Active Closures:
- Lostland Run Road is closed at Campsite 22 due to unsafe bridge conditions.
- The 5½ Mile Trail bridge over Toliver Run is closed due to unsafe bridge conditions. [Map of affected area]
- Timber harvest operations are active at the Kindness Demonstration Area in Hutton. Yield to harvest traffic.
Closures are updated as conditions change. Contact headquarters for current status.
Location:
Potomac-Garrett State Forest Map
From Washington/Baltimore: Take I-70 W to I-68 W. Take Exit 22 (US-219 S) in Garrett County. Continue south on US-219 S. Turn onto New Germany Road, then MD-495 S, then Boiling Spring Road to Potomac Camp Road. From Pittsburgh: Take PA-43 S to US-40 E. Follow US-40 E to PA-281 S in Henry Clay Township. Continue to US-219 S in Garrett County via Friendsville Road. Follow US-219 S, then Sand Flat Road and Boiling Spring Road to Potomac Camp Road.
Headquarters:
1431 Potomac Camp Road Oakland, MD 21550
Phone:
301-707-6539
Office Hours:
Monday, 7 am to 3:30 pm - Staff are frequently in the field; call ahead before visiting.
Self-service kiosk:
Fuelwood permits and pavilion rental payments may be submitted via the lockbox on the headquarters covered porch.
Pets
Permitted throughout the forest on a leash at all times.
Recreation and Trails
Hunting, Trapping, and Permits
Forest Management
Overview
Potomac-Garrett State Forest covers approximately 19,000 acres in southwestern Garrett County. The Garrett brothers' 1906 donation of 1,977 acres established the original Garrett State Forest and formed the foundation of Maryland's public lands system and the Maryland Forest Service. The forest is predominantly second-growth mixed hardwood, with stands of mixed oaks, sugar maple, red maple, black cherry, basswood, ash, and birch. Growing conditions range from the wind- and ice-exposed ridge tops of Backbone Mountain to the deep slopes above the North Branch of the Potomac Rive.
The forest has been actively managed since its establishment using both even-aged and uneven-aged silvicultural techniques. Timber harvest operations have been used to thin overstocked stands, remove mature and declining trees, improve age-class and species diversity, reduce wildfire hazard, and enhance wildlife habitat. Much of the forest contains high-quality hardwood timber.
Kindness Demonstration Area
The Kindness Demonstration Area covers 387 acres within the Garrett brothers' original land donation and includes a 1.25-mile self-guided interpretive trail with signs explaining forest management and timber harvest practices. It is located in Hutton, off Potomac Camp Road. A trail map and interpretive brochure are available at headquarters.
