The Youghiogheny River, in Western Maryland, is considered a Scenic and Wild River by the Department of Natural Resources. A few years ago, I hiked along four tough miles of the river and learned firsthand to appreciate what that special designation means.
The Youghiogheny, or the Yock, flows for miles through Garrett County into Pennsylvania. The Maryland section, upstream of the town of Oakland to the town of Friendsville, is well known to white-water kayakers and rafters, visitors to Swallow Falls State Park and people who fish the Yock’s long pools and riffles.
I’ve been fishing the Yock for 30 years. Once upon a time, there was a narrow trail you could take through forest to access a long stretch of the river. That trail disappeared over time because the DNR stopped maintaining it, in accordance with the Yock’s long-standing designation as a Scenic and Wild River. The trail became blocked with fallen trees and heavy rhododendron bushes.
