Coal Haul Road

Wolf Den Run State Park is Maryland's first and currently only park that caters to four-wheeling. There are three designated areas, each with numerous trails. A permit is required. The trails are open year-round except for deer firearms season, the two weeks beginning the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. There is no camping at any of the three offroad locations, but a campground is 1 mile northwest of Huckleberry Roaks Area along N Hill Road.

Coal Haul Road connects the North Hill Area to the Potomac River Area of Wolf Den State Park. The trail itself is barely more challenging than a regular dirt road. As the trail's name suggests, this road was originally used when coal was king of this area of Maryland -- and there is still plenty of evidence of the old mines. Look closely at the USGS Topo map for this area, and you'll see the entrances to several mines hidden in the woods. The old company town of Shallmar is at the bottom of the valley. It was once considered the jewel in the crown of Western Maryland mining towns with a population of over 500 people. It's now just a handful of homes, but the old company store still stands. The nearby town of Kitzmiller has a museum about the history of industry in the valley, and there is also a restaurant in the old company store.