Quirauk Mountain is the highest point on South Mountain.[2] The 2,145-foot (654 m) peak is located in northeastern Washington County, Maryland. It lies just southwest of Fort Ritchie Military Reservation in the village of Cascade and about 1/2 mile southeast of the community of Blue Mountain. The Appalachian Trail and South Mountain State Park are about 1/2 mile to the west of the mountain's summit.[1]
Background
On the summit is a broadcast tower for radio stations WETH-FM and WAYZ-FM in Hagerstown[1] and "Site C", a radio communication outpost of the Alternate Joint Communications Center, a United States Department of Defense emergency relocation site near Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania.[3] There is a fenced-in area of the mountaintop that is federal property and thus a restricted area.[4] Quirauk Mountain's broadcast tower was formerly used by radio stations WJEJ-AM and WWMD-FM.[5] A fire lookout tower also used to occupy the summit. It has since been removed.[6][7]
About 1/2 mile to the west-southwest of the summit is High Rock near the Appalachian Trail, which provides an excellent view of the surrounding countryside.[8][9]
