About
Herrington Manor State Park is a 365-acre Maryland DNR park set inside Garrett State Forest at 222 Herrington Ln, Oakland, MD 21550. It is built around 53-acre Herrington Lake, and it suits families who want a lake beach and paddling in summer, a log cabin to rent for a few nights, or ski and snowshoe trails in winter.
On and Around Herrington Lake
Herrington Lake has a swimming beach and a public boat ramp, and no gas-powered motors are allowed, which keeps the water quiet for paddlers. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day the park rents stand-up paddle boards, canoes and single and double kayaks, with rentals postponed when air and water temperatures are too low. On land you will find tennis, basketball and volleyball, picnic areas and shelters, and summer interpretive programs, and the park hosts a fall apple butter boil.
Cabins, Trails and Winter Fun
The park rents 20 furnished log cabins year-round; camping and picnic shelter reservations go through the Maryland Park Service reservation system. A 5.5-mile trail through Garrett State Forest links Herrington Manor with Swallow Falls State Park for hiking and mountain biking. Fat tire bikes are rented year-round, and when there is enough snow the park offers cross-country skiing and snowshoe rentals and posts a ski report. Snowmobiles are not allowed in the park, but you can buy a Maryland snowmobile permit at the park office for nearby trails.
Where Maryland Forestry Began
In 1906 John and Robert Garrett gave the state land for forestry demonstration, the start of what is now Garrett State Forest. A monument on Herrington Manor Lake Road, dedicated in 1976, marks the spot near where state forestry in Maryland began. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps dammed Herrington Creek to create the lake and built the first ten cabins, a concession building and a pavilion. The area became a state park in 1964.
Check the DNR page for day-use and cabin reservation details before you head out.
Address
222 Herrington Ln, Oakland, MD 21550