Monocacy National Battlefield — Attraction in Ballenger Creek

I have driven past the main entrance to this park with the small visitor's center since the mid-1970's and thought that it was just a tiny historical site that commemorated some long forgotten event of the Civil War.

Then I finally decided to explore the entire park about a decade ago and discovered just how wrong I was.

THIS is a hidden gem that few people realize even exists, in part because it has two major traffic routes cutting through the sprawling grounds, as well as a railroad and a river. Combine all of that with the fact that crops and cattle are raised in certain areas, and I hope that I can be forgiven for thinking that the small area around the visitor's center was the only thing of interest.

The Civil War connection is very real and chilling when you finally read about it; I was vaguely familiar with the events depicted, but was absolutely stunned to learn that they occurred HERE.

However, what keeps bringing me back several times every year is the physical beauty of the park and being able to observe the changing of the seasons within the grounds that it covers.

This park has the earliest blooming snowdrops in the area that I know of, and the largest display of Virginia bluebells that I have been able to locate in the Maryland section of the DC region. There are many lengthy foot paths to explore, with varying degrees of difficulty, and tons of wonderful things to experience as a nature lover.

Be sure to bring a camera.

Highly...

The visitor center IS open! Not sure why others have recently reported it as closed. We observed rangers in period garb showing small groups of children & their parents how to fire a cannon, and giving them an overview of the Confederates march toward our nations' Capital and how a group made up largely of 90 day soldiers helped turn away the Confederates. The rangers and volunteers were also extremely helpful with providing me with information about the location of my ancestors' military unit, the 151st Regiment of New York, on the field of battle. I felt awesome being able to walk upon the hallowed ground of the Thomas Farm where my 2X g-grandfather and so many other Union soldiers commanded by General Lew Wallace sacrificed their lives in an attempt to slow down the Confederate forces under the command of General Jubal Early who were pushing hard and fast toward our nation’s Capital, which was practically undefended at the time. On the 2nd floor of the visitor center is an absolutely outstanding display of photographs, memoires, and explanatory accounts of the Battle of Monocacy, the battle that saved Washington D.C. By all means this is a must see for anyone who is interested in...

Called "The Battle that Saved Washington," this is one of the more pivotal battles of the Civil War, but not widely known or acknowledged to the level it should be since it was a much smaller by comparison. The visitor center is fairly new and has a great museum upstairs that provides plenty of strategic context as well as the battle itself. There's a 3D terrain model map that lights up and walks the viewer through the lead up to the battle and the battle itself. There's even a medal of honor on display, but not for much longer since it is on loan from the recipient's home state of Vermont. Absolutely stop by to see this before exploring the battlefield. There are a few trails to walk or run for those interested, but most of it is drivable as well. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Absolutely recommend...