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Washington Monument State Park To Re-Open Friday
Heavy Thunderstorms Caused Extensive Damage Two Weeks Ago
BOONSBORO, Md. — Washington Monument State Park will re-open at noon on Friday, June 20 and will resume normal operating hours on Saturday.
The 147-acre park in western Maryland was closed for repairs on June 5, a day after a series of heavy thunderstorms swept through the region, causing extensive damage.
“The park will re-open with all services restored except the museum,” Park Manager Dan Spedden said. “Repairs to the museum building continue and will be accomplished without disrupting other park facilities. Camping and picnic shelter reservation holders who had been on standby for the weekend of June 20 have been notified that the park facilities will be open for their use.”
Named for the stone tower erected by Boonsboro in 1827, Washington Monument State Park is believed to be home to the country’s first completed monument to President George Washington, who explored the Upper Potomac and the western Maryland mountains as a young surveyor. The rustic locale features youth group campsites, picnic shelters and playing fields. It’s a favorite of bird watchers because it lies within a migratory bird flyway
The park’s popular youth camp ground was empty when the storm struck on June 4 and there were no injuries to visitors or park personnel. But fierce winds and driving rain knocked out phone, electricity, and water service. Fallen trees and branches blocked the main road and the hiking trail to the monument in several places. The museum and water treatment buildings were severely damaged.
The park’s normal operating hours, which go into effect on Saturday, are from 8 a.m. to sunset.
June 18, 2008 Contact: Wiley Hall
410-260-8002 office I 410-507-7526 cell
whall@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov