Photo by Marc Andre
Susquehanna State Park is located in Havre de Grace, in the northeastern part of Maryland. The park is home to popular mountain bike trails, and it’s also a great location for landscape photographers. Here we’ll take a look at the park and a few specific areas of interest for photographers.
→ See more the of the best places to photograph in Maryland.
The Layout
Susquehanna State Park is located along the Susquehanna River, with the majority of the park being located on the west side of the river. Deer Creek and Rock Run flow through the park and into the river.
Photo by Nicolas Raymond / CC BY-SA 3.0
There are several roads that run throughout the park providing access to various areas. Rock Run Road, Wilkinson Road, Quaker Bottom Road, Craig’s Corner Road, and Stafford Road all provide access to the park. Stafford Road runs along the river for most of the length of the park.
The Rock Run Historic Area
Aside from the popular trails and the river itself, the aspect of the park that draws the most interest from visitors is the Rock Run Historic Area. This part of the park features a working grist mill, a historic mansion, and remnants of the Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal.
Photo by jrinker / CC BY 2.0
The grist mill and mansion are open to visitors at times during the summer, and the buildings may be of interest to photographers.
The Rock Run Historic Area is also home to a small dam and waterfall that is one of the more noteworthy parts of the park for photographers. For details on the location of the buildings and the dam please refer to this brochure outlining a walking tour of the area. You can park in the upper parking lot by the mansion and then take the trail from the parking lot just a short distance to the waterfall.
Photo by Marc Andre
Trails
The trails at Susquehanna State Park provide great access to the beautiful forest. Some of the trails also provide views of Deer Creek and Rock Run, which will give you some great photo opportunities. You can find the park’s trail map here. The Deer Creek Trail provides some of the best views.
When to Visit
Fall is an incredible time in the park and would be my recommended time to visit. Peak autumn colors usually arrive in October, but even the first half of November can have some amazing colors with many leaves already on the ground.
Photo license links: CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY-SA 3.0
