Dan's Mountain Hike - Dye School Trail (PQ)

Dan's Mountain state park elevations

This tiny stream eventually empties
into the Chesapeake

What remains of Dye School

Our first PQ in NW Maryland this weekend took us out of cell phone range to beautiful Dan's Mountain state Park. Here we participated in a rocky hike on a quest to find 6 'stations'. At each station we learned a little bit about the history & factual information of Dan's Mountain -- It's coal mining history, and the nearby town that is nestled there as a result. The streams that eventually empty all the way down into the Chesapeake (very neat, considering the chesapeak is a 4 hour drive away!). The wildlife including bear, snakes (Copperhead & Timber). We also learned about the native hardwood trees... And an interesting fact, wild grapvines are common in this area, they grow so large and strong that they pull down on the upper branches of the trees!

The most exciting part of the trail for me was seeing the old "Dye School" ruins. The Dye school was a 1 room schoolhouse used by the local families in the 1800's. There were about 25 students taught at one time here, and they were in grades 1-8!

The trail itself was rocky, some parts were moderately steep, and would have been difficult for our 2 year old to overcome (she was just up from a nap so she got to ride in the carrier from the get-go). The trail was easily navigated by A. (our 4 year old).

M found a convenient place
to rest her sandwich

At each stop we collected a letter, which we then had to unscramble to discover a secret word -- which we then were able to match up with the station numbers to unlock our passport stamp. We ended the trail where we began, at the pond near the water station run pavillion.

PQ passport stamp below:

And for our memories, the original PQ post:

Maryland Mountains Majesty

Introduction To Quest

The quest at Dan’s Mountain State Park will provide teams the opportunity to visit one of the hidden gems of the Maryland Park Service. Teams will experience the splendor of Maryland’s mountains by taking a hike along the wooded Dye School Trail. Mountains have attracted people for centuries for reasons related to recreation, industry, adventure and nature. Designated stopping points along the trail will highlight the importance of our mountain ecosystem and all the ways people depend on its resources.

Quest Information

The quest begins at the pond near the Water Station Run Pavilion off of Water Station Run Road. Here, teams may sign in at the check-in station and begin the first task, following the worksheet directions. From the pond teams will cross the road and begin hiking along the Dye School Loop Trail beyond the yellow gate. Each task will prompt you to the next station along the trail. Look for white blazes marked on the trees to help guide you through the forest. Wooden Park Quest signs will also mark stations and designate trail direction throughout the hike. Each stop along the way features information regarding our wonderful mountains, and an alphabetical letter to record in order to answer the quest puzzle and receive a passport stamp.

To answer the puzzle and complete the quest, teams must unscramble the letters they collected to form a key word. The key word will provide you with the code that unlocks the stamp, located at the starting point. Don’t forget to reward yourselves with a stamp in your passport before you leave! If you desire help identifying the key word, or more information on the subject, please drive up Recreation Area Road and visit the Dan’s Mountain Overlook area for a clue.

The Dye School Trail has a moderate difficulty level due to a slight incline and rocky trail conditions. It is not recommended for the use of strollers or wheelchairs not designed for trail use. The trail supports hiking traffic only, so please leave any motorized vehicles, bikes and horses at home. If you are in need of special accommodations, please contact park staff at least one week in advance at            301-722-1480      .

Don’t forget comfortable hiking shoes, water, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellant and a camera to make memories! Dogs on a leash are welcome to participate in the hike, but are not permitted inside the pool area. Please plan accordingly if you wish to stay and swim after your quest. The pool is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The pool is open Wednesdays to Sundays June 20 through August 26 and Labor Day Weekend.
HOURS: 12 Noon - 7:00 pm. (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.)
Adults: $2, Children 12 and under: $1.50, Children under 3: Free
Contact Dan's Mountain Pool at             301-463-5564       or Rocky Gap State Park at             301-722-1480       for more details.

Teams are encouraged to print off the worksheet from the website ahead of time. Print the Dan’s Mountain State Park Quest Worksheet here.

Quest times are available daily from sunrise to sunset. If you need any assistance during your quest and a Dan’s Mountain staff member is not present, please call park headquarters at             301-722-1480      .

Park Information

Dan’s Mountain State Park includes 481 acres and is a small part of a mountain 16 miles long. Surrounding the state park is the Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area, which includes Dan’s Rock, the highest point in Allegany County at 2,895 feet above sea level. Although not the tallest mountain in Maryland, it has some of the steepest slopes and most impressive views. Dan’s Mountain is a perfect example of Maryland mountain geography referred to as the Allegheny Front, which includes ridge and valley geography extending to the north in Pennsylvania and to the south in West Virginia. The Allegheny Front separates the lower elevations in the east from the Appalachian Plateau in the west.

Named after Daniel Cresap, an early settler of the area, Dan’s Mountain State Park maintains much of the same beauty that Daniel once explored, including wildlife and forest diversity, rugged terrain and mountain streams. Today, visitors can fish in a 1/3 acre pond with a Maryland freshwater fishing license, hike the Dye School Trail, picnic, play on the tire playground, swim in an Olympic-size pool or reserve one of our four pavilions for a group gathering. Park Quest teams are invited to bring their fishing poles and swim suits and enjoy the entire park upon completing their mission!