Gambrill State Park

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Coordinates: 39°28′24″N 77°29′31″W / 39.47333°N 77.49194°W

Gambrill State Park
Maryland State Park

Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Frederick

Elevation	1,535 ft (468 m) ^[1]
Coordinates	39°28′24″N 77°29′31″W / 39.47333°N 77.49194°W / 39.47333; -77.49194 ^[1]

Area	1,165 acres (471 ha) ^[2]

Established	1934
Management	Maryland Department of Natural Resources

IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape

Nearest city	Frederick, Maryland

Location in Maryland
Website: Gambrill State Park

Gambrill State Park is located just outside Frederick, Maryland in the eastern United States. This park has several hiking trails and is a popular destination for area mountain bikers. There is also a picnic area with a playground and a small pond. Fishing is permitted at the pond.

Location

Gambrill State Park is approximately 51 miles (82 km) northwest of Washington, D.C. and 53 miles (85 km) west of Baltimore on Catoctin Mountain. Gambrill Park Road is located approximately six miles (10 km) away from Frederick on Route 40 West. The park road traverses Catoctin Mountain, and accesses the campground, the trailhead, and the High Knob areas of this park.

History

Gambrill State Park has its beginnings when conservationists of Frederick County purchased a tract of land on Catoctin Mountain and donated it to the City of Frederick to be used for a municipal mountain park. On September 7, 1934, the City presented the area to the State for use as a state park, which was later named to honor the late James H. Gambrill, Jr., a Frederick resident and advocate of the conservation of natural resources.^[3]

Surrounding areas

Three native stone overlooks, strategically located on the 1600-foot (490 m) summit of High Knob, midway between the Mason-Dixon Line and the Potomac River, offer views of the surrounding area. On a clear day, looking north, a visitor can see the rugged tree-covered mountains of the Frederick City Municipal Forest. Looking south, one can see Crampton's Gap, a Civil War landmark and the site of Gathland State Park, and the Middletown and Monocacy Valleys. South Mountain, where many engagements between Confederate and Union troops took place during the Civil War, can be seen to the West.

Hiking trails

Gambril State Park hosts several hiking trails that go up and through Catoctin Mountain. Each trail is blazed, and each is maintained by a different area volunteer group. Descriptions below are adapted from the official trail guide offered by the State of Maryland.^[4]

White Oak Trail - white blaze (1 mile – 1.6 kilometers) This trail is open only to hikers (no mountain bikes).

Red Maple Trail - red blaze (1 mile – 1.8 kilometers) This trail connects the campground area with the rest of the park. One short section of the trail is somewhat steep. The trail is maintained by The Trail House, an outdoor store in Frederick.

Green Ash Trail - green blaze (2.0 miles – 3.2 kilometers) There are several steep slopes and very little level ground on this trail. The trail is maintained by Wheel Base, a bike shop in Frederick.

Black Locust Trail - black-on-white blaze (3.3 miles – 5.3 kilometers) This trail features several steep slopes mixed with fairly level areas. This trail truly shows the beauty of Gambrill State Park from its wooded slopes to the views of both Frederick Valley to the east and Middletown Valley to the west. The trail is maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, West Virginia Chapter.

Yellow Poplar Trail - yellow blaze (7.1 miles – 7.4 kilometers) The longest of the Gambrill Trails. Hikers who have several hours can enjoy the beauty of nature. Bringing you up the mountain and out into the far reaches of the park, the trail passes two stone overlooks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The trail is maintained by M.O.R.E. (Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts).

Catoctin Trail - blue blaze (26.5 miles – 42.4 kilometers) This trail traverses Gambrill State Park for approximately 3.0 miles (4.8 km), and continues north through the Frederick City Watershed, Cunningham Falls State Park, and Catoctin Mountain Park (CMP). The trail ends at Mt. Zion Road, 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north of Owens Creek Campground in CMP. Along the trail within Gambrill State Park, camping is permitted only at the Rock Run Campground.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gambrill State Park
↑ "FY2013 DNR Owned Lands Acreage Report". Maryland DNR. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
↑ "Gambrill State Park". Maryland DNR. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
↑ "Gambrill State Park Trail Guide". Maryland DNR. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2013.

External links

Gambrill State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Protected areas of Maryland

Federal

National battlefields	Antietam Monocacy

National historical parks	Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

National historic sites	Clara Barton Hampton Thomas Stone

National monuments	Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad

National seashores	Assateague Island

National Park Service parks	Catoctin Mountain Park Fort Foote Park Fort Washington Park Glen Echo Park Greenbelt Park Harmony Hall Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm Piscataway Park

National wildlife refuges	Blackwater Eastern Neck Martin Patuxent Research Refuge Susquehanna River

National historic and scenic trails	Appalachian Trail Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

Other protected areas	Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

State

State parks	Assateague Big Run Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park Calvert Cliffs Casselman River Bridge Chapel Point Cunningham Falls Dans Mountain Deep Creek Lake Elk Neck Fort Frederick Fort Tonoloway Gambrill Gathland Greenbrier Greenwell Gunpowder Falls Hart-Miller Island Herrington Manor Janes Island Jonas Green Martinak Matapeake New Germany North Point Palmer Patapsco Valley Patuxent River Pocomoke River Point Lookout Purse Rocks Rocky Gap Rosaryville Sandy Point Seneca Creek Smallwood South Mountain St. Clement's Island St. Mary's River Susquehanna Swallow Falls Tuckahoe Washington Monument Wye Oak

State forests	Cedarville Chesapeake Doncaster Elk Neck Garrett Green Ridge Pocomoke Potomac-Garrett Savage River Seth Stoney Wicomico

Wildlife management areas	Avondale Belle Grove Billmeyer Bowen Cedar Island Cedar Point Cheltenham Chicamuxen Dan's Mountain Deal Island Diersson E.A. Vaughn Earlville Ellis Bay Fairmount Fishing Bay Frederick City Watershed Grove Farm Gwynnbrook Heater's Island Hugg-Thomas Idylwild Indian Springs Islands of the Potomac Isle of Wight Johnson Le Compte Linkwood McKee-Beshers Maryland Marine Properties Millington Mt. Nebo Myrtle Grove Nanticoke River Old Bohemia Pocomoke River Prather’s Neck Pocomoke Sound Sideling Hill Sinepuxent Bay South Marsh Strider Taylors Island Warrior Mountain Wellington

Natural environment areas	Belt Woods Dundee Governor Parris N. Glendening Mattawoman Morgan Run Severn Run Soldiers Delight Zekiah Swamp

County and
municipal

Parks and sanctuaries	Acorn Park Clifton Park Constitution Park Fort Smallwood Park Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary Lake Centennial Lake Elkhorn Lakelands Park Oregon Ridge Park Patterson Park Robert E. Lee Memorial Park

Non-
governmental

Parks and sanctuaries	Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary Sherwood Gardens Somers Cove Marina Sugarloaf Mountain Western Maryland Rail Trail Youghiogheny Scenic & Wild River

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Maryland

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (web): Maryland Forest Service and Maryland Park Service (web)

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