Bike Western Maryland Rail Trail - 13 miles (PQ)

Saturday brought us to NW Maryland, where we completed two quests. The first was a 13 mile bike down the Western Maryland Rail Trail. We were excited to complete this quest after our recent purchase of new bicycles! We were in a little bit of a time crunch so we (well... actually my hubby on this one) pulled both kids in the Schwinn trailer (Typically we would allow A., our 4 year old to bike the trail as on his own). 

The trail is located in Western MD, along the West Virginia border. We love that area of the state, its got some very gentle rolling hills, and pretty views from many of the state parks there. The actual trail is 22 miles. And this is one that we would like to bike farther on, although with our limited time left at this duty station not sure we'll make it back up to that area. We biked a section of the trail, from big pool to little pool and back. The trail itself is similar to the B&A trail by us, however a little less traveled, less road crossings, and more historical value. The similarity lies in the fact that was a flat easy family ride.  The actual park quest required us to ride to various checkpoint kiosks, where we used the information at each kiosk to answer a series of 8 questions -- most of which were based on the history of the trail, and on early transportation in Western Maryland. 

The kids had a good ride, they were a little squirmy by the end. We witnessed the usual array of wildlife -- deer, rabbits, birds, squirrels. We even saw a few orioles along the way! The highlights of the trip for the entire family of course were the views of little pool, a beautiful historical pond, that was once used as a tow-way for the C&O Canal. and taking time to walk through the Park Head level graveyard -- a graveyard from the 1800's, the most recent being from 1838. Hiding camoflauged behind one of these very old tombstones we found a large moth -- we have been trying to identify it, but unable to so far. Pets are permitted here but our buddy C. had to stay behind for this ride, this plus the hike (a total of 15 miles) would have been a little much for him in 1 day... Maybe we will look into getting him his own doggy bike trailer! PQ passport stamp below!

I've posted the original quest instructions below for our future reference!

Introduction To Quest

Come explore the evolution of travel through rugged Western Maryland. In the 1700’s, explores navigated the mighty Potomac river to new lands on the “frontier” of America. In the 1800’s, the C&O canal was used for travel and commerce along the river. In the 1900’s, powerful locomotives of the Western Maryland Railway carried freight and passengers from Baltimore to the Appalachian Mountains. Today, on I-68 vehicles shuttle back and forth across the state at speeds of 65 miles per hour and the former railway bed is a flat, paved ADA accessible recreational trail. Come experience four centuries of travel along the Western Maryland Rail Trail.

Quest Information

To begin your quest, pick up your packet at Captain's Wort's Trading Post at Fort Frederick State Park or download it here. The packet prints on 8.5 x 14 paper. The quest begins at the Big Pool Station parking lot of the Western Maryland Rail Trail located off I-70 at exit 12. At Captain's Wort's Trading Post, you can stock-up on drinks, snacks and biking gear. You may begin your Quest as early as 10 a.m. The trading post is located adjacent to the historic fort. After receiving you Park Quest booklet, proceed approximately one mile by vehicle to the Big Pool Station parking lot for the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Unload and bike west to Little Pool, located at rail trail mile marker 6. Informational kiosks will provide clues to answering the questions in your booklet. After resting at the scenic mile-long Little Pool, turn around and ride east to the Big Pool Station parking lot. The entire trip is about 13 miles in length.

When you have completed your Quest, return your answered booklet to Captain Wort's Trading Post to receive your stamp. This year, all participants who complete a Western Maryland Rail Trail Park Quest will receive 10 percent off all ice cream purchases at the trading post!

If you like a challenge, you may want to complete the Bonus Quest. This Quest continues on from Little Pool to the town of Hancock between mile markers 9 & 11. The entire trip is about 20 miles in length. Bonus Quest participants will receive discounts at the newly opened Blue Goose bakery and creamery in Hancock. Enjoy a homemade country pie and other goodies the store before returning to the Big Pool Station parking lot.

Print your Western Maryland Rail Trail Quest Worksheet here.

If you would like to complete the Quest but do not own a bicycle you may rent one from the C&O bicycle shop in Hancock Maryland. For more information, visit their website at www.candobicycle.com.

Be sure to bring sunscreen, insect repellant, water and a camera or digital recorder to capture the fun memories of your day. When you are done with the Western Maryland Rail Trail park quest, you may wish to complete the historic Fort Frederick State Park Park Quest as well.

Park Information

Beginning approximately one-half mile west of historic Fort Frederick State Park in Big Pool, Maryland, the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) winds along the Potomac River through rolling farmland, woodlands, and rural towns to its terminus at the southern slope of Sideling Hill Ridge.

The WMRT follows a path rich in history. The Potomac River valley has been an important transportation corridor for hundreds of years. From Native Americans to the National Road to the C&O Canal, people have always traveled the path of the Potomac River. The Western Maryland Railway was no exception. In its heyday, the Western Maryland Railway was a lifeline to the tri-state area of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Through the construction of the WMRT on this abandoned railroad bed, numerous opportunities are now available to visit old ruins of days past. There are interpretive signs along the length of the trail at many of these locations.

The eastern terminus of the trail, known as Big Pool Station, is located ½ mile west of historic Fort Frederick State Park in Washington County, Maryland. Many visitors begin their WMRT excursions here although some prefer to start at the western terminus located in Pearre, Maryland, near Sideling Hill Wildlife Management Area. The WMRT parallels the C&O Canal for its entire length.

Common activities that people enjoy on the trail include hiking, biking, jogging and inline skating. The easy grade and paved surface make this path ideal for families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (the trail is very wheelchair friendly) to enjoy a trek outside. The trail is suited to anyone seeking a pleasant, leisurely outdoor experience. Biking and walking are the most popular uses of the WMRT. Pets are permitted on the trail.

Cedarville State Park (PQ) Hiking & Letterboxing

Today our Park Quest took us to Cedarville State Park for a some hiking and letterboxing! The kids (and I) were really excited because today was our first chance to use our new family stamp on a letterboxing quest! The park quest for Cedarville consisted of a regular quest (hiking to and finding2 letterboxes) and a bonus quest (hiking to and finding an additional 2 letterboxes). 

With letterboxing, you use a set of physical and/or geographical (and possibly other) clues to locate a hidden letterbox. Some of the clues we were given included finding a specific spot on the trail such as a small bridge, and then turning left and walking 90 steps to find the letterbox. Or spotting trail markers such as a hollow tree stump.

The hidden letterbox contains a log, a stamp, and a stamp pad. You carry with you your own log, personal stamp, stamp pad, and a pen comes in handy too. When you locate a letterbox, you then add the letterbox stamp to your hiking log, and stamp your personal stamp in the letterbox log book. You leave you own little "mark" saying "we were here" in the letterbox log for all of it's future visitors. It is fun to look back on stamps & signatures of the past letterbox visitors and even sometimes see some familiar names! 


This is a GREAT activity for small kids if you choose a hike (or method of getting to the letterbox) that matches their skill level. Both of our kids  (2 and 4 years old) got a lot of excitement out of trying to find the letterboxes, and opening them up to see what was inside...  Each of our kids took turns stamping the park stamp into our log book, which was rewarding after each hike we did! A. got a lot of practice today "leading" the family, following the clues in the quests to recognize specific markers like a T in the trail, recognizing trail colors and following the correct ones, counting steps, counting steps, and navigating specific clues to the letterboxes.

We did end up completing both the regular quest and the bonus quest, hiking to and locating 4 letterboxes total. We did a combination of different sections of trails at Cedarville, including portions of the orange trail, the white trail, forest road and the blue trail. All sections of trail that we hiked were very easy with almost no elevation gain (30  feet max if I remember correctly), and totaled about 4.5 miles. On the orange trail, we spotted the usual wildlife --squirrels, birds, insects. On the White trail we had the opportunity to see a marsh area with several beaver dams and trees that had been chewed down by beavers. This was definitely one of the highlights of the hike trip for our 4 year old son.  (see photo left). Ticks were pretty heavy in areas of this park as well, in fact, they were dropping right onto our letter boxing work-sheet! (right) and a pic of our PQ passport with stamp below!

Full quest description below!

Introduction to QuestLetterboxing is an intriguing “treasure hunt” style outdoor activity for families. Letterboxes are small, weatherproof boxes that usually contain a log book, a rubber stamp and an ink pad. They are hidden in publicly accessible places and the clues will be made available to Park Quest participants. The finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp on their stamp sheet or personal log book, and leave an imprint of their personal stamp on the letterbox's logbook. And yes, you can participate even if you don’t have your own stamp or logbook.
Quest InformationTo begin the Quest, go to the Cedarville State Forest Headquarters Office and receive your Park Quest packet. The office will be open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Your packet will include a Cedarville Trail Map, a Park Quest information sheet and a letterbox work sheet to collect the letterbox stamps. The following items are suggested to get your team started letterboxing: an ink pad with your choice of color, your team’s rubber stamp and log book so that you can leave your mark for all to see and keep record of the letterboxes you have visited. These items are not required to complete the Quest.
The Park Quest, finding the first two letterboxes, should take approximately one to 1.5 hours. The Bonus Quest (finding all four letterboxes) should take approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. We recommend starting this Quest by 2 p.m. in order to finish in time to return to the Forest office by 4 p.m. to receive your Park Quest Passport stamp. While participating in this Quest wear comfortable shoes and clothing, use sunscreen and insect repellant. Make sure you bring water and a snack or picnic lunch to keep the team going. This Quest is recommended for families with small children. To learn more about letterboxing visit www.Letterboxing.org.
Park InformationCedarville State Forest is located at the headwaters of the Zekiah Swamp, Maryland’s largest freshwater swamp. The swamp extends southward through Charles County for 20 miles, emptying into the Wicomico River. The swamp is one mile wide, and serves as a haven for wildlife. The surrounding land is mostly agricultural fields. In colonial times and there after efforts were made to drain the swamp for cultivation. Drainage ditches are still evident. To this day, the swamp remains wooded bottomland.
The Piscataway Indian Tribe made this section of Southern Maryland its winter camping ground because of the mild climate and abundance of game. Legend says there is an ancient Indian Burial Ground at Cedarville, but to date it has not been found.
In 1930, the State of Maryland purchased 2,631 acres of land for a forest demonstration area. Later 879 more acres were added to bring the total to 3,510 acres. Cedarville was the postal address for the area, hence the name given to the State Forest.
In 1933, The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), under the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, developed roads and trails for fire protection and future access for recreational development of the area. From 1933 to 1935, approximately 160 men, mostly African Americans from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. worked at Cedarville. They were paid $30 per month, most of the pay was sent home to support their families. Across the nation, the CCC offered jobs to thousands of unemployed men during the Great Depression.
In the 1950’s, Cedarville operated three charcoal kilns burning wood from the forest to produce up to 3,600 pounds of charcoal each week. The charcoal was used in many other state parks throughout Maryland to produce heat. On Forest Road, the remains of one kiln can still be seen today.
Cedarville State Forest invites exploration of its diverse natural, recreational and historic features. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians can enjoy approximately 19.5 miles of trails.
Pets are allowed at Cedarville State Forest and must be on a leash at all times. Picnic tables and grills are available along Forest Road. Maryland State Parks are Trash-Free, please take your trash with you and Leave No Trace.