South Mountain

[Pennsylvania]

Hello all, I'm planning a trip down to south mountain and I'm wondering what is involved there. Like is it just hiking trails or is there monuments and things like that to do? I have been researching it for a while now but I haven't turned up much information. I am planning to go to Fox's and Turner's gap.

Any input would be greatly appreciated thank you

 

[bdtex]

Gathland State Park, the Washington Monument and Dahlgren's Chapel are worth a look.

 

[Kurtlg]

At Crampton's gap you will see the National War Correspondents Arch which I think is impressive. At Fox's gap you will find monuments to North Carolina, the 17th Michigan , Confederate general Samuel Garland and Union general Jesse Reno. The Appalachian trail goes through South Mountain.

 

[AA484]

Hello all, I'm planning a trip down to south mountain and I'm wondering what is involved there. Like is it just hiking trails or is there monuments and things like that to do? I have been researching it for a while now but I haven't turned up much information. I am planning to go to Fox's and Turner's gap.

Any input would be greatly appreciated thank you

bdtex and Kurt mentioned the major stops.

1. Washington Monument State Park has a visitor's center with some information on the battle and is a good starting point. The monument itself has little to do with the battle (outside of being used as a signal station) but is worth the short hike for the view.

2. The Old South Mountain Inn is (I believe) now closed but there are some interpretive signs in the area. Most of the fighting at Turner's Gap was done on private property, however. Dahlgren Chapel is also located in this vicinity.

3. Fox's Gap has the monuments mentioned by Kurt with some interpretive signage and a short trail to the NC monument. Some (not all) of the fighting at the gap was done on private property.

4. Gathland State Park covers the fighting at Crampton's Gap. There is some interpretive signage here.

I (and others) posted some additional stops in this thread if you're feeling adventurous.

 

[Andrew]

It's a relatively easy walk from Turner's Gap to Fox's Gap through the woods. I believe it's a similar route to the one Hood's troops took.

I visited in the last year or so and created a tour route for myself based on some documents I found online several years ago. I've attached the documents below. Here is a link to the Tour Map I created for Turner's & Frostown Gaps. Hopefully you can see it. These might give you some more ideas.

And I always recommend John Hoptak's book on South Mountain for an excellent concise history of the battle there, in case you haven't read it before.

 

[tomlamarcooughlin]

I've been to Fox's and Crampton's and Crampton's hands down is a "Don't miss". It has two roads leading up from the Middletown valley which converge into one at a flat field on the top before dropping over the other side. The valley views are super and you'll be able to readily visualize the Union troops pushing the Confederates up the hill. Just before being pushed back down toward Sharpsville, Confederate General Howell Cobb's troops came up the road, briefly hit hard slowing the Union troops initially but were quickly overcome and decimated.

 

[Bruce Vail]

Nearby Middletown, Md, is worth a stop, especially if you need refreshment. There is huge church on the main street that was a temporary hospital during the battle and many, many antebellum buildings. You'll find CW signage sprinkled around the town.

 

[Joe Whitworth]

I grew up in Boonsboro, when you leave the parking lot at Turner's Gap head West toward Boonsboro, go 1/4 mile to Moser Road on your left, take Moser Road to the end (about 1 mile) and turn left, you're now on Reno Monument Road and only 1/4 mile from the parking area at Fox's Gap. Reverse if you go to Fox's Gap first. If you get down to Crampton's Gap look Southwest towards Maryland Heights and wave, maybe I'll wave back

 

[Kurtlg]

On one of my visits to the War Correspondents Arch there was a woman leaving the parking lot with all kinds of ghost and witch and supernatural stickers on her car. Nearby Burkittsville is the site of the Blair Witch Project movie. Seemed rather odd.