Rocks State Park is familiar territory to residents in Harford County. With 4.5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, it is no wonder that there is heavy traffic in Rocks during the summer months. According to Google trends data, people’s interest in the park spikes dramatically over the summer and fades away in the colder months.

      The Google trends data includes another spike that doesn’t match the summer trend, there is a large spike when someone loses their life in the park. Recently, someone died after falling in the King and Queen seat, causing a large spike in the searches of Rocks State Park. “I have seen some people acting very recklessly around sharp drops and around the river, which can lead to a lot of danger. Particularly with people who are older or younger than most of the usual visitors in Rocks,” according to sophomore Spencer Grishkot.

     According to reports, some deaths in the park are caused in part by reckless behavior but may be caused by equipment failure or errors while rock climbing. There have been warnings posted in the parks, says Grishkot, who said that “[he has] seen a few signs that [he hasn’t] seen before but other than that rarely sees people who work inside Rocks doing much about the issues.” 

    Grishkot believes “the best part of going to Rocks is the peace of it and being able to let everything else fade away while people enjoy the beauty of nature.”  The park is part of the state park system and houses 855 acres of forests, according to the department of natural resources.
    In Rocks, there is approximately 3.5 miles of defined trails, and access to Deer Creek, where fishing and tubing is allowed during the appropriate seasons. While in the park Grishkot typically “hike some of the trails or make my own trails. I fish and during the hunting season I hunt in the designated hunting area.”
    A benefit found by Grishkot while hiking was that “most people are typically friendly and will say hi when passing each other on the trails. Some people strike up conversations and [he has] actually made some friends to hike with by simply passing them on a trail.”