Rocky Gap State Park, MD

ABOUT THE PARK:
Rocky Gap State Park - Maryland Department of Natural Resources

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.69589, -78.66428

TRAIL MAP:
Rocky Gap State Park Trail Guide - Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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HIKE DISTANCE:  9.4 miles

THE HIKE:
Breaking up the drive to St. Louis, MO with some hikes along the way.  Hike #1:

Leaving the parking lot and continuing on the part of the road closed to cars.

Earth Day volunteers picking up litter.  We did our part out on the trails.

First to the Canyon Overlook,

It's pretty overgrown so not a whole lot of canyon to see even with no leaves on the trees.

Back out on the paved road and a few steps farther along, left on Evitt's Mountain Homesite Trail.

This trail descends into the canyon ...

... crosses a bridge over Rocky Gap Run ...

Rocky Gap Run

... then climbs back up out of the Canyon.

At the top of the canyon, left on a wider, smoother woods road.

This trail ascends for about the next 2.5 miles.

And our Earth Day cleanup begins.

Lake Habeeb in the distance.

Brodie's backpack was filling up fast.

This was a very dirty drink pouch that we put in his poop bag jar.

There is a combination of rock and sand on this road going up the mountain,

Blue Headed Vireo

The trail to Evitt's Homesite.

Mr. Evitt would have had a nice view of Lake Habeeb had it existed at the time but it was dammed much later.

Some stone ruins.

The old well.

Continuing on up to the Mason Dixon Line.

Some old stone walls on the right.  Maybe Mr. Evitt's stone farm walls?

Aviation Beacon Tower

Maryland/Pennsylvania state line marker.

A short distance ahead views to the west in the gas pipe line.

And views to the east where we took a break.

Hauling all of that litter is exhausting.

It is from this point that any normal person would turn back and retrace like you are supposed to do.  But I figured if I could go down the VERY STEEP gas pipe line and road walk a short distance I could incorporate half of the lake loop into the hike.  What the heck, it's not like I might ever come here again and my motel reservations in Columbus, Ohio had 24 hour check-in, so I had all the time in the world and decided to give it a shot.

Found 3 balloons on the way down.

The pictures don't capture how steep it was going down.  At times it was on loose gravel so it was like walking downhill on marbles.  I had to literally inch my way down step by step.  Maybe it wasn't such a good idea but there was actually a distinct trail and I sure as heck wasn't going back up.  Plus the views were great.

Lake Habeeb where I wanted to end up.

Easy going once the things level out at the bottom.

Looking back you can now appreciate just how steep that was.

I might have been OK had I stayed in the gas pipe line but I followed a nice woods road to the right of the pipe line that ran parallel to it thinking it might be a gas pipe line access road.  I was wrong.

The road where I wanted to be and where I needed to turn right, blocked by barbed wired.  Yikes!  Fortunately it was clear to the left or I would have had to crawl under the gate.  It was at this point that I was thinking I had been trespassing.

Looking back, I was right.  I should not have been there.  Sorry!

Right on Pleasant Valley Road for a bit of road walking.

Coming up on park property there is a grassy part to walk  on.

We turned right on the campground access road.

The Lakeside Trail Loop comes out there but I wanted the other side so continuing on ...

Lake Habeeb

... to where the Lakeside Loop Trail goes around the other side of the lake.

Red-breasted Merganser

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Osprey

The dam and spillway.

More red-breasted mergansers.

Continuing around the lake.

We jogged right on a park road then right again a short distance to the Bucy Cemetery on the left.

This short trail loops around through the woods ...

... and comes out right at the parking lot on the left.

Brodie's Earth Day Contribution

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