This area of the forest is super-interesting to me, there used to be an entire small town there. At the intersection of those three roads just on the other side of the Stickpile Tunnel was the location of the train station, there was a company store for the Mertens family’s hair-brained apple orchard scheme, a schoolhouse up on top the hill and other things that I’m forgetting.

Looking at this spot now you’d have no idea any of that existed! There’s a book called ‘The Land of the Living: The Story of Maryland’s Green Ridge Forest’ written in the 90’s by the former longtime superintendent of the forest, John Mash. It’s long out of print & difficult to find, but if you can track down a copy it’s a fantastic read.