Approximate Boundary: 39.460517,-79.447271 to 39.461031,-79.423302 (1.73 miles)
Herrington Creek receives an amazing dose of trout, given the limited roadside stocking points. The major stocking point is easy to find since it is adjacent to a large turnout marked with a DNR kiosk on the north side of the creek. There are no trails that parallel the water downstream other than the faint fisherman’s trail that leads directly from the parking area to the water. At the turnout, the creek is approximately 15 feet wide and thoroughly overgrown with dense vegetation. The stream bottom is a mix of sand, rocks, and small boulders.
The upstream side is tied into the formal trail network of the Herrington Manor State Park and offers easier access where the trail parallels the creek. Between the dam on Herrington Lake and the turnout, the stream has a low gradient and flows through an open valley. After crossing the road, the elevation drops approximately 40 feet in the 1.4-mile stretch to the junction of the Youghiogheny River. Unlike the upstream section, the downstream runs through a deep valley with no exit point other than the original turnout. The most dramatic section begins 0.8 miles from the road.
According to the Eastern Brook Trout Venture, Herrington Creek has good enough water quality, equivalent to the Savage Reservoir watershed, to support the natural reproduction of trout. However, the DNR 2005 Brook Trout Management Plan did not identify this creek as having a self-sustaining population. Maybe that will change in the future, but it means that if you hike a significant distance from the road, you may not encounter any fish..
Getting There:
North: From I-68, take exit 4 onto MD 42. Follow MD 42W to the intersection with Blooming Rose Road and turn left to go back underneath the interstate. Turn left on White Rock Road. Turn right onto Cranesville Road. Cranesville Road becomes Herrington Manor Road. Go past the entrance to the State Park to the large parking area on the north side of the creek.
South: From Oakland, turn west on E Center Street. Follow it through the intersection with N Bradley Lane onto Bradley Lane to turn right on Liberty Street. Head west on Liberty Street across the river and into the park. The name of the road changes to Herrington Manor Road. The large parking area is on the north side of the creek prior to reaching the entrance to the State Park.
Access Point: Parking lot on the east side of Herrington Manor Road adjacent to the creek (39.464106,-79.443864)
Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the Maryland DNR website.
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Downstream from the road
On the Herrington Lake side
Low gradient near the lake
“Can’t miss” parking lot near stream.
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore