Maryland is known for many things. It’s a beautiful, vibrant, and green state with lots of things to do. Maryland is known for its delicious blue crabs, natural landscapes, and Baltimore, which is a large city rich with culture. Most people don’t automatically picture cool and refreshing springs or creeks in Maryland, but there are likely over 100 in the state! These hidden gems are great places to find natural drinking water or take a dip and refresh during hot summers. Fishing is also popular in some springs. Follow along to discover 7 natural springs in Maryland, and where to find them.
Read on to learn more about each of these beautiful natural springs!
Henryton Spring (Marriottsville)
Henryton Spring is in Marriottsville, Maryland, where the Waverly Mansion is on a former plantation.
The first spot on our list of natural springs in Maryland is the Henryton Spring in Marriottsville. Henryton Spring is a cool and refreshing spring near the Henryton School of Practical Nursing. It’s a hidden gem and a great place to drink natural water. You can find this lovely natural spring on Henryton Road. It’s free to use, but there are no parking spots, so you’ll need to pull to the side to gather water from the spring. You may need to test the water quality before drinking. This natural spring is in the quiet unincorporated community of Marriottsville.
Never-Ending Spring (Howard County)
Cascade Falls from a natural spring in Patapsco Valley State Park, Howard County, Maryland
©Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images
Another natural Maryland spring is the Never-Ending Spring in Howard County. It’s a quiet spot in Patapsco Valley State Park. Not much is known of this spring. Patapsco Valley State Park has a surface area of 16,043 acres. It’s a great place for bird-watching. You can also hike and get in tune with nature. The park is along the Patapsco River. To make the best of your time and see everything the park has to offer, you can camp for a few nights. In the morning, hike any of the over 200 miles of trails and collect water from the Never-Ending Spring. You can also fish on the river for sunfish, rainbow trout, and rock bass.
Black Sulphur Spring (Allegany County)
Black Sulphur Spring empties into the Potomac River in the Green Ridge State Park.
©Jon Bilous/Shutterstock.com
Next is the Black Sulphur Spring in Allegany County. This lovely spring is another best-kept secret. It’s a calm and peaceful spring that isn’t very well-known. This spring is near Green Ridge State Forest and the Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area. The Green Ridge State Forest is a 46,000 acre state forest in eastern Allegany County. It was established as a state forest in 1931. This lovely and vibrant forest is along the Potomac River. There are many scenic points you can find while on hikes to view the river. You can also fish in the state forest for bass, walleye, American eel, and sunfish.
White Sulphur Spring (Allegany County)
Also in Allegany County is the White Sulphur Spring. It’s near the White Sulphur Run and a group campsite. This lovely spring is also in Green Ridge State Forest. To get to White Sulphur Spring, you need to hike a trail near the run. The spring is small with rushing water. Although it’s not a large pool of water, you can collect water to drink and enjoy the hike to the spring. While on your hike, you may see animals like white-tailed deer.
White-tailed deer are common in Maryland and may be seem while hiking to the White Sulphur Spring.
©Jim Cumming/Shutterstock.com
Fountain Rock Spring (Frederick County)
The fifth natural Maryland spring on our list is the Fountain Rock Spring in Frederick County. This calm spring is an excellent, but small, fishing spot. You’re unlikely to run into anyone while visiting. It’s stocked with trout. Near the spring is the Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center. This park sits on a surface area of 22.5 acres.
The Fountain Rock Spring location has a small fishing pond stocked with trout.
©United States Fish and Wildlife Services / Public domain – Original / License
Glen Afton Spring (Washington County)
Continuing our list of natural springs in Maryland is the Glen Afton Spring in Washington County. This spring is between Pen Mar Park and Fort Ritchie. It can be difficult to find as it’s in a rural area. This spring though has a long history, although the details are hard to find. However, it has been used as a spring since at least the early 20th century.
The Glen Afton Spring is in Washington County, Maryland.
Villa Maria Spring (Baltimore County)
Last but not least is the Villa Maria Spring in Maryland. It’s another hidden gem that is a challenge to find. This lovely spring is in Baltimore County near Notch Cliff and Manor Woods. One of the closest cities is Perry Hall. The Villa Maria Spring is also near the Pierce Branch, a calm stream with spectacular views. Nearby is also the Big Gunpowder Falls, which is in Gunpowder Falls State Park.
The Villa Maria Spring isn’t far from Gunpowder Falls State Park in Maryland.
©Jon Bilous/Shutterstock.com
Summary of 7 Natural Springs in Maryland
| Name of Spring | Location | In/Near |
|---|---|---|
| Henryton | Marriottsville | Waverly Mansion |
| Never-Ending | Howard County | Patapsco Valley State Park, Patapsco River |
| Black Sulphur | Allegany County | Green Ridge State Park, Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area, Potomac River, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal |
| White Sulphur | Allegany County | Green Ridge State Park, Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area, Potomac River, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal |
| Fountain Rock | Frederick County | Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center |
| Glen Afton | Baltimore County | Between Pen Mar Park and Fort Ritchie |
| Villa Maria | Washington County | Notch Cliff, Manor Woods, Pierce Branch, Big Gunpowder Falls State Park |
The photo featured at the top of this post is © railway fx/Shutterstock.com
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