Monocacy National Battlefield

Travel | Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield is close to my home, making it an easy national park unit to visit on a whim. I arrived 90 minutes before sunset and covered the recommended driving tour to choose a location for photographing the changing colors in the sky. Naturally, I ended up where I started.

Walking Trails

• Gambrill Mill - a half mile loop offering scenic views of the Monocacy River with a portion of the trail being wheelchair accessible.

• Ford Loop - this 1.6 mile loop also provides scenic views of the Monocacy River along with interpretations of significant events from the Battle of Monocacy.

• Brooks Hill Loop - a 1.9 scenic nature trail with a steep climb up the first hill.

• Thomas Farm Loop - this trail has interpretations of key events from the Battle of Monocacy.

• Middle Ford Ferry Loop - a half mile loop with landscape and Monocacy River views, showing the early settlement of the Monocacy Region.

Auto Tour

Exploring the battlefield by car is another great option. A self-guided auto tour provides stops at five locations from the Battle of Monocacy.

• Best Farm

• Monocacy Junction

• Worthington Farm

• Thomas Farm

• Gambrill Mill

I highly recommend driving to each location, using the auto tour, and stretching out your legs on a few of the short and scenic trails along the way.