The Gambrill Pursuit

Pardon Our Dust

Please pardon our dust while we complete the Civilian Conservation Corps Monument Plaza. Construction should be completed by the end of August.

Introduction to Quest

Welcome to the mystery of who built Gambrill State Park! With a variety of letterboxing and problem-solving clues, this self-guided activity will lead your team through one of Maryland’s most beautiful and historic parks!

Quest Information

Plan your quest at Gambrill for any day from 8:00 A.M. until 2 hours before sunset. This will allow adequate time to complete the activity. Your quest is self-guided, meaning that you will not need to access park buildings or locate park staff, and it covers about a mile of territory in the High Knob Area of the park. Your first destination location is the High Knob Nature Center. Locate the Gambrill Pursuit Mailbox outside the building to pick up your clue sheet and a park map. Use this important date to open the mailbox: 1933

Print Your Gambrill Clue Sheet Here.

Read the questions and use your crayon to record your answers in the passport! The Quest uses historical plaques and letterboxing to provide your team with the answers you need! Your goal is to locate the letters that spell out the answer to this question: Who built Gambrill State Park?

Things to bring:

• A dark-colored crayon
• Digital Camera
• Pen/Pencil
• Water/snacks
• Walking shoes/boots

Park Information

Gambrill State Park is a beautiful mountain park, located on the ridge of the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County. Its most popular feature is the 16 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The park is separated into two areas, the Rock Run area and the High Knob area. From the 1600-foot High Knob, three stone overlooks offer breathtaking views of the Frederick and Middletown Valleys then continue to the northern reaches of the Shenandoah Mountains.

Gambrill State Park
8602 Gambrill Park Road
Frederick, MD 21702
301-293-4170

Directions to Gambrill State Park

• Gambrill State Park is located approximately 51 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., and 53 miles west of Baltimore on Catoctin Mountain. From U.S. 70, exit onto U.S. Route 40 at Frederick. Travel approximately six miles. Turn right onto Gambrill Park Road and follow it approximately one mile to the park entrance.

• Make a reservation to stay at the park.