Gambrill Mill Trail at Monocacy National Battlefield

Length: .5-mile loop
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

The Gambrill Mill Trail is located at the Gambrill Mill stop on the Monocacy National Battlefield Tour. It is a short and easy trail that circles a field and leads to an overlook with views of where the original Georgetown Pike wooden bridge over the Monocacy River was located (now the Urbana Pike bridge) and of the railroad bridge that at the time belonged to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The wooden bridge was burned by Union troops so that the Confederates could not use it to cross the river. The railroad bridge was far to valuable to destroy since it was the only way for trains to cross, plus it was made of steel. By the end of the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, the railroad bridge was in the hands of the Confederate army.

Illustration of the Georgetown Pike bridge destruction

The Gambrill Mill Trail forms a loop, and there are two ways to begin. However, the easiest trailhead to find is the one at the boardwalk next to the mill. Starting the hike from here sets you off around the loop in the clockwise direction, and this report is written from that perspective.

The Gambrill Mill building no longer resembles a mill and is in fact now used as offices by the National Park Service. Past owners converted it into an apartment. The original building was three stories tall, and it had an undershot waterwheel, which is a wheel located inside the building at the bottom level, so even when in operation it did not have the appearance of a traditional flour mill.

The old Gambrill Mill building at Monocacy National Battlefield

The boardwalk section of the trail extends .2 mile to the aforementioned overlook of the Monocacy River and the two bridges. The boardwalk is wheelchair accessible, but beyond that the trail is a typical earthen trail suitable only for those who are able to walk.

Boardwalk section of the Gambrill Mill Trail at Monocacy National Battlefield

When at the overlook, the bridge to your left is the railroad bridge. The track portion is modern, but the stone columns are the originals. To the left, downriver, is the modern Urbana Pike bridge. This was the location of the wooden covered bridge that was burned by the Union. At the time, the road was called the Georgetown Pike.

Overlook of the Monocacy River on the Gambrill Mill Trail at Monocacy National Battlefield

For a little over a tenth of a mile beyond the overlook, the Gambrill Mill Trail follows a mowed path around a large field. Be prepared for mud and standing water if you do the hike after a rainstorm. The mill building used to be Monocacy National Battlefield’s visitor center, but due to the frequent flooding of the Gambrill Mill area, the Visitor Center was moved to its current location at the Best Farm.

Gambrill Mill Trail at Monocacy National Battlefield

The final leg of the hike cuts across the field and back to the parking area. When the Union soldiers began their retreat back to Baltimore, many of them came running through these fields.

Gambrill Mill Trail at Monocacy National Battlefield

There is no reason to hike all the way around the loop trail at Gambrill Mill, particularly if it is wet and muddy. The more sensible thing to do is to simply walk out to the overlook and back on the boardwalk.

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