Carderock Climbing Area Maintenance Project

The C & O Canal NHP will placing mulch at the Carderock Climbing Area located within the Carderock Recreation Area. The area is an extremely popular venue for climbing enthusiasts. In addition, the Billy Goat Trail Section C passes through this area. As a consequence, the area sees a high volume of visitors throughout the year. This heavy use creates soil compaction, the loss of vegetation, and damage to tree roots. The purpose of the project is to spread a three to four-inch layer of one-year-old non-treated composted wood chips to lessen the impact of this heavy use. This project will be undertaken by park volunteers and will be led by the park's Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteers will use wheelbarrows to move the mulch from its drop-off point in the parking lot D to the upper end of the climbing area. Rakes will be used to spread the mulch evenly across the impacted area. This project would be completed in one day in approximately four hours. The climbing area will have to be closed during this project. Signs and prior notification will be used to notify the climbing public and permit holders. This project was previously approved in FY2001 and this will be the fifth year to address the ongoing problem.

The project has been reviewed for impacts to natural and cultural resources by the park's Interdisciplinary Team. The project does not pose any serious or long-term effects to environmental, historical, cultural, archeological, or visual resources. It meets Categorical Exclusion #C.3 "Routine Maintenance and repairs to non-historic structures, facilities, utilities, grounds, and trails."

Contact Information

For further information about this project, please contact David Tune, Volunteer Coordinator, 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740.