U.S. 40 vs. I-70 and I-68 (Frederick, Hagerstown: how much, county, drive)

[Tom Lennox 70]

I'm going to Deep Creek Lake in September and some of my friends have suggested taking U.S. 40 from Frederick to Cumberland or even into Garrett County rather than I-70 and 68 which my family took last time.

I know Route 40 takes longer but is the drive worth it? I've heard that its a very scenic route. Even some guidebooks suggest it as an alternative to the Interstates. And I'm all for experiencing the world off the Interstates. Does Route 40 in Western Maryland and Frederick County and Washington County go through a lot of beautiful landscapes and pleasant small towns? And how much longer is the drive?

[westsideboy]

I would strongly suggest taking US-40 from Frederick at least for the first leg of your trip. The scenery is not that much different than I-70 but you will hit alot less traffic, especially if you are leaving on a Friday and coming back on a Sunday. If you account for traffic, the actual time on the road is nearly the same. The only real traffic bottleneck on 40 is going through Hagerstown, so I normally jump on I-70 long enough to skip the city limits and than jump back on at MD 63 or in Clear Spring.
Once you get close to Hancock, you are forced to get back on I-70 (and then I-68) until the after Sideling Hill. At this point, I would recommend just staying on I-68. Techically US-40 is merged with I-68, and what they call "Scenic 40" is just a bunch of backroads that will just take you through the woods and slow you down drastically. Lastly, US 40 splits for I-68 in Garrett County but quickly takes you up into PA, so definitely stay on I-68 there.