Sugarloaf Mountain is a small (1,283 foot; 391 m) mountain and park about 10 miles (16 km) south of
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
*Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederick ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, USA. The closest village is
Barnesville, located just over one mile from the foot of the mountain. The peak of this relatively low mountain is approximately 800 feet (244 m) higher than the surrounding farmland. It is visible from many parts of northern
Montgomery County and southern
Frederick County, notably from
I-270 north of the town of
Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
United States
* Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County
* Ge ...
. Because of its geological and
natural history interest, it was designated a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in 1969. It is a notable example of an admission-free (although donations are requested), privately owned scenic park.
History
The mountain was visited in 1712 by
Christoph von Graffenried, 1st Baron of Bernberg and his French-Canadian guide,
Martin Chartier. The Baron wrote:
:"From there we went further back upon a mountain of the highest in those parts, called Sugar Loaf, for it has the form of a loaf of sugar. We took with us Martin Chartier, a surveyor we also had with us, and there came with us several Indians. From the mountain we viewed an exceedingly broad extent Of country, a part of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Carolina, used the compass,
ndmade us a map."
During the
Maryland Campaign of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
in 1862, Union forces occupying the summit, which was being used as an observation and signal station, first spotted the
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...
on September 5 as it crossed the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...
into Maryland. The following morning as the small Union force on the mountain began to retreat in the face of the oncoming
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Army, they ran into the unsuspecting 1st North Carolina Infantry and a small skirmish ensued. The Union force was able to escape, but it was later caught by Confederate cavalry at
Urbana.
In the early 20th century
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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businessman
Gordon Strong bought substantial land holdings on and around the mountain. In 1925, the architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
, on commission from Strong, proposed an
automobile objective development for the top of the mountain, but that was never carried out.
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, briefly considered using Sugarloaf as his Presidential retreat, but he was persuaded by Strong to choose the nearby Shang-Ri-La site on the
Catoctin Mountain, which today is known as
Camp David.
Strong set up a trust fund in 1947 that maintains a trail system and other tourist facilities at Sugarloaf Mountain. The mountain and its immediate environs continue to be open to the public, but they are privately owned by Stronghold, Incorporated.
Geology
Sugarloaf Mountain is an example of a
monadnock — an isolated hill or small mountain rising abruptly from gently sloping or level surrounding land. It appears to be either an outlier to the east of the main mass of
Catoctin Mountain, or a root remnant of the ancient
Appalachian mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
.
The bedrock is the Lower
Cambrian Sugarloaf Mountain Quartzite, a massive white
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
interbedded with softer
sericitic quartzite,
slate, and
phyllite
Phyllite ( ) is a type of foliated metamorphic rock created from slate that is further metamorphosed so that very fine grained white mica achieves a preferred orientation.Stephen Marshak ''Essentials of Geology'', 3rd ed. It is primarily compo ...
. The formation is divided into upper, middle, and lower members.
[Geologic Map of the Frederick 30' x 60' Quadrangle, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, Scientific Investigations Map 2889, USGS, S. Southworth et al., 2007]
Tourism
Sugarloaf Mountain is an area tourist attraction, free of an admission charge, and open to the public. Visitors are however encouraged to voluntarily donate $5. Activities include hiking, rock climbing, picnicking, and sightseeing. The mountain is known to locals for its scenic views.
The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail system is a popular network of trails that link the East Face with the West Face. The blue trail system is popular with hikers while the yellow trail system can also be used by bikers and horseback riders at designated times of the year. The Strong Mansion at the base of the mountain is often used for weddings and other special events, and the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard is a popular side excursion.
Sugarloafoverlook.jpg, The scenic overlook at Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf1.jpg, View at the top during fall
SUGARLOAF_FMH.jpg, Sugarloaf Mountain as seen from Maryland Heights
Sugarloaf_air1.jpg, Oblique air photo of Sugarloaf Mountain, facing southwest, January 2009
Sugarloaf Mountain from top.jpg, The base of the mountain, as seen from the top.
References
External links
*
Trail map*
*
*
{{authority control
Mountains of Maryland
National Natural Landmarks in Maryland
Parks in Frederick County, Maryland
Inselbergs of North America
Landforms of Frederick County, Maryland