Bear Pen Run Natural Area

Bear Pen Run Natural Area is a protected stretch of Savage River State Forest in northeastern Garrett County, named for the Bear Pen Run tributary that feeds the Savage River. It is reached from a small pull-off on Savage River Rd near Swanton and suits hikers, birders, anglers and naturalists who are comfortable exploring without trails or signs.

What the Natural Area Protects

The land is a large, mostly unbroken forest with varied terrain and cool mountain springs and streams. Parts of it were logged in the early 1900s and have since recovered, while untouched patches show old-growth traits such as trees of many ages and standing and fallen dead wood. Keeping the forest whole matters because it helps protect water quality across the Savage River watershed.

Maryland DNR lists threatened leatherwood, which blooms yellow in spring, along with native brook trout, Maryland's only native trout, and a varied salamander population. Forest-interior songbirds nest here, and black bear, bobcat and the shy, nocturnal fisher live in the woods. Invasive Japanese spiraea is one of the threats DNR watches.

Before You Go

• There are no facilities and no established trails; an old narrow-gauge railroad bed is the main route into the woods.
• Parking is a small, unmarked pull-out on Savage River Road, about 4.1 miles from its junction with Westernport Road.
• Expect ticks, mosquitoes, poison ivy and rugged ground, and keep in mind that hunters use the forest in season.
• DNR asks visitors to follow Leave No Trace principles.

Savage River State Forest, which manages the area, also has a reservable Bear Pen Group Site on Savage River Road, and Big Run State Park and the Savage River Reservoir boat ramps are along the same road if you want a picnic or a paddle afterward. Call the forest headquarters before you head out for current road and hunting-season conditions.

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