Muddy Creek Falls, Swallow Falls
Youghiogheny Highlands, Maryland · 2,319 ft
Maryland's tallest free-falling waterfall drops 53 feet over a sandstone lip inside an old-growth hemlock and white pine stand. The dark conifers hold the edges of the frame while red maple and yellow birch supply the color along the creek.
Typical peak
Oct 9 – Oct 17
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Enter Swallow Falls State Park off Swallow Falls Road nine miles north of Oakland; a paved 200-yard path runs from the lot to the falls overlook and stairs.
What turns here
- eastern hemlock
- white pine
- red maple
- yellow birch
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 13Typical color progression for Muddy Creek Falls, Swallow Falls. No change from Sep 5 to Sep 22. First color from Sep 22 to Oct 1. Approaching peak from Oct 1 to Oct 9. Peak from Oct 9 to Oct 17. Past peak from Oct 17 to Oct 27. Bare from Oct 27 to Nov 10.
Color starts around Sep 22.
Light at peak
Muddy Creek Falls, Swallow Falls on October 13, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:58 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 7:25 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 8:01 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:04 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:06 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 260° | 6:42 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:09 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 17m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.