The Maryland Geocaching Society welcomes you to the 2018 edition of Cache Across Maryland! This is one of eleven geocaches placed throughout the "Old Line State" in locations chosen to showcase Maryland's diverse beauty. From the mountains of Western Maryland to the Atlantic Ocean, Cache Across Maryland 2018 will once again demonstrate that Maryland truly is “America in Miniature”.

Each geocache contains a code which you will use to determine the location of the CAM 2018 Picnic to be held on May 5th, 2018. The code can be found on the inside of the cache container and on the inside front cover of the logbook. Don't forget to record this code! Any geocacher who has completed at least TEN of the eleven CAM geocaches and attends the CAM Picnic on May 5th will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Cache Across Maryland 2018 Geocoin in Antique Silver. We hope you enjoy CAM 2018!

Point Lookout State Park

Spectacularly lovely, Point Lookout sits on a peninsula at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Today its completely serene panorama consists of lovely stretches of beach and dense stands of loblolly pine. But this was not always the case. While it seems hard to believe today, Point Lookout State Park was once the site of a military hospital and the Civil War's largest prison camp. (Dorcas Coleman: The Spirits of Point Lookout)

Point Lookout began as part of St. Michael's Manor, one of three manors owned by Leonard Calvert, the first Governor of the Maryland colony. In the 200 years leading up to the Civil War, it became a popular summer resort, complete with beach cottages, a large wharf and a lighthouse. With the advent of the war, people's attentions turned away from recreation and the area's summer resort owners began to suffer financially.

In 1862, the U.S. Government leased the resort to create a hospital for war casualties. The military camp, established after the Battle of Gettysburg, became an expansion of the hospital, and was designed to house 10,000 prisoners. Three forts were built to protect the camp, one of which - Fort Lincoln - still remains. During the camp’s two years of operation, 52,000 military and civilian men, women, and children were incarcerated there. An estimated 14,000 of those prisoners died while held captive due to the deplorable conditions.

There is an 85’ obelisk memorial near the park entrance, built over a mass grave of 3,384 of those casualties.

The hospital and prison buildings no longer exist and much of that area is now underwater. The Friends of Point Lookout have rebuilt and restored the old earthen walled fort and some of its buildings on the Potomac River side of Point Lookout.

The Maryland Park Service, the Department of Natural Resources and the Friends of Point Lookout host the Blue and Gray Days in June, which feature events at Civil War sites around Point Lookout State Park, site of Point Lookout prisoner of war camp during the American Civil War. See living history programs with open camps, period weapons demonstrations, and more.

The grounds of Point Lookout and especially the lighthouse, are considered to be the most haunted place in Maryland. There have been many reported sightings of a Civil War era-dressed man crossing the roadway away from where the smallpox unit was located. He is said to be very thin and smells of mildew and gunpowder. The Point Lookout Lighthouse is famously investigated for paranormal activities, having been featured in the TV shows Weird Travels and Mystery Hunter, and TLC's series Haunted Lighthouses, during which they recorded sounds and voices in addition to other ghostly phenomena.

The lighthouse is closed to the public except for special events such as the Point Lookout Lighthouse Paranormal Nights when the lighthouse is open from 9PM ’til 2AM. Reservations are necessary.

The 1,000 acres of the Point Lookout peninsula is one of the premier birding locations in Maryland.

Pets are allowed in all day-use areas after Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend

Entrance Fees and Park Hours

Day use service charges are valid for park use from 6 a.m. to sunset. (Maryland Passport, Universal Disability Pass and Golden Age Passes are valid during this time period. Active Military with identification are exempt. Children in car seats are free.)

Weekends and Holidays

• October through April -- $3.00 per vehicle for Maryland resident -- $5.00 per vehicle for non-Maryland resident

• May through September -- $5.00 per person for Maryland resident -- $7.00 per person for non-Maryland resident

Weekdays (not including holidays that fall on a weekday)

• Year round -- $3.00 per vehicle for Maryland residents -- $5.00 per vehicle for non-Maryland residents

See the Park website at http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/pointlookout.aspx for additional hours and fee information for camping, fishing, hunting, etc.

This geocache was placed by permission of the Maryland DNR Southern Region. The MGS extends its thanks to the staff of Point Lookout State Park for approving this cache placement.