Cranesville Swamp, Western MD

Church By Cranesville Swamp

Cranesville Swamp [map] is one of the few remaining boreal bogs left in the United States.  The swamp rests on the border between West Virginia and Maryland, and since it sits in a natural bowl, it's naturally colder than the surrounding area, so it supports flora and fauna usually only seen in more northern climates.  So when I made my first trip out there, I was excited about what I may see.  Unfortunately, photography in the bog itself is quite a challenge.  You're pretty much limited to the boardwalk, and there's not that much that you can see.  Now I'm no expert in plant life, so someone with more expertise may get more out of the trip than I did.

Path to Cranesville Swamp

At the same time, I've always come home with something good that makes the trip worthwhile.  There's an old church by a stream on the way in, that has yielded some good photos.  There's a path that leads you from the parking area to the swamp, and one part of this path has been re-forested.  The trees were planted in rows, so the area has given me some good photographs.

Path to Cranesville Swamp

If you're in Western Maryland, this is a great place to visit.  I would certainly go to Swallow Falls and Potomac State Forest first, but this is worth visiting as well.

Spider Web at Cranesville Swamp