We were coming back to West Virginia, and I noticed an AT crossing on Alt 40 between Middletown and Boonsboro, and Kirk was like, “Oh yeah, I hiked through here years ago,” and I was….. “Hello, this is like 18 miles from our house”….. So I marked it down as a “get this done before winter shows up”.
Truth is, if you are in the South Mountains of Maryland, you can cross the AT multiple times as it winds its way to Pennsylvania. All on the windy mountain roads.
So I was looking it up and was… ” There is a state park with the oldest monument to George Washington here as well?” So hiking AND educational hour!
Washington Monument State Park is a few miles out of Boonsboro, MD. Look for signs, and it is a left turn onto Washington Monument Road. And yes, you will cross the AT on this road as well. The road ends at a stop sign, crosses a country road, and enters the park, where you pass the lower lot and the iron ranger to pay your entrance fee. Out-of-state was $4 cash, put into an envelope, with a tear-off for hanging in your car. Maryland loves its entrance fees, and out-of-state usually pays double.
South Mountain Battlefield shares this park. So yes, double the history lessons! It is on the Maryland Civil War Trails.
Alistaire, our youngest, joined me.
Because who doesn’t climb a mountain to watch a war?
The road is a one-way loop, and the first parking lot is at the top, with a very well-marked trailhead. If you look to the lower right, you will see the AT trailhead on the other side of the road.
Now then, this might lure people into believing the AT is a smooth trail if it was their only experience….hahahaha……
The section has rustic wooden signs that have facts about Washington’s life.
The cutest lil’ shelter.
White Wood Asters.
I got to teach Alistaire about Blazes on this trip. The trail, heading North, goes to the right-ish. The Washington Monument goes sharply to the left.
You can see the monument on the Ford 350 width smooth trail.
The monument. Kirk told me long ago (he was living in Shepherdstown, WV, across the river) that you could climb to the top. You could see from West Virginia, Maryland, and even into Pennsylvania from on top.
The view from the back of the monument is pretty fantastic though. It was a balmy 68 ° out, and there were no bugs. That is a heavenly hike.
We hiked back down to the parking lot, crossed the road, and hit the AT heading south.
Kirk picked us up at the bottom, so we could enjoy the downhill.
Now there was the real AT. Narrow, a never-ending rock seam, random rotting legs, and water breaks. Don’t think you will be looking up much if you’re going downhill… or you might faceplant.
I will be the loudest about this: The PCT trail is like a paved path compared to the AT, and it’s never-ending ankle twisters. But maybe that is part of the fun?
It was a nice, short hike. Got us outside and home before lunch.
~Sarah