 South Mountain State Park |
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South Mountain State Park |
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This historic park has over 10,000 acres for year-round hiking along the Appalachian Trail. South Mountain, a ridge composed largely of resistant quartzite, posed a formidable obstacle to the early settlers until 1755 when General Edward Braddock and a young surveyor, George Washington, constructed a road over one of its passes. Greenbrier, Washington Monument and Gathland are neighboring state parks along South Mountain.
Battle of South Mountain
On September 14, 1862, the three most southern wind gaps of South Mountain were the sites of a successful delaying action fought by Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee during their first invasion on the North. The success in holding back Union General George B. McClellan's army allowed Lee time to regroup his forces at Sharpsburg, where the Battle of Antietam occurred a few days later. For more information, see Gathland State Park. Historic weapons safety guidelines for interpretive demonstration purposes as authorized by the Maryland Park Service.The Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a 2178-mile long footpath that runs from Maine to Georgia. The Appalachian Trail in Maryland runs approximately 41 miles on the Ridge of South Mountain bordering Frederick and Washington counties. The AT is marked with white painted blazes with side trails to shelters marked with blue blazes. Click here to read information about the Maryland portion of the Appalachian Trail.Additional Appalachian Trail Resources:
- Potomac Appalachian Trail Club: www.patc.net/index.htm
- Appalachian Trail Conference: www.appalachiantrail.org
- National Park Service: www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm
Day hikers may begin excursions at various trailheads located wherever a trail intersects a road. There are overlooks within a short hike of the trailheads on Route 40, Weverton Cliff, Gathland, Route 17, or at Pen-Mar and High Rock. In some areas the terrain can be rocky and rough.
Camping is permitted at any of the six shelters or at the Dahlgren, Pogo and Annapolis ROck Backpackers' camps. Pets are permitted when on a leash. Hunting is permitted in designated areas only. Loaded weapons are not permitted on the trail or within the safety zone (150 yards from the trail).
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) performs volunteer trail maintenance along the entire trail in South Mountain, and along many of the side trails.
The Appalachian Trail Conference suggests these "leave-no-trace" tips when hiking on the AT:
- Travel only on foot.
- Stay on the footpath; short cuts erode the land and make more work for the volunteers who take care of the Trail for you.
- If you packed it in, pack it out! Help out by picking up any trash others have left behind.
- Travel in small groups. Four to six is ideal; larger groups should be divided up into groups of 10 or less.
- Camp at areas established for overnight use.
- Purify all drinking and dish-washing water before you use it.
- Take only pictures. Leave only the lightest of footprints.
- Use a small backpacking stove instead of building campfires. Never cut live branches or trees for firewood.
- Stay on Trail lands; if you wander too far, you may be trespassing on private property.
- Don't wash or rinse your dishes in or near open water.
- Respect other hikers and the wildlife by traveling and camping quietly.
- Pets are best left at home. If you do bring them, keep them on a leash and away from water sources and clean up after them.
South Mountain State Park offers no accessible facilities. For available accessible amenities in Maryland State Forests and Parks, visit the Accessibility For All section of this website.
Information about the State Forest and Park Service Living History Program.
South Mountain State Park
c/o Greenbrier State Park
21843 National Pike
Boonsboro, MD 21713
(301)791-4767
Funding for Maryland's State and local parks and conservation areas is provided through The Department of Natural Resources' Program Open Space. Established in 1969, Program Open Space symbolizes Maryland's long term commitment to conserving natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Last Updated on March 7, 2007
