Monument Knob

Monument Knob preserves the first monument erected in the United States to honor George Washington — a rough stone tower built by the citizens of Boonsboro on July 4, 1827, just 28 years after Washington's death. The structure predates the Washington Monument in Washington DC by several decades and represents a remarkable act of civic commemoration by a small western Maryland community. The trail climbs steeply from the Washington Monument State Park picnic area through chestnut oak and scrub pine forest on the Appalachian Trail's white-blaze corridor before reaching the restored stone tower at the summit of Monument Knob. The original structure has been rebuilt and restored multiple times since 1827, most recently by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and now stands approximately 34 feet tall, offering a sweeping panorama from its observation platform at the top of a narrow internal staircase. Views extend west over the Hagerstown Valley and east across the Middletown Valley toward the Catoctin Mountains. The South Mountain ridge is visible in both directions, with the AT corridor stretching northward toward Harpers Ferry and southward into Virginia. Interpretive signs at the summit explain the monument's construction history and its connection to the broader tradition of commemorating Washington in the years immediately following the founding era. The knob is accessible to well-conditioned hikers despite the steep pitch, and the short distance makes the effort sustainable for most visitors.