Drovers' Trail Scenic Byway
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Stories

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  Drovers' Trail Overview

  Mar 24, 2005

  When the cattle farmers in the beginning of the 19th Century wanted to move, or drive, their cattle eastward to the market in Baltimore, Maryland, they usually chose the "Grade Road." Not only cattle, but sheep, pigs, horses, mules, and even turkeys drove their way eastward along this road. Because of its popularity, the "Grade Road" became known as the "Drove Road" and the animal traffic flourished until the railroads became competitive in about 1875. Look closely as you drive along the portion of the byway named State Route 147; here you can see deep trenches where the animals' hooves caused depressions as hundreds of thousands of them came through the drove road, a modern remnant of days gone by.

Road Trips

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Places

See a list of all the Places to Visit along Drovers' Trail Scenic Byway (2)