Maryland Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Hancock, Maryland

Population: 1,725

Located in Washington County

Hancock is an ancient settlement that was once on the frontier edge of Maryland. Early maps done by Winslow and Mayo show European settlers here by the 1730's. One of the most noted of these was Charles Polke, "Indian Trader of the Potomac." Polke's great-grand-nephew James Knox Polk would later become the eleventh President of the United States. Charles Polke's trading post was located in an area that is now a part of the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historic Park, just south of West Main Street in Hancock. It is currently a park area and boat ramp maintained by the U.S. Park Service called "Little Tonoloway." The site of Polke's post is believed to have been in an area just to the west of this park.

Things To Do:
Hancock Station is a paved bike path that originally extended from Hancock to Fort Frederick 11 miles to the east. In June of 2002, another nine miles were added extending the trail west to Polly's Pond. It's absolutely beautiful, and great for level-walker hiking and rollerblading as well. (Photo to the right shows a family from Eastern Maryland visiting Hancock to try out the newly opened extension to the west.)

The Hancock area provides many places for horseback riding along beautiful trails and through our scenic mountain regions.

If you have your own horses, you are invited to use the towpath along the C&O Canal. For details, you may call the C&O Canal Visitors Center on East Main Street at 301-678-5548.

Only 15 miles from Hancock, we can highly recommend the Buck Valley Ranch . It's a local resort that specializes in horseback riding, but also provides a great many other recreational opportunities.

For trail rides by the hour, horses are available at the Cool Font Resort (14 miles from Hancock), and at Cacapon Resort State Park (17 miles from Hancock).

Courtesy http://www.hancockmd.com