Quirauk Mountain is the highest point on South Mountain."South Mountain", Encyclopædia Britannica Online The 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.
Background On the summit is a broadcast tower for radio stations WETH-FM and WAYZ-FM in Hagerstown 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.Hagerstown-Chambersburg Area Radio Stations There is a fenced-in area of the mountaintop that is federal property and thus a restricted area.The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center (see section "Telecommunications Links") Quirauk Mountain's broadcast tower was formerly used by radio stations WJEJ-AM and WWMD-FM.Washington County Highpoint Trip Report A fire lookout tower also used to occupy the summit. It was originally part of the original Pen-Mar resort, being converted into one shortly after. Although it is not used in the same way it used to be, it still stands today, mostly covered from view because of the treeline. It is used for telecommunications on "Site C", mentioned earlier. It is the smallest tower on the site. It is the tower with stairs (bottom stairs removed) on the photos. Maryland Fire Lookouts
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.Maryland Scenic Byways, p. 140
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