Deep Creek Lake State Park hike/letterboxing (PQ)

Our final quest for the weekend was far up int he NW corner of Maryland at Deep Creek Lake State Park. We found this park to be surprisingly beautiful, the hike was the best of the weekend, and we definitely want to come here again!The most exciting part was hiking up to the old mine. We'd definitely like to do more hikes like this if we can. It reminded me a little of our hiking back in Colorado, where mines are very common (and lots of times not even blocked off!)

Can you see the deer tracks?

This was another letterboxing quest, with some historical value as well. After a stop at the nature center, we followed the white and red trails up to our destinations based on a series of clues contained in each letterbox.  The clues directed us to the Brant Family Homestead and then to the Brant Family Mine where the family mined coal. The entire hike was lush, green & rocky. There was a bit of a climb, some areas of the trail were moderately steep, but do-able for our 4 year old.

The Brant Family Mine

coal cart

And although well-traveled, we felt as if this trail wasnt so. We didn't see any large wildlife, we could tell it was more prevalent in this less-populated area of the state. We found deer tracks and also learned about the black bear population that is growing and moving eastward.  We would have loved to explore more than just the red and white trails, but in the essence of time (a 4 hour car-ride to get home for work on Monday), we stuck to hiking to the homestead and mine. We certainly want to come back to this park if we can somehow find the time before PCS season!

letterbox

Stamping

Another letterbox containing a clue

Beautiful MD near the WV/PA border

Our PQ Passport stamp

And for our memories, the original PQ post:

Discover the Brant Family by Letterboxing!

Introduction To Quest

This year’s quest takes you from the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park onto the trails of Meadow Mountain and back in time to the 1920’s. Teams will discover clues along the way that help you unlock the history of the Brant family at Deep Creek Lake State Park. This quest will challenge your treasure hunting and clue deciphering skills as a family. Be part of the international letterboxing movement along the way.

Quest Information

Teams may use their own notebooks or print out the Park Quest page from the link on this web page or they may obtain one from the Discovery Center. The quest begins at the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park and should take teams about 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete.

The Discovery Center is open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day during the summer, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday Labor Day to Memorial Day and is free for all visitors. Please return from your Quest by 4:30 pm. The Discovery Center is located at 969 State Park Road, Swanton, MD 21561. Call             (301) 387-7067 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (301) 387-7067      end_of_the_skype_highlighting       for more information about Park Quest or the Discovery Center.

Print the Brant Mine Worksheet here

Park Information

Deep Creek Lake State Park lies just west of the Allegheny Front on a large plateau known as the Tablelands or Allegany Highlands. Its location at the southernmost end of Meadow Mountain places it west of the Eastern Continental Divide and within the Mississippi River watershed. It gets its name from Deep Creek Lake, a hydroelectric project constructed on Deep Creek in the 1925 by the Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Company. Man has been associated with the use of this land for thousands of years.

Early nomadic hunters and gatherers, followed by Native American hunters, roamed through the mountains of Garrett County but have left little record of their presence. Beginning in the 1700's, early settlers to the region eked a subsistence existence based on the utilization of the area's abundant natural resources. The mountains remained relatively untouched until the turn of the century when massive logging operations began stripping the land of the virgin Red Spruce, Hemlock, White Pine, and Yellow Birch forests.

The park is the site of the historic Brant coal mine and home site, where a restored mine entrance preserves a typical drift or adit mine. The mine was worked for several years by the Brant family and supplied bituminous coal for heating and blacksmithing in the local community. Deep Creek Lake State Park was established in 1959 and all of the land surrounding and under the lake, previously owned by the Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec), was purchased by the State of Maryland in 2000 establishing a buffer strip around the lake.