The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-08-23
POINTS OF BEAUTY ON
MARYLAND ROUTE LISTED
Sixty Percent of Western Mary
land Is In ForeStS-Best
Scenery In East Country


An automobile trip through West
ern Maryland, beginning at Baltimore
and going over the National Highway
to Keysers Ridge, and then south
ward to Oakland, a distance of two
hundred miles, affords views of the
best scenery found in Maryland and
perhaps in all of the eastern country.
Over the rolling hills through excel
lent farmlands between Baltimore and
Oakland, the road, after passing over
Braddock Heights, crosses the fertile
Middletown Valley, and then after
crossing over South Mountain leads to
Hagerstown and the Hagerstown Val
ley and a few miles westward near
Clearspring the traveller enters the
most densely wooded area of the en-
tire State.
From this point to the West Viz
ginia line the road leads over a sue
cessoin of mountains from which may
be obtained beautiful views of the
surrounding country. SiXey per cent
of the whole Western Maryland area
is in forests, comprising land that is
better adapted for timber growing
than for any other use. There are in
this section 100000 acres of woodland
that must be maintained in a high
state of productiveness to meet the
local timber demands.
Some of the Scenic Features
Fort Frederick-At Indian Springs,
about two miles west of Fairview
Mountain, turn south two miles to
Big Pool, on State road, thence one
and one-half miles over good dirt
road to Fort Frederick. The fort,
built in 1856 by Horatio Sharp, Col
onial governor of Maryland, to pro-
tect the frontier against the Indians,
is now included in a State Forest of
100 acres. Most of the fort wall is
intact, incloSing one and one-half
acres of ground, probably the most
historical spot in Maryland represent
ing the pre-Revolutionary days. On
the property are demonstration for
est paintings of important timber
trees and a Memorial Grove planted
by the Daughters of the American
Revolution. This furnishes a very
pleasant break in the journey and
good place for an outdoor luncheon.
rantsville-Between Grantsville in
Garrett county, and Bittinger, also in
Garrett county, are extensive sugar
groves comprising over $4,000 suger
maple trees which are tapped each
spring, and the flow of sap is gath
cred for making maple sugar and
maple syrup. The annual production
is approximately 10000 gallons of
syrup. Many of these groves are cas-
lily accessible from Grantsville over
fairly good roads.
Deep Creek Lake-This lake is II
miles long, created for hydro-electri-
cal power development. After cross
ing the bridge over the lake and short
ly before reaching Thayerville, one of
the steel lookout towers of the De-
partment of Forestry, maintained for
fire protection purposes, can be seen
at the south end of Meadow Mountain
across the lake to the left. There are
twelve of these towers in the State,
six of them being in the Western
Maryland area.
Oakland - The Garrett County
State Forests, comprising approx
mately $500 acres, extend from a
point about four miles northwest of
Oakland around to Swallow Falls,
which is about seven miles north of
Oakland. The State Forests, in adj
dition to their use for timber grow
ing and watershed protection, are
also used for camping and other forms
of recreation. The Swallow Falls sec
ton of which Swallow Falls, Muddy
Creek Falls and Toliver Falls, in a
setting of virgin hemlock forest, rho
dodendron and ferns, are the chief
scenic features, are generally conced-
ed to be the most beautiful natural
scenery in Maryland.
No trip to Western Maryland would
be complete without seeing these his
torical and scenic spots.
T. Representatives of the Department
of Forestry will be at Fort Frederick
and at Oakland to give information.