Quirauk Mountain
View from High Rock in Cascade, Maryland
Highest point
Elevation2,145 ft (654 m)
Coordinates39°41′47″N 77°30′46″W / 39.69634°N 77.51271°W / 39.69634; -77.51271[1]
Geography
LocationWashington County, Maryland, U.S.
Parent rangeSouth Mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains
Climbing
Easiest routedrive

Quirauk Mountain is the highest point on South Mountain.[2] The 2,145-foot (654 m) peak is located in northeastern Washington County, Maryland. It lies just southwest of Fort Ritchie Military Reservation in the village of Cascade and about 1/2 mile southeast of the community of Blue Mountain. The Appalachian Trail and South Mountain State Park are about 1/2 mile to the west of the mountain's summit.[1]

Background

On the summit is a broadcast tower for radio stations WETH-FM and WAYZ-FM in Hagerstown[1] and "Site C", a radio communication outpost of the Alternate Joint Communications Center, a United States Department of Defense emergency relocation site near Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania.[3] There is a fenced-in area of the mountaintop that is federal property and thus a restricted area.[4] Quirauk Mountain's broadcast tower was formerly used by radio stations WJEJ-AM and WWMD-FM.[5] A fire lookout tower also used to occupy the summit.[6][7]

About 1/2 mile to the west-southwest of the summit is High Rock on the Appalachian Trail, which provides an excellent view of the surrounding countryside.[8][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 USGS Topographic Map, Smithsburg (MD, PA) Quadrangle
  2. "South Mountain", Encyclopædia Britannica Online
  3. Hagerstown-Chambersburg Area Radio Stations Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center (see section "Telecommunications Links")
  5. Washington County Highpoint Trip Report
  6. 104.7
  7. Maryland Fire Lookouts Archived April 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. Maryland Scenic Byways, p. 140
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