| Quirauk Mountain | |
|---|---|
) View from High Rock of Cascade, Maryland | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,145 ft (654 m) |
| Coordinates | 39°41′47″N 77°30′46″W / 39.69634°N 77.51271°W [1] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Washington County, Maryland |
| Parent range | South Mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | drive |
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
- ^ a b c USGS Topographic Map, Smithsburg (MD, PA) Quadrangle
- ^ "South Mountain", Encyclopædia Britannica Online
- ^ Hagerstown-Chambersburg Area Radio Stations Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center (see section "Telecommunications Links")
- ^ Washington County Highpoint Trip Report
- ^ 104.7
- ^ Maryland Fire Lookouts Archived April 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2007.
- ^ Maryland Scenic Byways, p. 140