Gunpowder Falls State Park is a public recreation area comprising six non-contiguous areas covering 18,000 acres (7,300 ha) in northeastern Baltimore County and western Harford County, Maryland. The state park is primarily made up of the stream valleys of the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls and the Gunpowder River; its natural features range from tidal marshes to rugged interior slopes. The park has over 120 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing plus facilities for picnicking, tubing, canoeing and kayaking, tide-water fishing and crabbing, fly fishing,[3] and hunting, among other activities. It is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.[4]
Gunpowder Falls State Park | |
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Location in Maryland | |
Location | Baltimore County & Harford County, Maryland, United States |
Nearest city | Baltimore County, Maryland |
Coordinates | 39°21′45″N 76°20′33″W / 39.36250°N 76.34250°W[1] |
Area | 14,949 acres (60.50 km2)[2] |
Elevation | 43 ft (13 m)[1] |
Designation | Maryland state park |
Established | 1959 |
Administrator | Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Gunpowder Falls State Park |
The park was established in 1959 to protect the Gunpowder River and the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls,[4] with purchases of the first properties that would make up the park occurring in 1960.[5]
Park areas are accessible at various exits off Interstate 83, Interstate 695, and Interstate 95.[4]