Allegany County High Point Trip Report
Dan's Rock (2895 ft)
Author: Glenn Bock
Area Location: Dan's Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Dan's Mountain State Park
Maps: Lonaconing Quad DeLorme 67
Route
Dans Rock on Dans Mountain. From I-68 at Frostburg, exit onto MD route 36 south
for about 4 miles toward Midland. Just before you get to Midland, turn left (East) onto
Paradise Rd. (This road is not well marked, look for the signs marked "Dan's Rock Overlook")
then then left on Old Dan Rock Road, follow it until it ends (about 3 miles).
Description of HighPoint
The summit is heavily towered but both benchmarks near the summit can be found.
There is a good deal of graffiti, mostly peoples names and dates. A little looking
will uncover several old summit names. Several were found from the first decade of the
1900's, surely more searching will turn up several older. This is probably the best
view of the county HighPoints in the state. High Rocks on Quirauk is a close second,
but Dans allows both East and West views. There is a closed fire tower at Dans Rock.
Points of Interest Nearby
County Tourism at 800-50-VISIT
Dan's Mountain State Park (further south on 36 than the road to the summit)
Frostburg Depot: Depot St., Frostburg;
Hoofprints Livery: Depot Center, Frostburg
Historical/Cultural Areas
Iron Furnace (1836): off MD 36 at Lonaconing
Thrasher Museum: of MD 36 at Midland
Toll Gate House (1835): Alt. US 40 W of LaVale
US History in the County
The first Federal Highway in the US was Cumberland Road from Cumberland to Vandalia, Ill.
March 29, 1806.
Camping
Big Run State Park, 30 sites, Route 2, Box 63-A, Granstville, MD, 21536, 301-895-5453
Rocky Gap State Park, 278 sites, Route 1, Box 90, Flintstone, MD, 21503, 301-777-2139
Historical Notes
"Dans Mountain (el. 2898), Dans Rock (el. 2892). Near Midland Allegany County.
Both names are from Daniel Cresap, the son of the doughty pioneer, Colonel Thomas Cresap.
The story is that here one day, while hunting with an Indian named George, Daniel Cresap
killed a mother bear and climbed a tree to capture the cubs. A branch broke, and he and
the cubs fell to the rock. As for the mountain, it appears that Daniel Cresap was later
killed there in a gun fight with an Indian. Schaeffer narrates that the Indian, George,
who accompanied Daniel, and been taken by Colonel Cresap to raise. Was he the elusive
George of George's Creek?" - Kenny [There is a memorial in Riverside Park in Cumberland]
Allegany county was formed in 1789. Allegany is a Delaware Algonquian word whose last
two syllables are from the Algonquian element meaning "alternate motion, lapping."
The opening syllables (Alle-) may mean "good." Hence the meaning of Allegany is probably
"Good river."