, and camping. Big Hunting Creek, one of Maryland's premier trout streams, flows through the park.[10]
^"DNR Lands Acreage" (PDF). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
^"Source Water Assessment for Cunningham Falls State Park" (PDF). Maryland Department of the Environment. April 22, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
^"Cunningham Falls State Park". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
^Wehrle, Edmund F. (March 2000). "Settling the Catoctins". Catoctin Mountain Park Historic Resource Study. National Park Service. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
^ abMiller, Jennifer (2011). "The Demonstration Succeeds" (PDF). The Mountaineer: Catoctin Mountain Park News: Special 75th-Anniversary Edition. National Park Service. p. 4. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
^Strain, Paula M. (1993). The Blue Hills of Maryland. Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. pp. 257–260. ISBN978-0915746453.
^"Cunningham Falls". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
^"Big Hunting Creek". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunningham Falls State Park.
Cunningham Falls State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Cunningham Falls State Park Map Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Geographic data related to Cunningham Falls State Park at OpenStreetMap
January 05, 2023
cunningham, falls, state, park, public, recreation, area, located, west, thurmont, maryland, united, states, state, park, home, cunningham, falls, largest, cascading, waterfall, maryland, acre, made, lake, remains, historic, iron, furnace, park, several, prote. Cunningham Falls State Park is a public recreation area located west of Thurmont Maryland in the United States The state park is the home of Cunningham Falls the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland a 43 acre 17 ha man made lake and the remains of a historic iron furnace 5 The park is one of several protected areas occupying 50 mile long Catoctin Mountain it is bordered on its north by Catoctin Mountain Park and on its south by Frederick Municipal Forest Cunningham Falls State ParkIUCN category V protected landscape seascape 1 The longest cascading waterfall in MarylandLocation in MarylandLocationFrederick County Maryland United StatesNearest townThurmont MarylandCoordinates39 37 53 N 77 28 17 W 39 63139 N 77 47139 W 39 63139 77 47139 Coordinates 39 37 53 N 77 28 17 W 39 63139 N 77 47139 W 39 63139 77 47139 2 Area6 080 acres 24 6 km2 3 Elevation1 247 ft 380 m 2 DesignationMaryland state parkEstablished1954 4 AdministratorMaryland Department of Natural ResourcesWebsiteCunningham Falls State Park Contents 1 History 2 Features 3 Activities and amenities 4 Further reading 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditBefore the arrival of European settlers Native Americans used the Catoctin Mountain area for hunting and fishing and also quarried it for rhyolite to make projectile points 6 During the 19th century settlers began cutting the area s forests for charcoal to power the Catoctin Iron Furnace Charcoal flats square areas measuring approximately 25 by 25 feet 7 6 by 7 6 m cut flat into the hillsides and linked by mule trails were used to build charcoal kilns The charcoal flats can still be seen in the park Over two hundred years of abuse of the forest led to the destruction of the land 7 In the 1930s after years of clearcutting for the making of charcoal mountain farming and timber harvesting the land was purchased by the Federal government Beginning in 1935 workers with the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps began constructing the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area to transform the area for recreational use The site s northern portion was transferred to the National Park Service on November 14 1936 and renamed and reorganized on July 12 1954 as Catoctin Mountain Park The southern 5 000 acres 2 000 ha were transferred to Maryland as Cunningham Falls State Park 8 Features Edit View from the top of Cunningham Falls Known locally as McAfee Falls after a family of early settlers 9 78 foot 24 m Cunningham Falls was apparently named after a photographer from Pen Mar Park who frequently photographed the falls 7 An old homestead can be seen above the falls There is an abandoned iron mine located in the park in addition to the ruins of the third Catoctin iron furnace owned and constructed by Jacob Kinkel in the 1850s 1860s Activities and amenities EditRecreational activities include hiking hunting swimming boating fishing and camping Big Hunting Creek one of Maryland s premier trout streams flows through the park 10 Further reading EditMeans John Maryland s Catoctin Mountain Parks Blacksburg Va McDonald amp Woodward Publishing 1995 ISBN 0 939923 38 6 References Edit Cunningham Falls State Park Protected Planet IUCN Retrieved 1 May 2018 a b Cunningham Falls Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior DNR Lands Acreage PDF Maryland Department of Natural Resources Retrieved December 23 2019 Source Water Assessment for Cunningham Falls State Park PDF Maryland Department of the Environment April 22 2003 Retrieved December 23 2019 Cunningham Falls State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources Retrieved January 8 2014 Wehrle Edmund F March 2000 Settling the Catoctins Catoctin Mountain Park Historic Resource Study National Park Service Retrieved July 15 2015 a b Miller Jennifer 2011 The Demonstration Succeeds PDF The Mountaineer Catoctin Mountain Park News Special 75th Anniversary Edition National Park Service p 4 Retrieved January 8 2014 Strain Paula M 1993 The Blue Hills of Maryland Potomac Appalachian Trail Club pp 257 260 ISBN 978 0915746453 Cunningham Falls The Historical Marker Database Retrieved January 8 2014 Big Hunting Creek Maryland Department of Natural Resources Retrieved July 15 2015 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunningham Falls State Park Cunningham Falls State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources Cunningham Falls State Park Map Maryland Department of Natural Resources Geographic data related to Cunningham Falls State Park at OpenStreetMap Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cunningham Falls State Park amp oldid 1097681425, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
