At a Glance

Hours:

April through October: 8 am to sunset
November through March: 10 am to sunset.
Some areas may be closed to vehicular traffic December-March and during periods of inclement weather.
All areas are open to foot traffic year-round.

Cost: Year-round: MD residents: $3/vehicle; out-of-state residents: $5/vehicle. ◾ Pay at honor boxes in the Rock Run, High Knob, and trailhead areas. ◾ Additional charges for camping, picnic shelters.

Tips: Black bears occur in the park; be alert. ◾ Most of the trails have steep sections and rocky surfaces. Wear sturdy, closed-toe hiking boots or shoes. A hiking stick may be helpful. ◾Hunting is not allowed at Gambrill State Park, but may take place on adjacent lands, so be cautious during hunting season. ◾ Restroom locations are shown on the Trail Map at the link in the orange box below.

Best Seasons: Spring and fall. Some areas may be closed to vehicular traffic December-March and during periods of inclement weather.

Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Frederick NW, Frederick CW, Middletown NE

Local MOS Chapter: Frederick Bird Club

Gambrill State Park

8602 Gambrill Park Road, Frederick, MD 21702
(301) 271-7574 or (301) 293-4170
E-mail: Gambrill.StatePark@maryland.gov

Additional Park Addresses:

• Rock Run Campground Address: 8002 Gambrill Park Road

• Rock Run Campground Bathhouse Address: 8170 Gambrill Park Road

• Tea Room Address: 8346 High Knob Road

• Nature Center Address: 8448 High Knob Road

Gambrill State Park is a 1,209-acre park located in the Catoctin Mountains northwest of the city of Frederick. It is the southernmost of four public properties that form an unbroken chain of protected land along the east side of Catoctin Mountain; the other three are the Frederick City Watershed immediately to the north; and beyond that, Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park. Together, these four properties protect over 20,000 acres in the Upper Monocacy Watershed.

Gambrill State Park is almost entirely forested with second-growth mixed hardwoods, with only some small open areas around the visitor areas. With such a large expanse of woodland, Gambrill is a magnet for Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS), including many breeding and migrant warblers (see Birdlife section below).

A number of freshwater streams flow through the park, and a small manmade pond is located near the park’s south end; this pond is perfect for teaching kids to fish as it is classified as a Free Fishing Pond and no fishing license is required.

The park is easy to navigate, as there is only one road through it: Gambrill Park Road runs north-south through the park and provides access to all the visitor amenities. The park has two visitor areas:

Rock Run is at the south end of the park and has a campground (cabins, tents, RVs), picnic facilities, the fishing pond, and stunning views of the valleys to the east and west.
High Knob is north of Rock Run and offers wooded picnic areas, three covered picnic shelters, and a large stone lodge, called the Tea Room. The picnic shelters and the Tea Room are available by reservation, and the park holds many public events in the Tea Room. High Knob also had a nature center and a nature-themed playground, as well as two of the park’s three stone overlook platforms (see below).

Both High Knob and Rock Run have handicapped-accessible restrooms.

The Visitor Center is located along Gambrill Park Road north of the High Knob area and has its own parking area.

The park has three stone overlook platforms, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s (see Historical Notes below):

South Frederick Overlook, located in High Knob, looks to the east;
Middletown Overlook, also in High Knob, which looks to the west;
North Frederick Overlook, with views to the east, is located directly along Gambrill Park Road north of the Visitor Center, accessible by a roadside pullout.

All of these overlooks present a good opportunity to scan the skies and treetops for birds; in fact, eBird hotspots are centered on the North and South Frederick Overlooks. All the overlooks close at sunset.

Generally, birders find that early morning at the Rock Run area provides the most rewarding birding. A walk along the Rock Run camping area loop road is always productive, or use the Red Maple loop trail, described below. Please respect camper privacy and avoid walking through occupied camp sites.

The park offers extensive hiking trails through unbroken forests with beautiful views of surrounding countryside. The Trailhead Parking Area off Gambrill Park Road between the Rock Run and High Knob areas is the starting point for the entire network of park trails. If the parking area at the trailhead is full, park in the High Knob area, where you can access many trails via the Yellow Poplar Trail that loops around the campground. Many of the trails are challenging, with rocky terrain and steep hills, but some are easy or moderate in difficulty.

White Oak (1-mile loop) – Easy – White blaze – This easy trail is open to hikers only (no mountain bikes), and is a good choice for families with small children.
Red Maple (1-mile loop) – Easy – Red blaze – Fairly easy to walk, this trail connects the High Knob area with the Rock Run campground. One short section of the trail is somewhat steep.
Green Ash (2-mile loop) – Moderate – Green blaze – There are several steep slopes and very little level ground, making this trail somewhat of a challenge.
Black Locust (3-mile loop) – Difficult – Black blaze – This trail showcases the beauty of Gambrill State Park, from its wooded slopes to the spectacular views of both Frederick to the east and Middletown valley to the west. The trail passes through the High Knob scenic area, mixing several steep slopes with fairly level areas. The southeast part of the loop runs along the Catoctin Recreational Trail, but to make a somewhat shorter hike, you can use part of the Green Ash Trail instead.
Yellow Poplar (7-mile loop) – Moderate – Yellow blaze – The longest of the Gambrill trails, this trail is only moderately difficult, except for the length. The trail mostly follows the Ridgeline and has only moderate slopes. The trail extends all the way from the High Knob area to the northern boundary of the park, where it connects to the trail system of the Frederick City Watershed. Yellow Poplar Trail has multiple intersecting loops or can be walked as an out-and-back. Or, if you have access to two cars, you could park one at each end.
Catoctin National Recreation Trail (28 miles, one-way) – Difficult – Blue blaze – This trail runs through Gambrill State Park, the Frederick City Watershed, Cunningham Falls State Park, and Catoctin Mountain Park. Its north end is at Mt. Zion Road, 1.3 miles north of Owens Creek Campground in Catoctin Mountain Park. Backcountry camping on the Catoctin Trail is not permitted, but camping is available at Gambrill State Park, Cunningham Falls State Park in the Manor and Houck Areas and at Catoctin Mountain Park. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains this trail. Of course, any section of this long trail can be hiked as an out-and-back, or you can pick a section and park cars at both ends.

Historical Notes:

The park was established in 1934 and is named after James H. Gambrill, Jr. (1866–1951), a businessman and civic leader in the City of Frederick. He enjoyed visiting the Catoctin Mountains and led a group of businessmen in raising the funds to purchase the land that is now the park. they donated the land to the City of Frederick, which transferred it to the State of Maryland to become the state park. Mr. Gambrill was also instrumental in raising funds for the City of Frederick to purchase what is now the Frederick City Watershed.

After the park was established, much of its infrastructure was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a jobs program during the Great Depression in the 1930s. In fact, the CCC built much of the infrastructure not only at Gambrill State Park but also at parks, state forests and conservation areas throughout the state, thus leaving an indelible imprint on our birding landscape. The CCC was a great success, both in its social and economic aspects as well as in conservation. The CCC constructed buildings, bridges, trails and roads, and also planted trees, constructed manmade lakes, and engaged in other conservation projects. We would not have the parks we have today without the CCC.

You can read about the impact of the CCC at these three links:

The Civilian Conservation Corps: Recognizing the Contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) to Maryland’s State Forests & Parks (Department of Natural Resources)

Part I: A National Perspective: Conservation Under Roosevelt and

Part II – A Maryland Perspective

Conserving Memory: The Civilian Conservation Corps In Western Maryland, by Colleen Esther Walter, Master’s Degree Thesis, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2011.

Birdlife:

A combined total of over 140 species have been reported from five eBird hotspots for Gambrill State Park:
Gambrill State Park overall – 122+ species
Gambrill SP–High Knob (centered on the High Knob Nature Center) – 100+ species
Gambrill SP–North Frederick Overlook (along Gambrill Park Road north of the Visitor Center) – 66+ species
Gambrill SP–picnic area & campground (centered on the Rock Run Area) – 123+ species
Gambrill State Park–South Frederick Overlook (at the northeast end of the High Knob area) – 55+ species

The extensive forest cover provides breeding habitat for Forest Interior Dwelling Birds, including Red-shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Veery, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentuckv Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager.

Other easily found breeding birds include Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, Red-eyed Vireo, most woodpecker species, and small woodland birds such as Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse.

With its location on a north-south ridgeline, Gambrill State Park is a potent migrant trap and a reliable spot for migrant raptors, warblers, and thrushes. Common migrant warblers include Magnolia, Black-throated Blue; more difficult to find species such as Mourning, Cape May, Canada and Wilson’s have also been reported here.

Winter species such as Winter Wren, Purple Finch and Red-breasted Nuthatch occur in some years.

Wheelchair Access:

The trails in the park are not wheelchair accessible, but there is fairly good birding around the parking areas and along the paved roads within High Knob and Rock Run. There are accessible restrooms in both areas, and the campground has an accessible bathhouse. Picnic shelters at High Knob are accessible, as is the Visitor Center. The stone overlooks have steep steps and are not accessible, but there may be good birding at their parking areas.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed on the trails and in the camp ground and day-use areas, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Pick up after your pet.

Special Designations:

Gambrill State Park is part of the Maryland Blue Ridge Important Bird Area, as designated by the National Audubon Society.

Special Features:

During warm weather, High Knob is a popular picnic area. Large picnic shelters are available for rent by prior reservation.
The Tea Room, a native-stone building that holds up to 75 people, is available for rent for meetings and gatherings from April through October.
The Nature Center in the High Knob area features information on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), as well as information on native wildlife. The nature center also has activity packets available for family activities such as scavenger hunts and self-guided hikes. The nature center is open by appointment only when staffing levels permit. Please contact the park office to schedule access. While the Nature Center is not able to offer group educational programming at present, several self-guided activities are available to download before you visit; see the park website under “Nature Center.”
The fishing pond in the Rock Run area this pond is classified as a Free Fishing Pond and no fishing license is required. Loaner fishing poles for children (bait not included) are available May until October. If interested, contact the park at 301-293-4170 or email Gambrill.StatePark@maryland.gov.
Interested in camping but don’t want to sleep on the ground? You can have an RV or camping trailer delivered and set up on your site prior to your arrival. Contact the park office at (301) 271-7574 for details on how to rent the camper of your choice from a local, experienced RV rental company. This is an extra service and is not included in your camping reservation.
The Friends of Cunningham Falls State Park and Gambrill State Park, Inc. is a support group for the two parks. The members generate financial support necessary for supplementing the park’s budget. All proceeds go directly to the parks and are used for improvements such as the the renovated Nature Center at High Rock Scenic Area of Gambrill State Park, tree plantings, new safety equipment, updated vehicles, and heavy equipment. The Friends also provide continuing support for events such as the “Maple Syrup Festival”, “Tea In The Tea Room” and the “Friends 10K, 5K and Fun Run Race.” The Friends would welcome your donation or your membership as an active volunteer.

Local MOS Chapter:

The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Frederick Bird Club, which hosts fields trips and meetings with informative presentations, all free and open to the public. The Audubon Society of Central Maryland also provides activities for birders in Frederick County; see their website for details.

Multimedia:

The Audubon Society of Central Maryland’s YouTube channel features presentations on birds and birding recorded at their monthly meetings and on other occasions.

Parking:

Parking is only allowed in lots; no parking is permitted on roadsides. Parking areas at Rock Run, High Knob, and the Visitor Center are paved and ample. The Trailhead Parking Area is gravel and located mid-way between Rock Run and High Knob. There is also a small paved pulloff area at the North Frederick Overlook, north of the Visitor Center.

Directions:

From I-70, exit onto US Route 40 at Frederick. Travel approximately six miles west on US Route 40. Turn right (north) onto Gambrill Park Road and follow it approximately one mile to the park entrance on the left. The park Visitor Center is located on the park road, north of the High Knob area.

Nearby Sites:

Frederick County: Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary ◾ C&O Canal – Mouth of Monocacy to Brunswick ◾ Catoctin Mountain Park ◾ Cunningham Falls State Park ◾ Fred J. Archibald Audubon Sanctuary ◾ Lilypons Water Gardens ◾ Seymour B. Cooper MOS Sanctuary ◾ Sugarloaf Mountain

Habitats:

ConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Old Fields, Shrubby Meadows Rivers & Streams

Features: