April 7th, 2024….
Somewhere, casually walking up a hill in Jarrettsville, Maryland, I and Angel embark on another trek among the woods and rocks. The name of this park was generally known, shunning obvious, impactful puns—
Rocks State Park.
The park has non-connecting sections covering the entire area, from the lowest walks to the highest climbs. Deer Creek Valley, King and Queen’s Seat, and Hidden Valley. The hike is roughly 3.5 miles, but the King and Queen’s seat is the most scenic view. Stories were told that his area was quite frequented by a Native American tribe, and the name escapes me. I searched for the tribe who used this area for ceremonies within their communities. Still, I could find nothing that gave way to their identity. The three discovered that inhabited this section of nature were:
*Susquehannocks
*Lenape
*Shawnee.
The Susquehannocks tribe resided near the lower Susquehanna Riber watershed in what is now Pennsylvania. Their name means “people of the muddy river…” The Lenape tribe, also known as the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, lived in the Northeastern Woodlands in the United States and Canada. Before European contact, the Shawnee most likely lived in what we call centered Ohio. They were also forcefully dispersed later to other states in the Union, such as Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
Well, that’s all I could find in the history of Rocks State Park. The hike was not strenuous, rocky in some spots, but mainly a sharp incline, which leveled out after we reached the King’s and Queen’s seats. The downward path led us to the Hidden Valley, but we may have crossed into Deer Creek Valley upon our descent. It wasn’t easy to tell since the map was a little confusing—
I..am..sticking..with..that..explanation haha.
Despite the challenges, I believe you’ll find the pictures and video of our adventure quite enjoyable. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights on the history of Rocks State Park. Thanks for visiting, and stay tuned for more On Location reports in the future.
*All videos are below—
KG Bethlehem 