Point Lookout Campground Investigation

Location: Scotland, Maryland

Date: August 29, 30, and 31

Time: All hours

Moon Phase: Just after new moon

Solar weather: Unsettled flares, no geomagnetic storms

Investigators Present: Paul Murdoch, Shonda Addington, Robert Hall, Hillary Murdoch, guests Jonathan, Erica, and Cassie

Equipment used: Olympus C-3000 digital camera, Kodak DC280 digital camera, RCA digital voice recorder, Sony digital video camera with Nightshot, Pentax PC-550 35mm camera, Extech EMF meter, Olympus 2000 Digital Voice Recorder, Sony Digital-8 Handycam, Extech IR thermometer, Sony Hi-8 Cam
Olympus C-4000 Digital Camera, Trifield EMF meter

History: See previous investigation here.

Investigation: People often ask us why we never post the reports for the investigations that turn out to be duds. Well, for those who have asked, here it is.
  We arrived at the campground late Friday night, and were too exhausted to do much more than check into our charming little sleeper cabins and hit the hay. I tossed and turned all night, expecting to open my eyes and see a confederate soldier standing beside my bed. I awoke Saturday morning exhausted and somewhat disappointed that I didn't experience a single thing that could even be misinterpreted as paranormal.
After running over to Shonda's cabin to wake her up, (she also experienced nothing that night) we carefully stepped over to the public showers armed with a super-size can of Raid. It's a good thing that Shonda thought that far ahead too, because the spiders in that bathhouse were big enough to carry us away, screaming.
Saturday we spent walking around the campground, familiarizing ourselves with the area. We located the mass grave for the smallpox epidemic, which is close to the haunted campsites #136 and #138, and obtained a picture of a daytime orb in this area.
  Since we were still exhausted from the day before, we decided to turn in early. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I only woke up once that night. Not long after midnight, I awoke very slowly, with my face against the wall, to the sound of a male voice in the cabin, followed by footsteps and the sound of the door latch. Since the noises were so clear, and I knew that the door was locked from the inside, I was convinced that it must have been Paul. Without rolling over to see what was going on, I called out "Paul, is that you?" "What's the matter?" I got no response, so I called out again. This time, I got a low grumble. I rolled over, sat up, and asked Paul again if that had been him. He had no idea what I was talking about. He heard nothing until I woke him up. Still being half asleep, I told him exactly what I heard, but even as I told the story, I began to doubt myself. I tend to be a very light sleeper, and it was very unusual that I hadn't awakened before the noise, or immediately jumped out of bed when I heard the noise. I, apparently, had been so exhausted that I had been out cold until I heard the commotion. I had a very hard time falling back to sleep, as I then felt compelled to continuously scan the dark corners of the small cabin.
  The next morning, I ran over to Shonda's cabin to recount what I had experienced the night before. She found it amusing, since she spent most of the night listening to someone walking back and forth across her small front porch! These cabins are quite small…just big enough for a couple of beds. The porches are enclosed on both sides, so there is not much room for someone to pace. Plus, there's a window right there in front, so Shonda should have seen something, but she didn't.
  That day, we took a drive into Leonardtown to check out the equally disappointing Moll Dyer's boulder, which is steeped in legend, and sits beside the Leonardtown historical society. Let me just say, that to go their believing that you will see a boulder, with hand prints of the women who died on it, will lead you to a giant let-down. It's a rock…not even a very big one…but certainly not a boulder. From there, we decided to check out St. Mary's, where we spent some time walking around the old cemetery.
  That night after dinner, we headed over to the confederate memorial with our cameras and recorders. I got a few bright orbs, and one red orb, but Paul and Shonda got nothing. No EVPs were obtained either.
The next morning, Shonda stated that she, once again, heard someone walking across her front porch. Paul and I experienced nothing unusual.

Conclusion: Having planned this weekend for almost a year, I regret having to say that we didn't find much at Point Lookout State Park. Considering that when we stayed in the Cottage near Fort Lincoln last year, both Paul and I were awakened by the sound of the dishes rattling loudly in the kitchen cabinets, we really expected to experience much more than we did. I still believe that the entire campground is haunted, and we are planning another camping trip next year.
  If you plan to check out Point Lookout, here are some tips. The cottage and sleeper cabins are extremely clean, but the campground is surrounded by water on three sides, therefore the bugs and arachnids get extremely large. Be prepared…especially during those late-night trips to the bathrooms. Also, as strange as it sounds, the rangers aren't real thrilled with people walking around at night, and the area around the lighthouse is closed to all individuals who are not actively fishing. Also, during the entire summer season, the water is lined with hundreds of fisherman, and they aren't exactly quiet. Although it is quiet in the campground at night, if you take a walk, you'll hear children shouting and radios blaring…not exactly prime conditions for recording EVPs. Also, the campground took a real hammering from Hurricane Isabel, and the park is closed till further notice. Be sure to call the campground for updates before making plans.