Gambrill State Park Hike (PQ)

Last hike for the weekend was a short and very sweet hike at Gambrill State Park. The hike, a loop beginning at High Knob area along the black trail & then green trail was only about a mile long, relatively easy, but a little rocky. The quest required us to open a series of letterboxes and solve clues. Upon solving the clues correctly, we were able to attain letters to unscramble one final riddle at the end... Who built Gambrill State Park? Now we know!

The quest reiterated the importance of the role that the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) has played in the preservation of Maryland State Parks throughout history. The highlight of this hike was by far the two beautiful overlooks that the trails pass by. Middletown Overlook (left), and then South Frederick Overlook. Both wonderful views. We had a peaceful, quiet hike, and saw only 2 other hikers on the route -- a nice change from the two previous hikes in the morning!



Our 2 year old, M. completed about half the hike on foot -- this was after she hiked almost a mile at Gathland earlier in the day. Combined,  this was definitely one of the longer hiking stretches she has accomplished, so we were very happy to see her interested in going further on her own! Both kids enjoyed playing on yet another natural playground near the historical Tea House along the trail.



Below is a photo of our rubbing for the passport -- the secret words have been blocked out so we don't ruin the fun for other questers!

And finally for our memories I have posted the original quest information.

The Gambrill Pursuit

Pardon Our Dust

Please pardon our dust while we complete the Civilian Conservation Corps Monument Plaza. Construction should be completed by the end of August.

Introduction to Quest

Welcome to the mystery of who built Gambrill State Park! With a variety of letterboxing and problem-solving clues, this self-guided activity will lead your team through one of Maryland’s most beautiful and historic parks!

Quest Information

Plan your quest at Gambrill for any day from 8:00 A.M. until 2 hours before sunset. This will allow adequate time to complete the activity. Your quest is self-guided, meaning that you will not need to access park buildings or locate park staff, and it covers about a mile of territory in the High Knob Area of the park. Your first destination location is the High Knob Nature Center. Locate the Gambrill Pursuit Mailbox outside the building to pick up your clue sheet and a park map. Use this important date to open the mailbox: 1933

Print Your Gambrill Clue Sheet Here.

Read the questions and use your crayon to record your answers in the passport! The Quest uses historical plaques and letterboxing to provide your team with the answers you need! Your goal is to locate the letters that spell out the answer to this question: Who built Gambrill State Park?

Things to bring:

• A dark-colored crayon
• Digital Camera
• Pen/Pencil
• Water/snacks
• Walking shoes/boots

Park Information

Gambrill State Park is a beautiful mountain park, located on the ridge of the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County. Its most popular feature is the 16 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The park is separated into two areas, the Rock Run area and the High Knob area. From the 1600-foot High Knob, three stone overlooks offer breathtaking views of the Frederick and Middletown Valleys then continue to the northern reaches of the Shenandoah Mountains.