Route: Meadow Mountain Trail (MD)

The Meadow Mountain trail is part of the Savage River State Forest Trail System. Much of it is a designated OHV/ATV route so trails may be paved with gravel. The very southern part is for hiking only, and it ends at a marvelous overlook on Meadow Mountain. Terrain rolls along mountain ridges, w/occasional moderately steep grades in the first half. Footing is very runnable for the vast majority of distance, where the trail is a double wide snowmobile route. More technical section at south end is dirt single track w/some mildly rocky sections, which adds interest. In winter, if there has been a good snow, there are lots of animal tracks to interpret. The route is fairly shaded, but, has no available potable water. Except for during very dry periods, there are several seeps crossing the trail which could be used for filtering water, if running the route as an unsupported out & back. Weather in Garrett Co. is rarely very hot, so, this trail could be covered safely, one-way, at most times of year, w/as little as 20oz. of fluid.

Originally the FKT went to a high lookout point, between access roads (19k). The trail continues to the parking at Bittinger Rd. (MD Rt 495) so there is a new variation for this as well (21k).

Links:

• Savage River State Forest | Forest Service | Maryland Department of Natural Resourceshttps://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/publiclands/savage_meadowmountain.aspx
• OpenStreetMap route
• Waymarked Trails route
• DNR Trail atlas
• Meadow Mountain Trail - Garrett Trails