Cunningham Falls State Park is located in the scenic Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, adjacent to the Catoctin Mountain National Park. Cunningham Falls was named for a local photographer who made the area popular with his postcard photography. The park is a fine family outing destination. There are several easy to moderate trails for family walks, but for serious hikers, the 27-mile Catoctin Trail winds throughout the region.
Several years ago we made our first camping trip to Elk Neck State Park. It was a spur of the moment decision one day after work. We just threw a few supplies into the car and drove to the park; we arrived around 7 PM. It was still early in the season so we had no trouble finding a campsite. In fact, in our area we saw only one other campsite in use. We set up our mountain tent back in the woods behind our campsite, then we started a campfire.
Our excursion took us to the Lock 12 Historic Area along the Susquehanna River in York County, Pennsylvania. We had passed this site many times on our travels, so we finally decided to stop. The lock was once part of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, which was built primarily to haul coal, lumber, and other goods from central Pennsylvania to the shipping ports of Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Washington County, Maryland, boasts the first monument erected to honor the memory of the Father of our Country. Residence of nearby Boonsboro dedicated their Washington Monument on July 4, 1827, fifty years before the more famous one in Washington, DC. The monument was repaired and altered numerous times over the years. During the Civil War, the Union Army used its strategic location overlooking the Cumberland Valley as a signal station.
On a Tuesday morning, we both had off from work, but we had no particular plans. Broken Claw was browsing through one of Trailwalker’s many travel booklets and noticed a small chapter on the hiking trails along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. After a short discussion, we packed a few things and hit the road.
Patapsco Valley State Park winds along the gorge of the Patapsco River, practically within shouting distance of the Baltimore Beltway. The park is used mainly for camping and picnicking on the high ground, but on this warm fall day we went to enjoy a hike down to the river.