Gambrill State Park: A Challenging Walk to a Not So Rewarding End

Gambrill State Park Overlook

Arriving at Gambrill State Park was an ordeal in itself.  The biggest issue here was parking.  The main visitor lot was gated closed and the few lots that allow trail access were spilling onto the roadways.  After squeezing into a space to access the trails, it was time to decide on what trail to hike.  Feeling ambitious as always, we picked a difficult trail.  As far as difficulty goes, the hills are pretty steep and in some places the rocks can trip you up if you aren't careful.  We didn't attempt any of the shorter loops, such as the Red Maple or White Oak trail.  We started on the Black Locust trail which was, after all, rated difficult.  After a long and sedentary winter, I would agree with the classification!  In the interest of time we veered onto the Green Ash trail which eventually merges with the Yellow Poplar Trail.  These trails were really well marked and the markers look like they are well maintained too!


Sadly, where the Green trail merges with the Yellow trail, the hike takes you along Gambrill Park Road which was really not the most enjoying way to end our hike.  Where had we seen this before?  Tuckahoe State Park; still fresh on our minds from last years brief roadside hiking experience.  I'm sure hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders alike would prefer to avoid the close proximity to the roadways, so keep this in mind if you visit.  The trails are multi use except for the White Oak trail which is limited to foot traffic only.  Although horses are allowed, there is little space available for horse trailers which is also mentioned on the parks website.  Dogs are allowed at Gambrill on all trails and there was no shortage of visitors and their canine companions on our visit.  Even though the parking was awful we only ran into a few other hikers.  With several options for trails (16 miles total) it keeps them from getting overcrowded.

We assumed the speed limit didn't apply to hikers
Speed limit sign with trail blazes on right

The views were also not the greatest.  The vistas of Frederick are really not extremely breathtaking and if it were not early spring, much of the views along the trails would have been totally obscured by the trees.  Overall, if you are looking for some challenging slopes to tackle and perhaps a nice place to bike for a day, Gambrill is perfect for you.  If you are looking for spectacular scenic views, keep looking!  I think the most important tip we have to offer is to be sure and visit on a weekday to avoid the parking issues!

The wildlife use the trails too! 

Maintenance ««««
Human Traffic ««««
Wildlife «««
Terrain Variety «««
Difficulty ««««
Dog Friendly  ««««

For more information:
Maryland DNR:  Gabrill State Park

Sugarloaf Mountain: Local Leafers Paradise

West View Sugarloaf Mountain

So it's that time again!  Fall is coming and the leaves are changing colors and all of a sudden it seems that everyone is out hiking again.  Sugarloaf Mountain attracts many people from the Washington D.C. area with nice views of the countryside.  


There are several miles of trail to hike and all of the trails are very well maintained and well marked.  If you can maintain a fast pace most of the trails can be completed in a day.  Maps are also usually provided at most trail heads and the trails are rated from easy to difficult.  The most difficult trails (red and orange) provide direct access to the east view of the valley.   

Catoctin Mountain Park

Hike Date:  April 14th, 2011

A short drive away from the Frederick county water shed is Catoctin Mountain and Cunningham Falls State Park.  Today we only visited Catoctin since we had a limited amount of time in the afternoon.  That is one great thing about the trails here.  Most are easily accessible by road and if you want to keep it short and sweet you totally can!  With our limited time we hiked up to Cat Rock and let me tell you this is one heck of a leg work out, especially if you are trying to shake the wintertime blues and haven't been hiking for a while! 

Frederick County Watershed

Hike date:  April 3, 2011



Rock Structure in the forest

If you are looking for a little variety in terrain look no further because the Frederick county watershed has it for you!  This place, aka the Frederick County Municipal Forest, offers everything from trout fishing, mountain biking, hunting, and hiking.  This location is extremely popular to all types of cyclists so if you are headed out on a weekend expect to be sharing trails with bikers.  On some occasions I have run into groups of 30 or more people out biking here.

More C & O Canal Adventures: From Point of Rocks, MD to the Lander Lockhouse

Hike Date:  Sunday, April 10th, 2011

Todays hike took us up to the Section of the C & O Canal towpath from Point of Rocks in Frederick County up the the Lander Lockhouse.  Hiking this time of year gives you the opportunity to see wildflowers blooming, and listen to all the frogs and toads calling.  Parking was minimal along train tracks so be prepared to parallel park.  As with all of hour hikes on the towpath, remember that you must walk back to where you parked.  Our hike was three miles each way.

Lander Lockhouse

Along the hike there are two lockhouses.  These served as homes for the lockmasters and their families.  They had to be available at all times to open locks for boats passing through.  While the C & O Canal was only operated between 1831 and 1924, many of the lockmasters families continued to live in the houses well into the middle part of the 20th century.  These lockhouses are now rented for overnight guests.

Trout Lily

Monocacy NRMA Civil War Trails

On Sunday, March 20th, we headed out to do some hiking in Frederick County, MD on some of the famous Civil War Trails in the area.  Our destination was the Monocacy NRMA.  The trails were a bit muddy, unmarked, and there were also some creeks to cross so boots are recommended on this one.  We walked around for a while and discovered an old lime kiln along the trail. After a quick look at this piece of history we continued our adventure along the trail.