scenes from I-68 Sideling Hill Welcome Center in Hancock, MD (extended view)
This shows scenes from and views of and from the I-68 Sideling Hill Welcome Center and Rest Area along I-68 near Hancock, Maryland on May 21, 2018. This was one of the nicest rest areas and welcome centers I have found anywhere. The purpose of the Welcome Center which is staffed by really nice and knowledgeable people inside is to promote the vibrant culture of the State of Maryland by revealing all the amazing sights to see and things to do in Maryland. It has full amenities including a pet area, bus and RV parking, picnic tables, vending machines, restrooms, brochures and maps of all sorts and even an elevator to help the disabled cross from one side to the other. May actually try to rate this place on Google or TripAdvisor I thought it was so nice. I will post another video excluding the traffic so people can see just the welcome center. This is located in Washington County, Maryland. Further adding to the experience was that they pay outside workers too to keep trash picked up, etc. A really impressive welcome center overall.
Let's Visit Sideling Hill (Near Hancock, MD)
In this video, I visit Sideling Hill about 5 miles west of Hancock, MD. This video is taken at a rest area along I-68 as it travels through the cut through the mountain. The rest area provides some beautiful views of the rock formations within the mountain.
Sideling Hill Road Cut (Hancock, Maryland)
Just a quick walk at the Rest Area on top of Sideling Hill. Located on I-68 just west of Hancock, Maryland. Pretty impressive when you consider what it took to create this cut. It was completed in the mid 1980's and facilitated the completion of an interstate highway (I-68) into rural western Maryland.
USA, Maryland, I-68 - Sideling Hill, higway cut in mountain
Observation deck on I-68.
Interstate 68 road cut in Sideling Hill in western Maryland.
The Sideling Hill Road Cut on Interstate 68 and U.S. 40 is a 340-foot (100 m) deep notch excavated from the ridge of Sideling Hill, about 7 miles (11 km) west of Hancock in Washington County, Maryland. It is notable as an impressive man-made mountain pass, visible from miles away, and is considered to be one of the best rock exposures in Maryland and the entire northeastern United States. Almost 810 feet (250 m) of strata in a tightly folded syncline are exposed in this road cut. Although other exposures may surpass Sideling Hill in either thickness of exposed strata or in quality of geologic structure, few can equal its combination of both. The exposed rocks consist of the Devonian-Mississippian Rockwell Formation, underlying the Mississippian Purslane Sandstone.
A highway rest stop, located near the eastern side of the Sideling Hill Road Cut on Interstate 68 west of Hancock, includes a pedestrian bridge crossing I-68, connecting the eastbound and westbound rest areas and offering views of the cut, in which stopping is prohibited.
The rest stop formerly included the Sideling Hill Exhibit Center, a four-level geological museum and travel information center which opened in 1991. Due to state budget cuts, this facility was closed on Aug. 15, 2009, as part of a $280 million budget reduction package, saving the state about $110,000 annually. Before its closing, the center served about 95,000 visitors a year, at a cost of about $1.16 per visitor.
Sideling Hill exhibit transferred to Hancock Museum and Visitor's Center, Hancock Maryland
Maryland Welcome Center
On I-95 north of VA
Sideling Hill
The interstate system has often been a key to economic development and that's especially true in Western Maryland. MPT's Charles Robinson looks back at the catalyst that made the system work.
Sideling Hill Cut and Visitors' Center
Here we check out the Visitors' Center and cut on Sideling Hill, located along Interstate 68 in Western Maryland.
The cut opened in 1985, and the visitors' center a few years later. The highway was originally US 48 before becoming I-68 in 1990. This highway also carries US 40, the rerouted National Pike. The original Pike takes a longer loop to the south.
Sideling hill is a syncline-shaped like a U-with coal veins running through. Millions of years back-this was the bottom of a vast ocean!
A highly recommended stop for anyone traveling through Western Maryland, and looking for a scenic stop!
Done on August 7 2016.
Related video-Day Odyssey: Nat'l Pike showing original route over Sideling Hill:
Assateague Island MD Camping 2019 4K
Flying around Assateague Island. Home of the wild ponies!
Driving through Sideling Hill!
Driving on I-68W through the amazing Sideling Hill cut!
Driving Through Sideling Hill
One of the best rock exposures in Maryland and indeed in the entire northeastern United States is located approximately 6 miles west of Hancock in Washington County, where Interstate 68 cuts through Sideling Hill. Almost 810 feet of strata in a tightly folded syncline are exposed in this road cut. Although other exposures may surpass Sideling Hill in either thickness of exposed strata or in quality of geologic structure, few can equal its combination of both. This exposure is an excellent outdoor classroom where students of geology can observe and examine various sedimentary rock types, structural features, and geomorphic relationships.
Sideling Hill Roadcut I-68
A drive-through of the Sideling Hill Roadcut on I-68, west of Hancock, Maryland. This outcrop exposes the Purslane Sandstone overlying the Rockwell Formation, and is one of the biggest and best exposures of a syncline in the United States.
Online article on the roadcut:
I-68 traffic in Maryland at exit 62 (the jct. with Scenic U.S. 40 and MD St. Rte. 144)
This shows the traffic flow on I-68 at exit 62 on Thursday, May 24, 2018. This exit is the one where I-68 has its junction with MD St. Hwy. 144 and Scenic U.S. 40 a/k/a National Pike Northeast. The first part shows the traffic at ground level and the second part is from the car approaching the highway overpass.
Sideling Hill Maryland 360
The State of Maryland in the United States, has wonderful natural resources including the Chesapeake Bay and beautiful mountains to the west. Trucking travel was often fatal once a large truck got to the top of the prior mountain path in Hancock on Route 40 which had a 90 turn at the top. It was necessary to slice into the mountain with a new highway I68 to cut down on the immense death toll highway 40 presented.. Dynamite was used to blown apart a path through the mountain (called Sideling Hill) and now motorists and truckers enjoy traveling with less risk of death but in doing so, the layers of some 100 million years of Earths history are revealed in the sides of the remaining hillside. In this 360 video, the Phantom 3 drone can also be seen as it fights the wind currents which go through that slit in the mountain as the video is being captured. It was tricky taking the video as traffic goes through this area at 70+ MPH.
Sideling Hill Rock Exposures, I 68 Maryland
Passing through Western Maryland on I 68 we stopped at Sideling Hill to see the extraordinary rock exposure from the cut.
scenic view of Youghiogheny River from Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center in western Maryland
This is a scenic HD view of the Youghiogheny River from the Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center in far western Maryland on May 20, 2018. A very pretty sight I thought. We stopped at this welcome center just for the views due to a highway sign saying scenic overlook. It sure was I thought.
Sideling Hill, Md: I-68 Road Cut & Overlook 4/15, 4/20 2016
From Wikipedia: The Sideling Hill Road Cut on Interstate 68 and US 40 is a 340-foot (100 m) deep notch excavated from the ridge of Sideling Hill, about 7 miles (11 km) west of Hancock in Washington County, Maryland. It is notable as an impressive man-made mountain pass, visible from miles away, and is considered to be one of the best rock exposures in Maryland and the entire northeastern United States.[4] Almost 810 feet (250 m) of strata in a tightly folded syncline are exposed in this road cut. Although other exposures may surpass Sideling Hill in either thickness of exposed strata or in quality of geologic structure, few can equal its combination of both. The exposed rocks consist of the Devonian-Mississippian Rockwell Formation, underlying the Mississippian Purslane Sandstone
Here is the Link:
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Sideling Hill – A Cross Cut View of the Fossil Rich Shale in Maryland near Pennsylvania
Sideling Hill, Maryland Overlook 9-10-17
View from the Sideling Hill I-68 Cut-Thru and rest area in the mountains of Allegany County, Maryland. From this vantage point one can see into southern Pennsylvania, including Buchanan State Forest. Thanks for watching!
Sideling Hill Visit
A little about the geology of Sideling Hill
Maryland I-68 -- Sideling hill roadcut (2/2)
Sorry for the Santa-like chortling, but I was pretty happy.
Also my camera was, uh, facing the wrong way. I wanted to get the closer side of the roadcut, without really realizing it'd be in shadow.