Poolesville, MD Road Trips

Damascus, Poolesville, Clarksburg, and Darnestown are the main small towns in the region.

C&O Canal, ☏ +1 202 653-5190. This section of the 184.5-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on its way between D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland is long and remote, with its unending bike path, beautiful river views, and isolated campgrounds awaiting. 1 McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area (on River Rd, 2.5 miles west of Seneca Rd/MD 112, then turn left on Hunting Quarter Rd), ☏ +1 410-356-9272. While its principal purpose is as a stocked hunting range, McKee-Beshers WMA is best known for its magnificent fields of sunflowers, in bloom towards the end of July. The sunflowers were planted not for public enjoyment—they are there to attract doves for the hunt! But there are miles of trails through the fields and forest, which do connect with the C&O Canal towpath, and the WMA is quite popular with photographers. Be sure to bring heavy duty insect repellent, long pants, and good boots, as the terrain is pretty marshy. It's a good idea to give them a call to see what the hunting situation is like—it's less pleasant to walk around the fields if hunters are out in force. 2 Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, 15200 Mt Nebo Ave, Poolesville, ☏ +1 301-428-8128. Events are somewhat monthly (check the online calendar), and feature everything from the obvious hanging out with "farm" animals to live bands and vegan potlucks. 3 Sugarloaf Mountain, 7901 Comus Dr, Dickerson, ☏ +1 301 869-7846. Perhaps Maryland's best-known and most prominent monadnock, it's full of hiking trails and beautiful views over the Piedmont Plateau and towards the Appalachian Mountains.

1 Homestead Farm, 15604 Sugarland Rd, Poolesville, ☏ +1 301-977-3761. A fun getaway for picking fruit, pumpkins, Christmas trees (or they also have a shop out front if you just want to stop by and get some great fresh produce and other farm goods). Especially if you are with kids, be sure to look for the farm animal petting zoo!

1 Comus Inn at Sugarloaf Mountain, 23900 Old Hundred Rd, Dickerson, ☏ +1 301-349-5100. Lunch: F Sa 11AM-3PM; dinner: W Th Su 5-8PM, F Sa 5-9PM; brunch: Su 11AM-3PM. A beautiful, classic American, upscale dining option, with views right out the window of Sugarloaf Mountain. $35-60. 2 House of Poolesville, 19611 Fisher Ave, Poolesville, ☏ +1 301-349-2935. Pan-Asian cuisine in a Victorian mansion, with frequent live bands and full bar. 3 Jimmie Cone, 26420 Ridge Rd, Damascus, ☏ +1 301-253-2003. April–October. 50-year-old small town soft serve ice cream joint. Cash only. Outdoor seating only. 4 Red Rooster, 10005 Damascus Blvd, Damascus, ☏ +1 301-253-4081. M-Sa 5AM-9PM, Su 8AM-7PM. A hole-in-the-wall dive with what is universally acclaimed (among anyone from the area, at least) as the best fried chicken you'll ever eat. Stop by and confirm for yourself. For a treat, ask for a cherry coke—they add their own cherry syrup to regular coke, and it's twice as delicious as anything you'd get out of a can. 5 Sunshine General Store, 22300 Georgia Ave, Brookeville, ☏ +1 301-774-7428. M-F 4:30AM-5PM, Sa 5AM-5PM, Su 6AM-3:30PM. This is basically a shack out in the country with incredible handmade burgers, as well as the best diner-style breakfast for miles. It's worth a stop. $3-12. 6 Tom & Ray's Restaurant, 9876 Main St, Damascus, ☏ +1 301-253-3331. M-Sa 6AM-7:45PM, Su 8AM-2PM. A classic and ancient American greasy spoon in the center of Damascus. Regional plates like soft-shell crab sandwiches (in season), fried chicken, and scrapple are always good bets.

1 Rocklands Farm Winery, 14531 Montevideo Rd, Poolesville, ☏ +1 301-825-8075. W Th 1-7PM, F 1-9PM, Sa noon-8PM, Su noon-6PM, closed M Tu. Local winery with tastings, tours, and food. (updated Apr 2023) 2 Sugarloaf Mountain Winery, 18125 Comus Rd, Dickerson, ☏ +1 301-605-0130. Daily noon-6PM. This is one of Maryland's most well-regarded wineries, and is easily coupled with a trip to the mountain, which in turn provides lovely views from the winery. The Comus is a favorite. Dog-friendly. 3 Two Chimneys Ciderworks, 7115 Damascus Rd, Gaithersburg, ☏ +1 240-745-5390. Th 4-8PM, F 3-9PM, Sa 11AM-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM, closed M-W. Cidery built around historic chimneys. Also has gluten-free beer. Dog-friendly outside. (updated Apr 2023)

Surprisingly enough, there is not one place in this fair part of the county to lay one's head. You'll have to backtrack to Germantown or onwards to Frederick.

I-270 is the principal highway running through Rural Montgomery County, and I-70 runs east-west just to the north. The former is a quick way to get here from either D.C. or Frederick; the latter from Baltimore or Pennsylvania via Gettysburg. Washington Dulles International Airport is not at all far away, although the rarely-bridged Potomac River does make it harder to get to. The fun way to get here from there would be via White's Ferry off of US-15 in Virginia by Leesburg. Amtrak doesn't have any stops here between Rockville and Harpers Ferry, but the MARC Train Brunswick Line does have stops at 1 Boyds, 2 Barnesville, and 3 Dickerson. You will need to take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft afterwards.