 Rocky Gap State Park |
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Rocky Gap State Park |
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Rocky Gap State Park encompasses over 3,000 acres of public land for guests to enjoy. Rugged mountains surround the park which features 243-acre Lake Habeeb. The lake is fed by Rocky Gap Run which winds its way through an impressive mile long gorge displaying sheer cliffs, overlooks and a hemlock forest dense with rhododendron. Overlooking the lake is Evitts Mountain, named for an early settler in Allegany County.Rocky Gap Amphitheater
Looking for a place to host your outdoor wedding or reception ... or maybe a small concert or other special event? The amphitheatre at Rocky Gap State Park is available for daily rental. We are accepting applications to reserve the Rocky Gap Amphitheatre for special events.
Rocky Gap State Park is located just seven miles east of Cumberland on Lake Habeeb surrounded by mountains for the most breathtaking views and backdrop for your special event. Seating capacity is 3,000. The stage area is 42 feet x 60 feet of smooth finish, rose colored concrete. There is no overhead cover currently on the stage area. The service charge for daily rentals is $250.00 per day.
For more information on daily rentals of the amphitheatre at Rocky Gap State Park, contact the park office at 301-722-1480.
Camping/Lodging
Rocky Gap offers 278 individual campsites, including 30 equipped with electric hook-ups, dump station, bathhouses, a family group site, three youth group camping areas, one boat ramp, boat rentals, laundry and a camp store. There is also a nature center, game room, swimming beach, and pay phones. Fourteen mini cabins, each with electric, bunk bed and a double bed, are available for rent. Pets are allowed in four designated camp loops. Check out a map of the park.The family group site includes:
Rocky Gap State Park Campground Renovation
- a mini cabin with furniture, balcony and porch/desk, lights and power outlets
- Six tent sites
- Six electric hookup campsites
- Group fire ring
- Total capacity of 40 people
- Access to nearby restrooms/showers
- Service charge of $225 per night for the entire site (no reduced rate for individual rental)
All loops undergoing construction will be unavailable for camping during these times with the exception of Ash loop. Ash loop will be available through December 14, 2008 for campers with self-contained units only. There will be no hookups available.
- Phase I - Construction in Loops B, C, E and I, will begin on September 3, 2008 and continue until Spring 2009.
- Phase II - Loops A, F and G will undergo construction from October 15, 2008 until Spring 2009.
- Phase III - Construction will take place in Loops H, D and the youth group area beginning September 8, 2009 and continue until March 1, 2010.
Hickory & Dogwood loops remain open depending on weather conditions. Please call park headquarters for further information.
Cabins in Hickory & Dogwood loops will remain open depending on weather conditions. Please call park headquarters for further information.
Campground/Mini Cabin Rates: Pavilion Rates: 
Easter Hill Chalet:
The park offers a three bedroom chalet available for rental that accommodates up to eight people. A completely furnished kitchen, wrap around deck, fireplace, outdoor campfire area and grill make this an enjoyable vacation spot.Chalet Rates: For 2008, the chalet is available on a two-night minimum basis for $175 per night (There is a seven day minimum stay from Saturday to Saturday, Memorial Day to Labor Day. During other times there is a two night minimum stay and a three night minimum on holiday weekends.) The chalet can be reserved October 1-April 30 by contacting Rocky Gap State Park at (301) 722-1480. Reservations May 1-September 30 can be made toll-free by contacting the reservation service at 1-888-432-2267 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday). For citizens residing outside the United States, reservations can be made by calling 301-784-9060. This is not a toll-free call. TTY users can call 866-804-7846.
Boating/Fishing
Rocky Gap State Park's Lake Habeeb offers year round recreational opportunities. Boats are allowed on Lake Habeeb 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Navigational lights are required after sunset. Gasoline powered motors are prohibited. Boat ramp is located within the park off Pleasant Valley Road. Rental boats, including canoes, kayaks and paddle boats, are available in the day-use area.
Fishing is excellent in Lake Habeeb and is permitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lake is home to panfish, trophy trout, large and smallmouth bass. A valid Maryland Anglers License is required for those 16 years of age and older and may be obtained from the camp store, local retail outlets or the DNR Licensing and Registration Service Center in Cumberland.
To help maintain a healthy fish population volunteers have added artificial fish habitat. Children's fishing programs are available throughout the summer season. Both brown and rainbow trout are stocked several times a year.
Trails
Rocky Gap offers a variety of hiking trails that guests can enjoy. The Lakeside Trail, a moderate 4.5 mile trail that encircles Lake Habeeb, offers hikers scenic beauty of the area. Crossing over four-foot bridges, trekking along the shoreline and winding through the woodlands are what makes this such a diverse trail.A magnificent view of the one mile long gorge is the gift hikers will get when they reach the overlook on the one-quarter mile long Canyon Overlook Trail. Guests can enjoy a short but scenic hike.
Rock hop down into the canyon on the challenging five-mile long Evitts Homesite Trail and find yourself surrounded by Hemlock, Laurel and Rhododendron. Cross the small cascading stream on the footbridge and begin to climb Evitts Mountain. This is an ambitious trail that climbs about 1,000 feet in elevation in 2.5 miles. Plan to take water and a camera and spend a couple hours. A great hike for those willing to take the challenge.
The one-quarter mile long Touch of Nature Trail offers hikers of all ability levels a fully accessible paved trail. Benches line the hemlock-edged path that leads to the accessible fishing dock.
View a copy of the Rocky Gap State Park Trail Guide. This trail guide, complete with a topographical map of the multi-use trails, is available for sale at Rocky Gap State Park headquarters. Self-Guided Recreational Activities
- Canoeing/Kayaking the Potomac River (12 mi.)
- Canoeing/Kayaking the Potomac River (10.9 mi)
- Canoeing/Kayaking the Potomac River (9 mi.)
- Cycling the C&O Canal, Cumberland to Lock 74 (9.5 mi. one way)
- Cycling the C&O Canal, Lock 67 to Little Orleans (15 mi. one way)
- Cycling the C&O Canal, Oldtown to Lock 67 (11 mi.)
- Hiking at Rocky Gap (4.2 mi.)
Interpretation/Nature Center
Rocky Gap State Park's interpretive program, based out of the nature center, schedules daily activities in the summer to better connect visitors with the natural and cultural resources they come to experience and enjoy. Through these programs and initiatives, we hope to inspire our visitors toward a greater understanding and appreciation for these important resources.Activities include nature hikes, talks, nature crafts, demonstrations, children's programs, campfire programs and special events. The Nature Center has open hours for visitors to explore the building and its many exhibits, to provide answers about the park and its natural surroundings and to invite visitors to participate in programs.
Group programs are also available upon request throughout the year and can be tailored to accommodate group needs. To learn more about the interpretive program, please contact Sarah Milbourne at 301-722-1487 or email at smilbourne@dnr.state.md.us
If hearing an owl call in the dark sets your curiosity in motion or seeing a snake slither makes your skin crawl, then don't miss this very unique opportunity to learn about the importance of reptiles and raptors in the balance of nature. Scales and Tales is an educational program using injured, non-releasable birds of prey and reptiles native to Maryland.Scales and Tales, one of Maryland's premier programs, has a satellite site at Rocky Gap, including an on-site aviary open to the public. This one-of-a-kind program allows visitors the opportunity to view wildlife up close and hear the "tales" of how the animals became part of the program.
Our "Critter Encounter" program will bring our birds direct to your campsite! If you are looking for something unique at your next gathering, a Scales and Tales program can be scheduled as part of your special event. To check for program availability, scheduling or to receive information on program costs, please call park headquarters at 301-722-1480 or email Sarah Milbourne at smilbourne@dnr.state.md.us.
- To learn more about the Scales and Tales programs offered at Rock Gap, please read the Scales and Tales Program Guide.
(Adobe Acrobat file 89KB) - To get the free Acrobat Reader go to Adobe.com.Hunting Program
Rocky Gap is one of Maryland's many state parks that allow hunting activities for the public. At Rocky Gap there are 1,451 acres of land designated solely for rifle and muzzleloader hunting. This area can be accessed by walking from the parking area at the Touch of Nature Trailhead or by walking in from the campground or campground office. A map of the managed hunting area can be viewed and printed for your use.
A separate 300-acre tract of land between Pleasant Valley Road and I-68 offers bow only hunting. Parking is available at the park office and at the park amphitheatre on Pleasant Valley Road. A map of the bow hunting area can be viewed and printed for your use.
Hunting areas are marked with signs and safety areas are posted as well. Please recognize all hunting regulations and safety precautions. Remember to keep all weapons unloaded and cased until you are within a designated hunting area. Hunters are asked to take into consideration that recreational trails do pass into the managed hunting areas. Rocky Gap State Park offers a distinct hunting program for individuals who possess a Permit to Hunt from a Vehicle. Additional information is available at the park office at 301-722-1480 and at www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife.
Members of the Volunteer Team have donated over 300,000 hours of valuable time since the inception of the team in 1992. The Volunteer Team, Inc. sponsors and provides assistance for numerous special events for the public including the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Independence Day activities, a Memorial Day fun fair for children camping at Rocky Gap, a Labor Day corn roast, the haunted campground and the Mt. Reflections Christmas Light Display. On Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends the team also hosts campground karaoke for campers.Support is provided to park and forest visitors on a continuing basis through the Camp Host and Volunteer Ranger programs. These volunteers are publicly visible and help to promote goodwill and understanding of the park to campers and visitors.
Volunteer schedules are very flexible. Volunteers may commit to a weekly or monthly schedule or help on an as-needed basis. No amount of time donated is too small! Many of the projects are done in the evening or on the weekends so that working volunteers and students may participate.
If you are interested in volunteering at Rocky Gap State Park, please call Alicia Norris at 301-722-1483 or email at anorris@dnr.state.md.us
Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort
Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort is located in the heart of Rocky Gap State Park in Western Maryland. Amidst the ridges, gaps and valleys of one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, lies a beautiful new place to relax and conduct business.
The mountains, forests, and serene 243-acre lake will quiet the mind, while the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course will quicken the pulse because the Golden Bear has carved a truly varied and challenging course out of the mountain. Our 220-room lakeside lodge provides everything you need for a productive meeting, including nine modern meeting rooms for 15 to 550 people, full service restaurant and lounge, private dining room overlooking the lake, and lobby with a large stone fireplace for unwinding at the end of the day. We also offer white sandy beaches, fishing for trout and largemouth bass, fitness room, outdoor swimming pool, tennis and volleyball courts, a gazebo dock with paddle and electric boats, and a fire pit for late night lakeside campfires.
Adventure Packages featuring guided kayaking, rappelling, canoeing, biking and hiking excursions are also available through Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort.
Rocky Gap offers a mobility impaired fishing dock, amphitheater, picnic tables and camping. Trail and hunting programs along with interpretive pontoon boat rides are also available. For additional accessible amenities in Maryland State Forests and Parks, visit the Accessibility For All section of this website.
DIRECTIONS:
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and areas west:
Take I-279 south to I-79 south (Washington, PA) to I-68 east (Morgantown, WV) and follow I-68 east for approximately 78 miles. Take the Rocky Gap State Park exit (Exit 50). Make a left crossing over I-68 and the park's headquarters is on the right.From Washington, D.C.: (approximately 150 miles)
Take I-270 north to I-70 west to I-68 west. Take the Rocky Gap State Park exit (Exit 50). The park's headquarters is located on the right.From Baltimore, Maryland: (approximately 130 miles)
Take I-70 west to I-68 west to Exit 50 for Rocky Gap State Park. The park's headquarters is located to the right.
Rocky Gap State Park
12500 Pleasant Valley Road
Flintstone, MD 21530
301-722-1480 (park headquarters)
Call 1-888-432-CAMP(2267) for reservations
Click here to make reservations on-line for Rocky Gap State Park.
Funding for Maryland's State and local parks and conservation areas is provided through The Department of Natural Resources' Program Open Space. Established in 1969, Program Open Space symbolizes Maryland's long term commitment to conserving natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Updated on September 26, 2008
