Western

Western Maryland covers the Appalachian three-county panhandle in the far western part of the state, the mountain-and-valley country where the state narrows to less than two miles wide between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The terrain runs steeply hilly — the Allegheny Plateau in Garrett, the Ridge and Valley folds through Allegany and Washington — drained by the Potomac River along the southern boundary and the Youghiogheny in the far western corner. Three counties cover the region. Washington County holds Hagerstown, the largest city; Allegany holds Cumberland (a former canal-and-rail town with a restored historic district); Garrett holds Oakland, McHenry, and Deep Creek Lake (Maryland’s largest body of fresh water). The Antietam National Battlefield sits in Washington County; the C&O Canal National Historical Park runs the entire southern border; Wisp Resort at Deep Creek and the Savage River whitewater anchor the outdoor recreation. Most trips here run mountain-and-history focused. Deep Creek Lake handles four-season cabin-and-resort traffic — boating in summer, skiing at Wisp in winter; Cumberland anchors the C&O Canal and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad; Antietam runs the heaviest single-day Civil War history (the bloodiest day in American military history) at the eastern edge.