Maryland’s Mountains

While much of Maryland looks toward the Chesapeake Bay, the soul of its western panhandle belongs entirely to the Appalachians. This is a landscape where the earth rises up, shaking off the coastal plains to form a rugged tapestry of folded stone, ancient forests, and sweeping vistas.

To travel from east to west across these four counties—Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett—is to take a journey through geologic time. You are crossing three distinct provinces of the Appalachian chain, moving from metamorphic roots to sedimentary layers that hold the memory of ancient seas and prehistoric swamps.

Here is the lay of the land in Maryland’s high country.

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The Blue Ridge Province: The Eastern Sentinels

This is the gateway to the mountains. Though it is the smallest of the state’s geologic provinces—making up the western third of Frederick County and a narrow band along Washington County’s eastern border—it carries a heavy presence. The rocks here are predominantly metamorphic, hardened by ancient heat and pressure. It is home to ridges that stand like guardians, including Quirauk Mountain and the prominent High Top.

The Ridge and Valley Province: Waves of Stone

Moving west into Washington and Allegany counties, the landscape falls into a dramatic rhythm. This province is defined by long, parallel ridges separated by deep, fertile valleys—like enormous waves of stone frozen in time. While it has fewer giants than the plateau to the west, it still boasts impressive heights, with Warrior Mountain rising as the province’s highest point in Maryland at 2,185 feet. This is a land textured by outcroppings of limestone and shale, shaping the unique ecology of the region.

The Appalachian Plateaus Province: The High Roof

This is Maryland’s true high country. Covering Garrett County and the western bulk of Allegany County, this province is a rugged, uplifted tableland. The rocks here are mostly sedimentary layers of sandstone and limestone, holding deep deposits of coal—the energy of ancient forests locked in stone. This is where you find the state’s highest elevations, a place where the climate shifts, home to dark coniferous forests and rare peat bogs that feel more like Canada than the Mid-Atlantic.

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The Giants of Maryland: A Roll Call of the Highest Peaks

While Maryland isn’t famous for fourteeners, its highest ridges offer solitude, challenge, and incredible beauty. Here are the highest points where the Old Line State touched the sky.

(Note: Altitudes are approximate and based on the Maryland Geological Survey factsheet. We’ve corrected a clear typo in the original source regarding Big Savage Mountain’s height).

RANK	MOUNTAIN / RIDGE	ELEVATION (ft)	COUNTY	PROVINCE
1	Backbone Mountain (Hoye-Crest)	3,360	Garrett	Appalachian Plateau
2	Negro Mountain	3,075	Garrett	Appalachian Plateau
3	Meadow Mountain	3,022	Garrett	Appalachian Plateau
4	Big Savage Mountain	*2,990	Garrett	Appalachian Plateau
5	Dans Mountain	2,898	Allegany	Appalachian Plateau
6	Winding Ridge	2,842	Garrett	Appalachian Plateau
7	Warrior Mountain	2,185	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
8	Quirauk Mountain	2,140	Washington	Blue Ridge
9	Town Hill	2,039	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
10	Hearthstone Mountain	2,021	Washington	Ridge & Valley
11	Martin Mountain	1,974	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
12	Wills Mountain	1,960+	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
13	High Top	1,880	Frederick	Blue Ridge
14	Polish Mountain	1,783	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
15	Sideling Hill	1,760	Washington	Ridge & Valley
16	Fairview Mountain	1,690	Washington	Ridge & Valley
17	Powell Mountain	1,548	Washington	Ridge & Valley
18	Sword Mountain	1,530+	Washington	Ridge & Valley
19	Green Ridge	1,424	Allegany	Ridge & Valley
20	Sugarloaf Mountain	1,282	Frederick	Piedmont (Monadnock)
21	Tonoloway Ridge	1,240+	Washington	Ridge & Valley

Data adapted from Maryland Geological Survey FactSheet 9.

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