historic national road Hancock 615 INDIAN SPRINGS WMA 63 418 GREEN RIDGE STATE FOREST 522 Rd ans Rd Berkeley Springs, WV Cacapon, WV ge CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL SCENIC BYWAY FORT FREDERICK STATE PARK 81 632 Rid en Old tow G re n O rle 9 MARYLAND LORE The LaVale Toll Gate House collected $9,745.90 in tolls during its fi rst year of operation, 1836. Cumberland to State Line INCLUDING US 40 SCENIC, I-68, US 40 & US 40 ALT 68 CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL SCENIC BYWAY C&O CANAL TOWPATH SNYDERS LANDING Hagerstown to Cumberland INCLUDING US 40, I-68, I-70 & MD 144 KILLIANSBURG CAVE Shepherdstown, WV So many early railroad companies were linked into Hagerstown that it earned the nickname “Hub City.” The C&O Canal also fl owed through this area, which now draws legions of bicyclists and hikers. The town itself — featuring the South Prospect Street Historic District — has a roundhouse museum among several other sites dedicated to preserving local history. Traveling along US 40, look for the small waterfront park that o ers a fi ne view of the fi ve stone arches that support the 210-foot-long Wilson Bridge. Dating back to 1819, it’s the oldest and longest bridge of its kind in Washington County. Passing through Clear Spring, site of the 160-year-old Wilson Country School and Store, you can sidetrack south along MD 56 to Fort Frederick State Park. Based in Big Pool, the fort was the cornerstone of Maryland’s defense more than 250 years ago during the French & Indian War. Next in line is Hancock, where the C & O Canal National Historical Park o ers a deeper exploration of canal life. After a climb up Sideling Hill, which was the scene of many stagecoach mishaps due to the steep turns, you’re ready for a relaxing round of golf amid the ridges and valleys of Rocky Gap Casino Resort, followed by a satisfying stay there or in Cumberland. 12 | Cumberland, like Hagerstown, was a transportation crossroads with ties to highway, railroad and canal transportation, and is now just as popular for its galleries, theaters and museums. A scenic train ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad or an exhilarating bike ride on the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail takes you to Frostburg, site of the nationally known Thrasher Carriage Museum. In LaVale, the route passes Maryland’s only remaining National Road toll gate house, outside of which a plaque still displays the cost for wagons, animals and pedestrians to pass. Conestoga wagons once crossed the Casselman River Bridge, a single-span, stone-arch structure built for the National Road near Grantsville in 1813. Access to the bridge is available from a former stagecoach stop that is now known as the Spruce Forest Artisan Village and serves as a cultural center promoting local arts, crafts and music. US 40 Alternate then winds through the northern section of Savage River State Forest and over Keysers Ridge to the Mason-Dixon Line. ■ JOURNEY THRO GROUND SC Harpers Ferry, WV 464 Point of Rocks SIDE TRIP Thirty miles south of Grantsville, the Deep Creek Lake area o ers year-round recreation that ranges from boating, fi shing and water skiing on Maryland’s largest freshwater lake to snowtubing and skiing down Wisp Mountain. Campgrounds and vacation rental properties are among many lodging options. maryland scenic byways o c t i n M o u
MD Scenic Byways Digital Guide: Page 12
