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    Washington Monument State Park

    4.5 (21 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:45 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    John B.

    [Coronavirus review] It's outdoors, and if you're looking for a place where you can't catch a virus, the brisk breeze that greeted me atop the hill would likely have blown any airborne pathogen away, had anyone else been there. While they call it the "original" Washington monument because its inception predates the better-known obelisk on the National Mall, this one has been reconstructed multiple times. It is an interesting site, but there's not a whole lot else going on in the immediate vicinity (though if you're up for a 4-month hike the Appalachian Trail passes through), and there are several other destinations in the greater area with more to do. One can go inside the tower on normal days it seems, but it was closed when I visited. So I see this park as a brief stop out of curiosity. Park rangers were using the low-traffic opportunity to do work on the path up to the monument, but what really needed work is the road one drives in on, which seems about a decade overdue for resurfacing. Seeing as how they're still asking us to self-pay a couple of bucks for the entrance fee, the state ought to produce roads that don't make me nervous about my tires.

    Austin G.

    Washington Monument State Park is interesting for two reasons: 1) The Appalachian Trail goes through it proving that there is natural beauty in Maryland. The views in this park into the valley are beautiful. 2) The OG Washington Monument. More than 50 years before the Washington Monument was built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the people near Middletown, Maryland built a stone tower on a hill called the Washington Monument. 500 people built it in one day and it still stands as the very first monument named after George Washington. As you walk up to the monument, you can learn about key dates associated with the first president. There's a small visitor's center that walks people through the history of this state park (note: the center is closed during the winter).

    Washington Monument State Park
    Kevin S.

    Absolutely a spectacular destination hike on AT from either north,south, or nearby parking lot. Incredible views, well maintained, historical and simply a must if you are visiting or a local.

    Dan C.

    Beautiful scenery and monument. Worth every uphill step to check it out. Appalachian trail adjacent is an opportunity to check out more sights and history. Parking at the park is plentiful.

    The view: electric boogaloo.
    Glenn P.

    Beautiful short hike up to the top of the mountain. The view over the valley is majestic. Being on th Appalachiangrail vendor 1/2 mile is way cool. Great experience!

    Open area in spring, before the first grass clipping.
    Scott D.

    Home of the original George Washington monument. It's a small hike to get to the hand stacked stone monument. I choose to walk around the giant open field like area, and soak up some sun. They have a camping area for tents, and sparsely spaced grills and picnic tables. I love it here.

    playground and picnic tables
    Brandi K.

    Washington Monument State Park might aptly be described as the Khloe Kardashian of the state park system, overshadowed by more glamorous and alluring counterparts--and yet an indispensable complement to the whole, and somewhat entertaining in its own right. Lest I get carried away with a bad metaphor (too late!), let me just say that it's difficult to rate this park, because while interesting and scenic, I don't think most visitors would stay more than half an hour. It is however, an interesting and worthwhile stop for history buffs, serious hikers, or people who enjoy a panoramic view from the mountaintops. The main feature of this park is, well, the Washington Monument...not THE Washington Monument, but a smaller monument built by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827 in honor of the first president. Visitors hike up a short but steep hill, which is lined with signs bearing facts about George Washington's life. The monument stands at the top of a mountain, looking out over West Virginia, Hagerstown, and Boonsboro. The view is terrific on all sides, and a handy sign indicates the general direction in which you are looking. The Appalachian Trail runs through the park, and the trailhead going north toward Greenbrier State Park is on the path up to the monument. I have hiked this several times, but have only gone a short distance (due to time constraints). The section of the trail at Washington Monument is extremely steep. For an easier hike, you can park at the South Mountain Inn on Alt 40, on the lefthand side, and catch the trail going south.

    David M.

    On a brisk december day I made my way out here with a few friends for a hike. Finding the parking lot was incredibly easy - and while it seems like ample parking - even on a 30 degree day with a light dusting of snow, more than half the spots were taken. I'd suggest going early if you're hiking in prime season. The hike starts off with a gentle climb and follows 70 for a bit - so you get a ton of noise from the highway. Don't let this put you off, before you know it you're heading down a bit of a hill and leaving civilization behind (if you ignore the very well maintained trail and numerous people you'll see on the trail). The trail is easy to follow - though do some research before if you want to find the look outs (one involves branching off on a blue trail for a little bit). We did a bit over 5 miles and saw two look outs. It's the Appalachian trail, so you could hike to Main or Georgia if you are so inclined. Fun AT fact - Scott Jurek broke the record for a through hike in July of 2015, only to be beaten a year later by Karl Meltzer who did the 2,190 mile hike in 45 days and 22 hours and 38 minutes - 10 hours faster than Scott. That's an average of 47 miles a day.

    Great views from the monument! We saw a good number of hikers and campers. Everyone wore masks when passing others.

    Karen P.

    Started at another park nearby and wound up here for a view without a long hike. The monument is unique and view was pretty descent.

    Gabe K.

    Great place with a fantastic view. A must see when visiting the Harpers Ferry area. Stop by and take a breath from life.

    Kelsey D.

    We stopped here after going to a nearby creamery. The trail to the monument was pretty short and the view from the monument was beautiful. You can take a short climb up the tower stairs to the top of the monument for a great 360 view. For a short hike with a good view this is a good place to go.

    View from top of the monument

    So... I think we did the hike completely wrong, by parking at the lot near the visitor's center/museum. It was less than 1/2 mile to the top of the mountain to see the monument. We were expecting a 3 mile hike up to the monument, based on trail descriptions. Later, we realized that the 3 miles up should have started from the lower parking lot, which was described as "overnight parking lot." I think that's the only real trail in the park, and it seems to be part of the Appalachian Trail as well. Anyway, the view from the monument isn't too bad, since you can even go inside the monument and look out from the top. There are interpretive signs explaining the view, and showing you where Pennsylvania and West Virginia are located in relation to the area. The little visitor's center/museum was alright, the best part being that it was air conditioned. There was an interesting map that lit up and told you about the Civil War battles that were fought in the area. Lots of picnicking areas in the park and we saw a couple of shelters for parties, plus an easy to access and pretty clean public restroom as well near the visitor's center.

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    Ask the Community - Washington Monument State Park

    Review Highlights - Washington Monument State Park

    It's the Appalachian trail, so you could hike to Main or Georgia if you are so inclined.

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    Antietam Creek Campground

    Antietam Creek Campground

    4.1(8 reviews)
    7.3 mi

    No showers, but awesome location. Directly on the river. No bugs! Can easily head into Harpers…read moreFerry for shopping restaurants. Port-a-john bathroom. Clean water spigot. Whitewater tubing 5 mins away, which is perfect even for adventurous small kids because its VERY, VERY mild rapids!

    Positives - Campsites were very clean and it is right next to the Potomac river. Nice long trail…read morethat you can walk or bike on. Beautiful trees. The camp host was very active throughout the day and gave great local recommendations. Negatives - you can't really see the river due to the grass and trees. It also says you can fish, which you can as long as you can make it down an incredibly steep embankment but there was not really a place to stand comfortably to fish and at least at site 5 there are quite a bit of rocks in the way. There was also a ton of little moths and gnats. Even with a fire the bugs made it unbearable to enjoy our time. Setting up and packing up was horrible. We understand bugs exist in nature but they were flying in our hair, mouth, nose, nothing worked to get rid of them. Also, the camp sites are just yards from a somewhat busy road. A few times people drove by and purposefully rev'd their engines. We could also hear a train in the distance going in the middle of the night. Maybe a different time of year would make all the difference regarding the annoying bugs but may is not it.

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    Antietam Creek Campground
    Antietam Creek Campground
    Antietam Creek Campground

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    Greenbrier State Park - Campsite BBQ pit

    Greenbrier State Park

    3.8(71 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    This is a huge park, great for camping, hiking, walking, beach relaxing and more…read more Be aware: constructions are currently going on at different places of the park including the main entrance. After the constructions are completed, the park will start to request campers or day visitors to make reservations online during holidays and weekends visitors. Atmosphere: it's a large park filled with nature's love, trees, water, birds, logs, dirt paths, bugs, wildlife, fresh air and tables benches roads for visitors. Service: staff in the visitors' center are friendly and knowledgeable. Value: you cannot put a price tag on your love of nature and experience of outdoors. Parking: there is no issue to find parkings inside the park, just depending on how far you are willing to walk. Beautiful park, highly recommend.

    Visited Greenbrier State Park this summer and had plenty of fun in the sun! My family and I went on…read morea weekday and it was fairly busy (but of course I can't imagine how much busier it would be on weekends, let alone holiday weekends). I think families with young kids (or even new swimmers) really appreciate the "beach" area because the water level doesn't exceed 5.5 feet (swimming vests are encouraged). There are life guards present as well. There are spacious bathrooms available for use a short walk up from the water and have changing rooms in addition to shower areas as well. The bathrooms were clean as well as the changing rooms, but there was a lot of standing water in areas. I'd definitely recommend walking carefully. Bring a picnic and come early if you plan on getting a grill. Those were all taken even on the weekday we went. Costs Day-use Admission Fees: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day- $5/person After Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend - $5/vehicle https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/oc.aspx

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    Greenbrier State Park
    Greenbrier State Park - Level pads! Wish we brought lights to string between the lantern posts.

    Level pads! Wish we brought lights to string between the lantern posts.

    Greenbrier State Park

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    Washington Monument State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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