Backpacking: Gathland State Park to Washington Monument State Park
Details
I’m excited to invite you to join me for a beginner-friendly overnight backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland, September 26–27.
This 9-mile, two-day trip travels from Gathland State Park to Washington Monument State Park, with an overnight at Rocky Run Shelter. The pace will be easy, with regular breaks and manageable daily mileage, making this a great opportunity for someone who is new to backpacking, getting back into it, or simply looking for a relaxed overnight on the AT.
### Trip highlights
- 🥾 Approximately 9 miles total over two days
- ⛺ Overnight at Rocky Run Shelter
- 🌲 Beginner-friendly pace and moderate grades
- 🏔️ Appalachian Trail experience without a huge mileage commitment
- 🏛️ Finish at historic Washington Monument State Park
- 🤝 A great opportunity to meet other hikers and backpackers
We’ll meet Saturday morning at Washington Monument State Park, leave our vehicles there, and carpool to Gathland State Park to begin the hike. On Sunday, we’ll finish at Washington Monument State Park and shuttle drivers back to Gathland to retrieve their vehicles.
A note about this Meetup event: I’m currently working toward becoming an Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) trip leader, and as part of that process I’m co-leading several trips with the AMC Potomac Chapter. This is one of those trips, and I’m looking forward to gaining some additional leadership experience while sharing a great section of the AT with the group.
You do NOT need to be an AMC member to participate.
### Important: Registration is through AMC
This Meetup event is simply a preview and way to share the opportunity with the Meetup community. If you’d like to participate, please use the AMC registration link below to sign up.
👉 Full trip details and registration:
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001FwG12AK/act00023064
The AMC page has the complete itinerary, meeting information, gear recommendations, safety information, and registration.
I hope you’ll join us for a fun and approachable night on the Appalachian Trail!