Want to know about local state parks? There's a guide for that
It's January, so that means I am working on publications that will be printed in March.
One of the first publications on tap is the 2022 Explore Cunningham Falls & Gambrill State Parks recreation guide.
You might have seen this guide or others like it at area state parks. It is published on newsprint, but it's small enough — letter size at 8 1/2 by 11 inches — to be rolled and stuffed in a pocket. It easily can be taken along on the trail, and the map at the center staple can be removed to simplify navigation.
The Herald-Mail also produces a guide for South Mountain andFort Frederick state parks and a guide for the state parks in Garrett County.
These guides include maps, camping information, details about area attractions, ads from local businesses and things to keep in mind while visiting.
The publications have been popular with park visitors for several years, but became especially so during the pandemic. More people were seeking recreational opportunities in the great outdoors, where there’s ample space for social distancing.
I enjoy working on the guides and view them as another opportunity to learn about our region.
For instance, did you know that in addition to the 78-foot cascading waterfalls, Cunningham Falls State Park in the Catoctin Mountains of Thurmont, Md., also has a 43-acre lake and a camping area?
The Manor Area of the park features the Scales & Tales Aviary and the historic Catoctin Iron Furnace, which produced ammunition for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War — including shells fired during the siege of Yorktown, according to dnr.maryland.gov.
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The Scales & Tales Aviary offers a variety of opportunities to learn about non-releasable wildlife, ranging from a bald eagle to an 80-pound snapping turtle. Park staff share tales of how the animals came to live at the aviary and discuss important environmental issues with visitors, according to the 2021 Explore Cunningham Falls and Gambrill State Parks recreation guide. The Scales & Tales program allows visitors to see animals up close in a controlled environment during engaging and educational presentations.
The park also offers opportunities for swimming, picnicking, boating and fishing. Odd to think about those activities in mid-January, but what is the harm in making plans now for a visit this spring or summer? The destination is a popular area attraction.
In the last two years, the park has had 500,000 visitors who came from Frederick, Washington, and Montgomery counties in Maryland and the Washington, D.C.-Northern Virginia, and Baltimore Metro areas, according to Ranger Mark Spurrier, park manager for Cunningham Falls and Gambrill State Parks.
Want to plan your visit now? Look at last year’s guide online: https://tinyurl.com/2wjajs48
This year’s guide will be available in March.
For information about Cunningham Falls and Gambrill State Parks, go to https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/western/cunningham.aspx or call 301-271-7574.
For information about the Scales & Tales program, go to https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/snt.aspx or call 301-271-3676.
Lisa Tedrick Prejean writes a weekly column for The Herald-Mail. Send an email to her at lprejean@localiq.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lisa_Prejean.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Want to know about Maryland state parks? There's a guide for that
