Rocks State Park (MD)
To start off with, I’m a HUGE fan of hiking. I like to hike different trails, different ranges of difficulties, long or short, all of the above. I decided to review my most recent hike, Rocks State Park.
Background information:
Rocks State Park features 855 acres of rocky forest land and one of the primary attractions is the kings and queens seat.
A little bit of history for this park is that it was one of the first state parks in Maryland created for the expressed purpose of protected a natural feature. In 1949, the state of Maryland purchased the park to preserve the king and queen’s seat.
How long the hike is:
Depending on which parking lot you’re coming from, It can be a half-mile to a 3.5-mile hike to reach amazing scenery. If you want to hit all the trails and finish with the kings and queen’s seat, you will not be disappointed.
It’s mostly moderate hiking with a bit of an incline.
Difficulties:
There are some rocks that you have to hike, depending on which trail you take! I would recommend going when it’s not too wet outside, so there’s no slippage. If you do, take extra caution. There is a little bit of elevation as well.
King’s and Queens: When you make it to King and queens seat, the lookout is absolutely beautiful with amazing scenery! A spectacular 190-foot outlook overlooking deer creek is something beautiful!
Hiking up to the lookout is a real experience but PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Wear good hiking shoes or shoes that have a good grip!
I went a day after It rained and went to the edge of the rock because I have experience and had heavy-duty hiking shoes. If you do not, DO NOT GO CLOSE TO THE ROCK. It is technically a cliff, so I would require extra caution especially when climbing the rocks to get there.
Climbs range from 8-115 feet so they are suitable for hikers that have skill levels 4 to 5.12. I’ve had a fair share of experiences hiking, so I did not have any issue with this, BUT when I was there, someone climbed with just converse and slipped so bad, he faces planted. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS.
Final Thoughts
This is just one of the many places I hike! It does close at dawn, so make sure you go mid-day! You will not be disappointed. I give it a 9/10 for my overall experience and for the difficulty rate 1-5, I would give it a 3. I hope this helps!
