ParkQuest Diary

Hey Quest Families....We would like to thank everyone for sending in their photos and stories, they are wonderful. We are working on your submissions, and hope to get all the photos and stories posted soon. If you don't see a submission you had sent in, please contact DNR's Web Team. We generally update the page on Tuesday so check back each week.

If you have not written in about your adventures please visit our diary submission page and we will add your info to the page. Photos can be sent to aburrows@dnr.state.md.us.

Past Diary Submissions

The Crab Catchers
Greenwell State Park
We have never been to Greenwell State Park before but I would love to return. This Quest was fun and the park had beautiful views of a certain body of water. The Park ranger was very helpful and a wealth of information.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
We were excited about finding fossils and we were not disappointed. We found scallop shell fossils. We mostly enjoyed the hike. The sights were so worth it when we got to the beach.

Sidell
Calvert Cliffs State Park
This was a fun quest. The walk was a bit long for my youngest, but she finished. We had a great time and saw two beavers - which was really exciting for our girls. The trail is in great condition and we had fun looking for sharks teeth on the beach. The beach area was a little smaller than I anticipated. There is a great recycled tire playground for the kids.V

Sidell
Greenwell State Park
We really liked this park. The quest was a very easy walk along the river and it was a great place for a picnic. Our girls liked this one a lot.

TEAM TITAN
Deep Creek State Park
WHEW! 3 days, 4 quests, What a blast. I especially looked forward to the GPS quest. We did 5 of the 6 stops and learned how to use our own GPS in the process. A little more strenuous than some of the other quests but the weather was nice and we had a good time just being in the great outdoors.

Tuckahoe State Park
We had a great time laughing at ourselves as inexperienced canoeists with more than one captain in a boat. We did enjoy the wildlife, especially the turtles.

Western Maryland Rail Trail
This has got to be one of our favorite quests so far. The WMRT is a wonderful outing for any family. We learned a great deal about the area and enjoyed seeing the lizards and deer. This quest has ignited our thoughts of hiking (or biking) the C & O Canal which we did for a short distance to the aquaduct and lock. Grab a map at the bike shop for the big picture.

Gambrill State Park
Very nice park with some very interesting history. Easy to navigate, with wonderful scenic views. Did not spend much time here though, off to the WMRT since they are so close for our 2nd quest of the day

Clarks for Parks
Pocomoke River State Park
This quest was very well organized and the staff was well prepared with everything we would need. It was a hot day but we enjoyed ourselves very much. There was even talk of coming back to camp and spend some more time exploring Pocomoke River State Park.

Hardesty Family
Washington Monument State Park
This was a really cool place to visit! I never knew that monument existed, and what a view! We also have never been on any part of the Appalachian Trail, so that was a nice experience for us as well. We all liked the tidbits of information we learned but could probably have done without the word search. It took a long time with a restless toddler to keep track of.

Gambrill State Park
This park was nice to visit aside from the horrendous swarms of gnats we encountered. We completed it fairly quickly even without being able to find one of the answers. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who had that problem. The "CCC Boys" certainly contributed a lot to this country!

Swallow Falls State Park
This has always been one of my favorite places to visit! The feeling of enchantment that I experienced here as a kid has not lessened now that I'm visiting with my own children! The falls are breathtaking and the blooming mountain laurel added to the beauty that seems so magical. The quest itself was an informative one, as we learned quite a bit while filling in the questions. I think this was the best Quest destination for our family!

Deep Creek State Park
We spent a beautiful weekend in Western Maryland which included completing our Deep Creek Lake Quest. The GPS was a lot of fun to use and easier than I thought it would be. The boys took turns "navigating" and we were able to find all of the posts pretty quickly. The nature center was really informative and interesting--especially the butterfly house, where we saw the different stages of larvae metamorphosis!

Benson Bunch
Gambrill State Park
It was very interesting to learn about the CCC and amazing to see the structures around the park that they built. The views are spectacular and well worth the hike! Lots of gnats when we went, though!

Elk Neck State Park
What a beautiful sight to stand on the cliffs and look out to the Chesapeake Bay! The walk to the lighthouse was easy and very manageable since this was our second quest for the day. The kids enjoyed swinging on the hanging vines like Tarzan, and they stopped constantly to pick (and eat) raspberries! It was interesting learning about the lighthouse. This was a very enjoyable quest!

Patapsco Valley State Park
Our 4 kids were very excited about playing disc golf. This was new for us and took a bit to figure out the course and find the baskets. a "pro" disc-golfer was there and had to help us find a couple of the basekets. After the 4th hole, they lost steam so we finished by following the map like a treasure hunt. They enjoyed seeing and petting the horses and riders came by.

Tiger
Greenwell State Park
A very short hike but some of the puzzle questions are not well hinted and there are no answers to be found in the bulletin board either. Instruction is also not that clear. Take a lot of time to find the deposit box. We did see people catching a skate and it was very cool.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
Very beautiful hike and it is our first ever visit. The view of the Chesapeake bay is awesome. We did find a small black shark tooth, or so we believe.

Team Herman
Gambrill State Park
Beautiful views! Also nice to learn more about the CCC involvement in a local park I visited so many times.

Brey Family
Pocomoke River State Park
The kids had a great time hunting for critters in the pond and we all enjoyed the Trail of Change very much.

Tuckahoe State Park
Loved the long canoe trip. I'd never seen so many turtles! The kids answered most of the questions without any adult help. A great way to spend a beautiful cool summer day.

The McCabe Family
Greenwell State Park
We've been to all the other St. Parks before, except this one. A great park. We're thinking of holding some anniversary parties here.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
Great day for a visit to the beach. Found several sharks teeth and a complete scallop shell

Girard Family
Western Maryland Rail Trail
Wow, what a fun quest. We loved the bike riding. The path is well maintained and flat. The scenery is beautiful- we saw mountains and the Potomac River. I'm sure the view is spectacular in the fall with the foliage. Afterwards the kids rode the loop between the rail trail and C&O canal. This has motivated our entire family to plan more bike trips for future Sunday afternoons. We are so thankful for the exposure to this park and the others due to participating in Park Quest.

Shore Explorers
Greenwell State Park
Beautiful weather and very nice park, clean. Had problems figuring out one of the words, but were still able to solve the final Quest.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
Long hike to beach but beautiful. Found a few fossils and shark teeth thanks to a gentleman who was helping folks with little experience. Trail was very nice. Always wanted to visit Calvert Cliffs and Park Quest finally motivated us to do so, and it was a real treat.

The Hills Are Alive
Patapsco Valley State Park
We visited this park on a beautiful Saturday in July. The temperature in the park was cool and there were very few people there, especially for a weekend, which made visiting all the holes/baskets easy to do, especially for the little ones in our group. We had never played disk golf (or any golf, for that matter) as a family, so this was an adventure for us. There were some adult groups playing disc golf near us who made it look very exciting for our kids. Some of us wished we would have practiced our Frisbee skills before going. We did find the map difficult to read so it was easier when we followed another group. The kids also loved the swings by the parking area and the large playground near the entrance to the park.

OTIS'S TEAM
Assateague State Park

We Had a great time. We found a pony in the beach parking lot taking a nap. Then we discovered a mouse in the dried seaweed along the marsh. When we were done with our quest we relaxed on the beach. It was a great way to spend the fourth of July.

BurnerKitty
Western Maryland Rail Trail
Wow. We started really early this morning and knocked out the 2 western most quests. And I hoped to knock this one out on the way home. But, with a 5 & 7 year old, both of which have been riding without training wheels for under 2 months - and had just finished 2 other quests today, I wasn't sure. But, we went for it. I rented a bike, Judy roller-bladed and the kids had their bikes. It was a great ride up the trail! We had a few stops, no major wipe-outs and saw many people on this great day! As we get to the last sign and I start to work on the puzzle, somebody stops on the other side of the trail and asks if we're a park-quest group. Well, turns out, it was our fearless leader Ranger Adelhardt and his family. We had a nice talk with him and rode part of the way back with them before the 5 & 7 year olds pace was too much [or rather not enough] for them, so they went on ahead. We finished the ride with minimal injury, which really surprized me considering how tired the kids were [and the 5 year old doesn't know how to start or stop on her bike yet. But once you get her going, there's no stopping her... literally]. We returned the bike, got the stamp and prize - went and grabbed a nearby geocache - and started the 1.5 hour journey home.

Deep Creek State Park
Wow, what fun! I had been here camping and fishing 10 years or so ago. First time back with the kids. They really enjoyed the nature center and taking turns with the GPS and the crayon. We did the short version of this one because we wanted to try to get one more quest done today. James [7 years old] just 'had to have' a shark tooth necklace and stick pencil. So, Thanks for the great time and cool merch.

Swallow_Falls
We started the day early in hopes of finishing the West Quests. After a nice 3 hour drive, I was expecting the kids [5 & 7] to be tired/upset. But, the kept saying that this park [and this quest] was their second favorite place, behind only Disney World! Need I say more? We really enjoyed the hike and I rewarded the kids with a couple toys from the gift shop after the quest. It was well worth the 3 hour drive, and we'll be back to camp here soon.

Washington Monument State Park
The GPS made the ride from Gambrill to here amazing. Switch-back roads and scenic views made this quest start where the last one we completed. Once we arrived, we were greeted by a great ambassador for the park. He filled us in the on Quest and we were off. The kids really enjoyed this walk. Once we got to the top, I'm glad we had a puzzle to solve, because the kids didn't want to leave. The way down was as fun as the way up! We will be back for another visit. Thanks!

Gambrill State Park
We enjoyed the beautiful views at this park on a perfect July day with cool breezes. It was a great walk and the kids also enjoyed the nature center and nearby playground. As a bonus, we got to see a wedding taking place. Thanks to the CCC boys for all their work!

Seneca Creek State Park
Had a great time out this morning. Needed more bug spray but saw lots of birds [and deer] along our trek.

Team Ness
Tuckahoe State Park
We had a wonderful afternoon at Tuckahoe. It was our first time visiting the park as well as our first time canoeing The kids had a great time and we saw more turtles than we could count. The recycled tire playground was a big hit too, but the tires sure do get hot in the sun.

jkti
Elk Neck State Park
Our quest began, like most everyone else's, overlooking the river at the start of the trail. Suddenly, we hear a noise like a dog running. We turn around and see 2 baby deer running up the trail. A little ways up the trail another baby bolts across the trail. The hike was nice, but it was pretty hot in the fields. I failed to read the info about the park and found the lighthouse closed on the Monday we visited. Coming back on a weekend to see it. Thanks for bringing us here for a great view.

Keller Krew
Washington Monument State Park
Great view!! The climb up was nice and cool, despite the warm temperature. We met up with another Quest Family when we climbed the rocks for a better look of the valley. We helped each other with the word search and answering the questions. Then we walked a little on the applachian trail, I would love to hike parts of the trail, I cannot hike it all in the same year though

Swallow Falls State Park
What a blast!!! This was the most fun thats we have had in a long time. They want to go back all the time! We got into the river, and the 11yo wanted to ride the falls. My 13yo fell in, and being autistic was immediately petrified! I had to calm him down and get him to stand up before he hurt himself. When we got back to the car I gave a demonstration on how to properly body surf a water fall, on your back, NOT YOUR STOMACH!!! The caves were great, my 13yo ist so tall that he could touch the "roofs" of some of the caves.

Greenwell State Park
This was soo much fun!! It looked like it was going to rain as we were driving down there, and sure enough, as we started down the trail it started raining. By the time we finished the quest, and found out the secret word, it was pouring so hard that we could not see form one barn to the other. When we finished, we were all so wet that I had to turn on the heat, and by the time we got home I had to leave the windows open for the seats to dry out!

Deep Creek State Park
What a great hike! The kids wanted to stay and camp, sorry, maybe in September. We had a great time learning how to use the GPS, it was difficult at first, but we figured it out. They tried to put their Dad into the Bear trap, and tried to throw their Mom into the lake! We also did some bike riding and looked around at the arts and crafts that was going there.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
The kids had a great time listening to the wildlife. We heard and saw bullfrogs, what big heads; herons, found a cute little lizard too. We had fun watching the babbling brook become a large bog and empty into the Chesapeake's very warm water

Photo collage of Franklin Family at Calevert Cliffs State Park

FranklinFamily
Calvert Cliffs State Park
We visited this park with some friends, the first visit for most of us. Enjoyed looking for sharks teeth and found a bunch including a really big one (see picture)!

Assateague State Park
Great weather, beautiful park. Hard to make the kids concentrate on the quest after they saw the beach!

The Barracudas
Greenwell State Park
We traveled to St. Mary's County for the Greenwell State Park Quest today. It is a great park with a quiet beach and a nice hike along a rocky path on the water. There were no forms in the park quest box and we were unsuccessful in getting a form due to the craziest circumstances. The person in charge of "that department" was out, put a called to DNR and that person was out, finally found someone who had a copy to be sent via email or fax, but the power went out!!! We decided to head out on our own and see if we could figure it out. Luckily it was a task with 8 placards around the hike and each had a description of an animal with blanks. We were able to name the animals, unscramble the necessary letters, and solve the puzzle. We put our own Park Quest sheet in the box and off we went, just as the office that was helping us called our cell phone and said they finally got a copy! Murphy's Law. We had a great time anyway and luckily we could complete the quest without the paper.

Deep Creek State Park
Deep Creek Lake Quest was lots of fun. The GPS was tricky, but once we got the hang of it we were successful. The park ranger told us the first four stops were required and the last two were optional. We made it through five and headed back. The daunting hilly hike straight up kept us from that last stop. Finding the old mine was great fun.

Team Bevins
Elk Neck State Park
great park

Calvert Cliffs State Park
first time visit for everyone

Chase3sons
Swallow Falls State Park
Another Quest at the top of our list. It was like being in another country. The falls were beautiful. Next time we go we plan on getting a campsite and spending more time exploring.

freebird
Elk Neck State Park
the view at the lighthouse was nice and we enjoyed the walk. yet again a deer was about 3 feet in front of us and just looked at us....didn't even move when people came up behind us.

Clarks for Parks
Assateague State Park
Overall a great quest. Saw wildlife on the island that the kids would not otherwise have seen since they never want to leave the beach. No traffic, no parking problems, great ranger help. A great day.

Tiger
Patapsco Valley State Park
Went there later afternoon and have to rush through the 9 hole disc golf in order to get in for the stamp. First time to be in this park and definitely will come again because have not had time to explore the park yet.

Washington Monument State Park
Very difficult to find initially, but a good outing once we got there. Had an excellent time up on the monument with very good view. Some of the trivia questions are based on common sense though.

Gambrill State Park
Good view of middle town and Frederick. Nice hike

The Adventurers
Western Maryland Rail Trail
After figuring out that we had to report to the C&O bike shop to begin our quest we were ready to go. (Note: We first went to Fort Frederick State Park but there visitor center was closed for renovation. Although, they have a very cool fort you can visit.) We took our bikes with us ready to head out for our quest but one of the bikes had a flat tire. So, the people at the C&O bike shop were very helpful. They rented us a bike and repaired the flat tire for a minimal cost. Thank you for being so helpful. The quest was awesome! We enjoyed the paved trail along the C&O canal. It was smooth sailing when we got the hang of riding to each sign to answer one of the quest questions. Don't forget to take along water and a power bar to keep your energy up if you are not use to riding. We met one couple who had been riding all day and were traveling to Washington DC via bike route. Wow, sounds exciting!

Washington Monument State Park
What a view from the top of the monument. It was fun for our team to learn about the history of the monument and this park. We enjoyed doing the quest puzzle which freshened up our history facts about our first president. Good activity for kids! Super nice people helping at the park. Thanks!!

Pocomoke River State Park
As always Pocomoke serves as a family friendly park with many adventures for you to experience. Our team enjoyed learning so much about nature during our quest. This quest took us through a trail walk in the woods looking for and identifying different trees and vegetation, soil temperature, and bugs. Our favorite part was unlocking the box by the pond in order to get the tools needed to explore pond habitat. We were able to catch and release several frogs and observe different insect life of the pond. Thank for the informative field guide that helped us to identify what we saw. This was a very educational nature walk.

Patapsco Valley State Park
Have you ever played Frisbee Golf? Well, how about Frisbee Golf in the rain? That's what our team did. We started our quest by trying to figure out the object of the game. We had no clue. We couldn't figure out where to start, or how to get started. Lucky for us there was a frisbee golf tournament going on that very same day. So, we learned from the pro's. It is amazing how much you can learn by watching others. Halfway through our game it began to rain, seriously rain. Again we were lucky because we were under the canopy of the trees and we stayed dry. I know this will be an adventure we will never forget, and now we know how to do something new, Frisbee Golf.

Janes Island State Park
Janes Island is a hidden treasure of the Eastern Shore. Our team enjoyed kayaking through the water trail and going to the Island. It is so beautiful to see the beach and all of the water. Some of the shorelines almost seem tropical. Everyone was so nice and helpful at the camp store. Thank you for a great day!

Gambrill State Park
What a beautiful park! Our team was able to camp at Gambrill's State Park Campground which was very nice. We enjoyed our quest learning and searching for information about the CCC. This was a very educational experience for all of us. It is amazing what willing and able men can do with limited rescources. What a good example for our children today to learn the value of dedication and hard work. All who come here can learn and benifit from those who served as part of the CCC.

Swallow Falls State Park
Wow is all I can say about this beautiful park. After completing Deep Creek Lake quest the next day we headed to Swallow Falls. We really enjoyed the trails along the falls. It was neat to feel the spray of the falls upon our faces. While there we were able to see a person white water rafting in a kayak. It was pretty cool. The falls were breath-taking. The rocks and boulders were huge and just as amazing as the falls. It is awesome to see how the falls change direction. Check it out if you get to go. It is a memorable experience!

Deep Creek State Park
Our team ventured out to Western Maryland from the east coast of Maryland. We were amazed by the mountains coming from flat land, sandy beaches, and below sea level. We really enjoyed visiting Deep Creek Lake. The quest sent us on a GPS navigation walk. It was perfect for our two boys reading and searching for the clues. While there we were able to spend a couple of nights camping and enjoyed swimming in the lake. This was well worth the trip and we probably would have never ventured to this area if it wasn't for Park Quest. Thank you!

crazy critterz
Greenwell State Park
I am so glad for Park Quest, otherwise I would have probably never have been to this park and it is a GREAT place. From what we saw it wasn't very big but it was so peaceful. The hike was perfect. I love how they have picnic tables and grills along the water. I wish we would have had more time to sit and relax and enjoy this park!! We visited this park after Calvert Cliffs so it was late afternoon and we had a 4 hr drive to get back home. I'm hoping to travel back here again!!

Patapsco Valley State Park
The whole family liked this quest. This was the first time we ever played disc golf and we sure did have a blast!! The hardest part was finding number 1 after that we got the hang of it and had a fantastic time!!

Elk Neck State Park
When we did this quest it was a very hot day so we were really happy when we got to the lighthouse that someone was there selling drinks!! It was a nice hike and its a very pretty area. My daughter got a great picture from the lighthouse.

Washington Monument State Park
This park has a nice playground and picnic area. It also has some great views, especially from the top of the monument. We have a big family so half of the kids worked on the worksheet and then the others did the wordsearch so it worked out well!!

Calvert Cliffs State Park
I think I would have to say this is probably one of my favorites!! We all had a great time on the beach looking for shark teeth. We didn't find any shark teeth but ended up finding some cool shells and rocks. We didn't have any trouble with bugs and the kids loved playing in the water with all the waves knocking them down. It was a GREAT day!!

Gambrill State Park
Although the bugs here were really bad we still had a nice hike through the woods. The ranger here was excellent and great with the kids!!

Deep Creek State Park
This was actually our first park we went to since its about the closest to our home. This was one of the favorites with my older kids because they thought the gps was GREAT!! They loved it. Also the younger kids took turns doing the rubbings so it worked out well for the whole family.

Swallow Falls State Park
We had a great time on our hike and the kids had fun playing in the ice cold water!! The falls are beautiful!!

Wild Kinlochs
Washington Monument State Park
Great, easy hike. The monument was wonderful and the George Washington and Civil War facts were fun for the kids. The puzzle was the most challenging of any of the quests so far.

Three Jimmies and a Sook
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Nothing like a 4 mile hike on the hottest, muggiest day of the year to make you appreciate how nice the rest of July has been... but it's done! Sand between our toes, no jellyfish bites, and one teeny tiny shark's tooth made for a good quest. On to Swallow Falls and Deep Creek Lake!

Elk Neck State Park
We took advantage of a lovely afternoon and made this hike with our dogs. It wasn't too long for humans, but a challenge for the short-legged Corgis. The porta-pot near the lighthouse was a welcome sight, since there wasn't one in the parking lot. Our boys like swinging on the vines near the trail and using the park bench near the lighthouse for a balance beam (nothing broke, human or wood). This would be a nice picnic spot if it wasn't so far from parking.

Hill Power of 4
Pocomoke River State Park
Well this was our 8th park to visit this summer. Fortunately for us it is on the Eastern Shore and only one hour from home. The quest for this park was a lot of fun and educational. The kids enjoyed learning how to identify trees by their leaves and how to distinguish all the different dragonflies. We had no idea there were so many different ones living in the same habitat. My youngest daughter scooped up a small fish with the net and we saw a few bullfrogs. This park is one of our favorites.

Hill Power of 5
Swallow Falls State Park
Our team really enjoyed this park. The waterfalls were beautiful although the day was a little cool and overcast. My daughters had to test the water temp and jumped in! Needless to say they did not stay in long. I think the water temp was in the low sixties. Yikes!! This has been one of our favorite parks so far.

Hill Party of 5
Swallow Falls State Park
Our team really loved this park. The falls are beautiful. We did not see any bears on our adventure but we did see mother nature at her best.

Deep Creek State Park
This park is very beautiful. We stayed at Silver Tree Suites for three days to enjoy the area. During the park quest we saw chipmunks and lots of butterflies. Our team enjoyed using the hand held GPS and we completed all six quests. The last one was a quite difficult.

Washington Monument State Park
Very lovely scenery and a challenging word find. This was a good educational day for our team.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
The walk to the beach and cliffs was very enjoyable. We searched for fossils along the shore and were able to find a few. This was a very nice park.

Greenwell State Park
The was a really beautiful park with the horses and manor house. We enjoyed our trail walk along the shore line and the rose garden

Crowe Adventurers
Pocomoke River State Park
This park was truly amazing. Our Crowe's had the most fun of the other nine parks we have visited so far. They had fun taking air and soil temperatures and scanning for bugs. The pond area was great, we caught dragonflies, minnows and frogs. We spent allot time at the pond having fun. But the truly amazing feature was the "Trail of Change". One minute you’re walking through a typical forest, then right into a swamp. We absolutely loved it and the bugs did not bother us at all. Plus, we wrapped up the day swimming in probably the best state park swimming pool we have ever encountered. We live about 4 1/2 hours away from this park and we did not mind it a bit.

Western Maryland Rail Trail
Well, we enjoyed riding our bikes on the trails. We are from Western MD, so the trail was nothing new. But it gave us an opportunity to grab our bikes and have fun as a family.

Seneca Creek State Park
We went early in the morning and saw more birds than we knew what to do with. Trying to match the birds in the book was very challenging, but we ran into a park ranger who was more than happy to help. All the staff went out of their way for us. The park itself was pretty amazing with allot of different terrain. When we walk onto the power line, we got to see deer and a red fox. Plus, there were birds that were brighter blue than anything we had seen before. The only downfall was the "pond" area. We were chased by swarms of misquotes.

Assateague State Park
The quest was semi-enjoyable. However, we did see the famous wild ponies, deer and sea life. But, how can you compete with the beaches and the WAVES. We had a blast.

Team Murdoch
Deep Creek State Park
This was our final Quest! It was our first time using a GPS, so there was a little bit of learning to do, but it was not too difficult. The hike was good, a bit of a challenge for the kids at the end, but we were glad we all made it to all six points. As a special treat, the Fire Tower was open, so we all climbed to the top of it for some fantastic views of the lake and surrounding areas. We also enjoyed some time at the Discovery Center after our return. There's so much to see and learn!

Swallow Falls State Park
Unfortunately, a storm arrived about the same time as we did. We forged ahead and completed the Quest in the rain, taking shelter under an outcropping at one point. We had been to the park before and while I admit we enjoyed it more in the sunshine, the falls are still beautiful even in the rain.

Western Maryland Rail Trail
This was a great Quest. Mom & Dad hadn't been on bicycles for years, but it was just like, well, riding a bike. The scenery was gorgeous and there was lots of interesting history learned along the way.

Tuckahoe State Park
This was the closest park to our home, only about a 15-minute drive. We've visited the playground and pinic facilities in the past, but had not paddled the creek. It was lots of fun and we saw an incredible number of turtles basking.

Patapsco Valley State Park
Disc Golf was new to us, so we weren't breaking any records, but we had a great time anyway. Following the course through the woods was lots of fun!

Higdon Family
Gambrill State Park
What a hidden treasure. The views were great!

Washington Monument State Park
What a great walk back in history. We all enjoyed this one, it was a great way to teach the children history in a fun way.

The Bradshaw Gang
Western Maryland Rail Trail
We had such a beautiful day and the bike ride was great. The sights and views on the trail were great and the kids loved to bike. Also the people in the bike shop were wonderful, very very nice and accommodating.

Washington Monument State Park
We had a lot of fun looking for the answers on this quest. You really had to read all the signs and the booklet. It was great!!

Gambrill State Park
This was a really interesting and beautiful quest. We learned a lot about history. The views from the overlooks were beautiful.

Tuckahoe State Park
It was a beautiful day to do this quest! We loved going canoeing but we ran into some issues. One we went every wrong way possible, we did finally get it right. The other problem was because we kept going the wrong way we kept getting stuck. I must of got out five times to pull the canoe off a sand bar. I had such a good upper arm workout that I can probably stop my gym membership. Overall it really was a good trip we could not stop laughing the whole time because of all the mistakes we made.

Pocomoke River State Park
We really enjoyed this quest we went early and took our time. The boys loved the pond it was hard to get them away from it.

Fearless Foxes
Western Maryland Rail Trail
We combined this with a bike on the Appalachian Trail from Frostburg to Cumberland. Sixteen miles of mostly downhill, and had the great experience of meeting the steam train going uphill along the way!

Calvert Cliffs State Park
Have the photo but forgot the passport!

Flock of Shepards
Greenwell State Park
We were pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem. And completed the task with ease. Even our youngest daughter got into the puzzle solving, reading all the signs and getting really excited. We will definitely make a return trip; small cove for swimming and FISHING!!

Elk Neck State Park
We went from one end of the Chesapeake (Calvert Cliffs) to the other end Chesapeake when we visited Turkey Point. Breath taking views and some history of the light house was really neat. We didn't get to up into the light house. Our youngest daughter was too scared to stay with the attendant while we ventured up to the top, so our next visit, we'll be sure to partake in that part of the adventure. Nonetheless, we had a good time.

Calvert Cliffs State Park
Wow, what a hike! We really enjoyed the hike down to the beach, where we found 3 shark's teeth. Although, our oldest daughter fascinated by the small clay deposits, which she collected as they washed ashore. And our youngest daughter was all about collecting the oyster and clam shells. The 3.6 mile hike wasn't so bad for older kids and adults, but if you have younger ones, take a stroller that can withstand some gnarly tree roots.

Gambrill State Park
Good view of middle town and Frederick. Nice hike

Gambrill State Park
What a beautiful park! Our team was able to camp at Gambrill's State Park Campground which was very nice. We enjoyed our quest learning and searching for information about the CCC. This was a very educational experience for all of us. It is amazing what willing and able men can do with limited resources. What a good example for our children today to learn the value of dedication and hard work. All who come here can learn and benefit from those who served as part of the CCC.

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DNR Press Room

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ParkQuest Diary

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