Gathland State Park PQ walk/hike

This weekend Park Quest took us to see three of northern Maryland's wonderful parks, the first of which was Gathland State Park. We learned a nicely sized tidbit about the history of this park through our guided walk through the park. Deemed Gathland State Park, after George Alfred Townsend, a famous war correspondent -- this park was the site of a battle in the civil war as well as the summer home of Mr. Townsend. We had the opportunity to learn about the buildings in which he lived & used while he was there. His intended Tomb is also featured on the site -- although, surprised to find that no one is buried there. Gath rests in Philadelphia!


The section we did (just within the confines of the previous living grounds for Gath) was an easy 3/4 mile walk/hike. M. did the entire thing on foot. Pet friendly, and not crowded. A favorite feature of the park for us was seeing the large arch dedicated to war correspondents, artists and photographers.  Although this park has more strenuous hikes to offer -- D. has hiked the portion of the Appalachian trail that runs through this and several other parks in the area. 


To get our stamp, we had to visit the south mountain creamery -- where fresh milk & dairy products are made & delivered out to the local community. Of course we had the opportunity to taste the delicious, fresh ice cream -- very welcome after a day of hiking!

And below is our actual passport stamp. This one is a funny memory for us -- you'll notice that there are 2 stamps here. The older ranger at our Seneca Creek Park quest insisted on finding the page to stamp Seneca Creek in my passport himself, because they didn't go in alphabetical order.... And, although he insisted on finding the correct page himself -- he accidentally stamped the wrong one... so Gathland has two!

 And below the original park quest for our memory book.

Who is Buried in Gath's Tomb?

Introduction To Quest

During your Park Quest at Gathland State Park, you will explore the grounds of the former estate of George Alfred Townsend (pen name “Gath”), a famous Civil War correspondent and author. The Quest consists of an easy walk around the grounds of Gathland State Park. There is also a Bonus Quest—a short hike through the woods to a historic Appalachian Trail shelter.

Quest Information

To pick up your Quest packet, go to Gathland Hall, the large building on top of the hill. Open the Park Quest mailbox mounted on the railing on the side of the building using the code 9663 (compress the lock hasp and it will pop open after entering the code). Please sign your team in on the clipboard and get a packet (don’t forget to lock the box afterwards—scramble the numbers to ensure it is locked). Teams will then walk around the grounds of Gath’s former estate and look for answers to the questions in the packet. After you answer the questions, you can complete the Bonus Quest, which will take about an hour. (Gathland Hall and Gathland Lodge are museums, which are currently undergoing extensive renovations. When we originally planned the Quest for Gathland, the museums were due to be open in May 2012. However, due to construction delays out of our control, it is likely the museums will not be open during the summer of 2012.)

Families should bring insect repellant to guard against bothersome gnats, and a flashlight on this quest.

After completion of the Quest, you can have your passport stamped at nearby South Mountain Creamery, a dairy farm well known for their quality products and home delivery. You can enjoy fresh ice cream (buy one, get one free with your passport) and explore the farm. You might consider bringing a cooler along to the creamery, as they have lots of locally produced farm-fresh products you can take home with you. You might even be able to sign up for dairy delivery to your house, as their milk trucks go to a large portion of Maryland! Plan your visit to the dairy between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. so you can see the cows being milked. They also bottle-feed the calves every day at 4 p.m. The address of South Mountain Creamery is:
8305 Bolivar Road
Middletown, MD 21769
Phone:             301-371-8565      , then press 1 for the store

Who is Buried in Gath’s Tomb? may be completed any day of the week from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Questers can also visit nearby South Mountain Creamery, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It will take around two hours to complete the entire Who is Buried in Gath’s Tomb? Quest. Questers should bring insect repellent, sunscreen, water, a snack, a camera, and wear sturdy footwear. Pets on leashes are allowed (but not inside the museums at Gathland).

Park Information

Gathland State Park is the former estate of George Alfred Townsend, a well-known Civil War correspondent and author who was quite a celebrity in his day. Townsend used a pen name of “Gath” and had high quality cigars and other products named after him (much like today’s celebrities endorse products). Gath was researching the Battle of South Mountain that occurred during the Civil War on September 14, 1862 in three gaps along the ridge of the mountain. He fell in love with Cramptons Gap and purchased land for his estate. Gath built the War Correspondents Arch in 1896 to recognize the brave journalists that covered the battles of the Civil War. Besides the arch, there are two buildings and ruins of several other buildings from his estate that are preserved in the park today. The Appalachian Trail runs through the middle of the park.

For information about Gathland State Park, you can call the South Mountain Recreation Area main office at Greenbrier State Park at             (301) 791-4656       (someone will answer this phone on weekdays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The physical address is:
900 Arnoldstown Road
Jefferson, MD 21718