Catoctin Mountain Park ⓘ

Archeologists have found evidence of rhyolite quarry sites and base camps related to hunting or kill sites in Catoctin Mountain Park. The mountain's resources provided Native Americans with materials for tools, animals for food and clothing, and a variety of nuts and berries that were gathered as an additional food source.

Catoctin Mountain became an important source of rhyolite, a valued material in making lithic tools, during the Archaic Period, 8,000 to 1,200 B.C., with the most active period during the Woodland Period, 1,200 B.C. to A.D. 1600. Between A.D. 200 to A.D. 900, Catoctin experienced a very active period in stone quarrying and the production of lithic tools. There were no year round residences in the area, temporary base camps were used where a source of potable water was relatively near a quarry site. Usually large rough "blanks" were taken from the quarry site and finishing work was performed by the flint knappers at the base camps.

Rhyolite tools have been found as far away as coastal Virginia and New York. The closest source of rhyolite is a belt that runs from Gettysburg, PA., through Catoctin, to Harpers Ferry, WV., indicating that people traveled great distances to quarry stone and practiced trade.

After A.D. 900, the quarrying of rhyolite in Catoctin abruptly ends. At the same time, there is evidence that permanent, year round residences begin to appear in the area, although there had been no evidence discovered to indicate there were any year round residences in the park.

One African American influence on the Industrial Revolution in the Catoctin Mountains was in the form of labor. Free, formerly enslaved, and enslaved people in the area worked as laborers in the many realms of iron making. They worked as woodcutters, cutting, hauling and stacking the wood for the collier. They also transported charcoal to the furnace, packed and fired the furnace, and worked in the molding shed with the molten iron. There is also evidence that prominent families in the area enslaved people to perform household chores and tasks.

Iron making was practiced long ago in West Africa. Many enslaved people brought to America carried the knowledge and skill of their trade with them. It has been suggested that American ironmasters may have deliberately sought Africans with ironmaking knowledge and that they were the "backbone" of the American iron industry. In the iron industry, enslaved people were able to gain positive incentives through the overwork system. An enslaved person could earn extra food, clothing, credit at the company store, rum and whiskey, and free time on holidays. Owners and managers recognized the overwork system as an alternative to physical punishment to motivate their workers. It is through this overwork system that some enslaved people, both skilled and unskilled, were able to somewhat improve their quality of life.

Enslaved people employed permanently at the Catoctin Iron Furnace were few in number when compared to the enslaved population at other furnaces. This would not rule out the use of large numbers of formerly enslaved and free Black people, especially in the cutting of large quantities of timber needed for charcoaling. The census and personal property records portray a mixed picture of these slave holdings.

A quote taken from the book, Faith in the Furnace - A History of Harriet Chapel Catoctin Furnace, MD , by Elizabeth Anderson footnoted as a translated entry from the German diary of John Frederick Schlegel in 1799, provides insight to the life of enslaved people.

By 1830, it appeared that Brien and McPherson enslaved as many as 20 adult male workers who could have been employed at the Catoctin Iron Works. This figure dropped off considerably in 1835 and again in 1841. Those few remained may have been either highly skilled artisans or enslaved house workers. None of these enslaved people appear to have been transferred to the subsequent furnace owner, Peregrinn Fitzhugh, who enslaved only domestic workers.

There was a pronounced shift in labor from Black to white workers during the years the furnace was owned by Fitzhugh (1843-1856). During the Brien years (1820-1843) the large percentage of workers had been Black with a few white European immigrants. Later, the cost of buying and maintaining enslaved people was high and it became much more economical to pay wages to white immigrant laborers.

By 1860, only 21 enslaved people were listed in the entire Mechanicstown (Thurmont) census district. J.B. Kunkel, who succeeded Ftizhugh as owner of the Catoctin Iron Works, owned four enslaved children, all under seven years of age. The pattern established in the Catoctin area seems to have followed approximately that of Frederick County. The enslaved population doubled in Frederick County between the years of 1790 and 1820, peaking that later year at 6,685. The decade 1830-1840 was one of decline in enslaved population, from 6,370 to 4,445. At the same time, the free Black population increased from 2,716 to 2,985, which would hardly account for the large drop in the enslaved population reported. There was an equally severe decline in the white population in that same decade, possibly indicating a migration of enslaved people and their enslavers westward. The population of enslaved people continued to drop, with 3,913 reported in 1850 and 3,243 by 1860.

The trees that posed a major obstacle to the settler were of extreme value to the burgeoning industrial revolution. The production of charcoal was a major enterprise employing over 300 woodcutters and consuming timber from 11,000 acres of company land during peak years (1859-1885). Charcoal fueled the Catoctin Iron Furnace which separated out the iron from the raw iron ore. Approximately 80 bushels of charcoal were burned for every ton of iron manufactured. It took a cord of wood to manufacture six (6) bushels of charcoal. Charcoal was one of the many fuel sources that emerged from the Catoctin Forest which is now Catoctin Mountain Park.

The woodcutters entered a forested area and cut every live standing tree. One or two trees were left to re-seed the forest. The resulting logs were carried downhill by horse or mule drawn sleds to the hearth where the wood was charred.

The collier supervised the orderly stacking of the wood. First a chimney was built in the center of the hearth; then 30 to 50 cords of four foot logs were stacked around this chimney in concentric circles. The finished stack was covered with leaves and dirt. This controlled the amount of air that reached the fire. Hot embers were dropped into the chimney on a cool, humid night. Tending the fire was a round-the-clock job so the collier lived nearby in a simple hut. He watched up to seven hearths that smoldered for two weeks until charring was complete.

The charcoal was raked into small piles so that it could cool. This way any fires that would flare up would destroy only a portion of the finished product instead of the entire stack. The collier was responsible for the charcoal unit until it was delivered to the furnace. Since he was paid by the bushel, any charcoal that accidentally burned was his personal loss.

Distance: 0.6 Miles (Round Trip) Color Blaze: None Estimated Time: 30 Minutes Difficulty Level of Hike: Easy

Farmers of the Catoctin Mountain area were faced with a number of problems in marketing the crops they produced. The most profitable market for their goods were in the more populated areas of cities and towns. In the days before good highways and before rails had been laid, the rugged mountains presented a barrier for horse-drawn transportation. Products such as grain, meat and lumber were too heavy to be transported to the more profitable markets in the larger cities. Corn and rye were also very bulky to transport but when converted to whiskey, they became more profitable.

While the average horse was capable of hauling only 4 bushels of corn at a time, the same horse could haul the equivalent of 24 bushels if the grain was manufactured into whiskey. The liquid whiskey occupied less space and was easier to carry to market. The price of whiskey depended on a number of other factors, as well. The better the grade of corn, the better the whiskey. The more plentiful the spring water happened to be, the better the whiskey produced with it. Finally the more skilled the distiller, the finer the blend of whiskey he could manufacture.

Conversion of rye and corn into liquor probably began in Frederick County with the harvest of the first crop, somewhere around 1734. Until Congress passed the 1791 Excise Tax, many farms had their own stills. For the next 128 years, it was legal to own a still--provided you paid the tax. Not until the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution was possession of a still an offense.

The problem with the 1791 Excise Tax was that it took the profit out of making liquor. For mountain people, the liquor concentration of rye and corn was the most practical way to get crops to market. So rather than pay the tax they went underground, operating by the light of the moon.

Blue Blazes Whiskey Still On July 31, 1929, Deputy Sheriff Clyde L. Hauver was fatally wounded in a raid on the Blue Blazes Still. It was a large commercial operation, a "steamer" still. More than 25,000 gallons of mash were found in 13 vats of 2,000 gallon capacity each. Police eventually tracked down several suspects, and two moonshiners were convicted in connection with the murder after several days of conflicting testimony.

Tales of a double-crossing informant, a love triangle, arson, and other rumors spread throughout central Maryland. What exactly happened remains a mystery.

Today another still sits on the banks of Distillery Run. It's quite different than the set up found that day. The new Blue Blazes still is more typical of the smaller moonshine still of an earlier day. Even more different -- visitors are welcome -- not challenged.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated to the Presidency of the United States on March 4, 1933, bringing with him a hope for better times in the midst of the Great Depression. In May of 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was allocated $500,000,000 in direct relief of money to be spent by the federal government through state and local agencies. The National Industrial Recovery Act passed by Congress and signed by FDR on June 16, 1933, supported an enormous appropriation of money in the sum of $3,300,000,000 for relief through public works to be dispensed at FDR's discretion.

By January 1934, a Land Planning Committee had been set up within the Federal Emergency Relief Act to consider the problem of land utilization in the country. Land use and maintenance had become an important economic topic during the New Deal, since the income from poor lands was less than the cost to maintain services such as roads and schools for the residents of the land. Conrad L. Wirth, Assistant Director, Chief of the Branch of Planning of the National Park Service (NPS), became the Department of the Interior's representative on the Land Planning Committee. He was in charge of the State Park Emergency Conservation Program and he also had administrative oversight of all the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps operated by the NPS.

Wirth was familiar with the 1928 report of the Joint Committee on Recreational Survey of Federal Lands that revealed an "urgent need" for natural areas near large cities for recreation. Mr. Wirth proposed a program to buy land near metropolitan areas no longer suitable for agriculture, in order to "provide quality outdoor recreation facilities at the lowest cost for the benefit of people of lower and middle incomes." Farmlands sought for this program were those impacted by erosion and intensive farming practices and labeled with the phrase "submarginal land."

As a result of the Land Planning Committee's recommendation and approval of President Roosevelt, the Secretary of the Interior and head of the Public Works Administration transferred $25 million from the Public Works Administration to the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Five million dollars of that figure was to be used to purchase submarginal lands for recreational demonstration areas. Catoctin's mountainous land had been impacted by years of industrial and agricultural abuse. Big Hunting Creek and Owens Creek tumbled through picturesque valleys, providing water-based activity areas for sportsmen and families from the population centers 55 miles away in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD. Blighted chestnut trees and field stone provided building materials and the former Catoctin Furnace, closed in 1903, provided historical interest.

Catoctin was placed into this new program on January 7, 1935, and was titled the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area by August 8, 1936.

Initial employment to construct the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was provided through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Bids were taken on a sawmill, rock crusher and tools in the fall of 1935. Plans for a residential work camp were scrapped when sufficient numbers of workers were found within commuting distance. The WPA construction started in 1936 with the central garage unit, located in Camp Round Meadow, and ended in 1941 with the Blue Blazes Contact Station which is now the park visitor center.

Park structures and facilities were built using the rustic arch style characteristic of National Park Service buildings of that era. The buildings were in harmony with nature, using natural colors and few straight lines. Horizontal lines were emphasized to blend in with nature and the settings. The rough stone and logs were characteristic of the structure in the local area. The local workers were familiar with the necessary construction methods and the materials used.

Initial construction utilized dead, standing trees. Only 40% of the logs could be used for boards. The remaining timber was hewn into logs, pinned with locust and fashioned into rustic cabins. Chestnut was the preferred building material. Red oak was rived into shingles. Interior siding was fashioned from chestnut, oak, or hemlock. Horses pulled the logs from the forest to prevent the soil from being compacted by tractors. Eventually, live trees were harvested for construction under the guidance of Maryland foresters.

The 125 men who began cutting timber and clearing for camps swelled to 500 by April 30, 1936. Peak employment was reached in May, 1936, when 595 men were employed, mostly as unskilled laborers. The number decreased to 250 workers of various skill levels who built the administrative area and cabins, ran the sawmill and built roads.

The Project Headquarters was finished in July 1936. This building served as a planning, construction and operating center, and later as a residence. Today, it is utilized as a Resource Management Center. Plans for the blacksmith shop were rejected by the technical staff. They found it to be "out of scale." The original plans called for a rectangular building estimated to cost $612 for labor and materials. A design compromise was reached allowing construction of an "L" shaped building with a final cost of $920. A local blacksmith was hired in November 1936. The blacksmith shop remained in operation for the duration of the program. The smith fashioned hardware for the buildings, and manufactured and repaired tools and machinery.

The focus of operation shifted to public facilities upon completion of the shops. A total of four cabin camps and two picnic areas were proposed. The camps followed standard configurations. Natural features were preserved and cabins situated to take the best advantage of the terrain when placing foundations. Trees were left in place when possible and protected by boxing. Steps were taken to preserve the precious topsoil. The first picnic area, situated east of Cunningham Falls on the banks of Big Hunting Creek was ready for public use in June 1936. It was used until submerged by the construction of the lake at the William Houck Area of Cunningham Falls State Park.

Construction of Camp Misty Mount placed $5,843 in the hands of WPA workers who were paid for harvesting timber for the project. The 30 acre camp was completed in 1937. Camp Greentop was finished in 1938, and Camp Hi-Catoctin in 1939. The fourth camp was never built.

The first contingent of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers arrived at Catoctin on April 1, 1939. The recruits lived in canvas tents pitched in a wooded area adjacent to the central garage unit in what is today Camp Round Meadow. They transferred to barracks as soon as they built them.

Project Director Mike Williams had developed plans for reforestation of the mountain. He requested that the Maryland Forestry Department provide 100,000 native trees of which a minimum of 25% were to be oak. The state was unable to provide these trees but Williams eventually secured 2,000 red maple and 2,000 pitch pine trees that were planted.

The CCC rehabilitated 800 acres of fields. Strips of lespedeza and grains were planted on the contours for the benefit of quail, turkeys, rabbits, and song birds. Forest encroachment was controlled by planting strips of grain along the edge of the fields. Soon, the diversity and numbers of wildlife increased.

Stream improvement projects on Big Hunting Creek and Owens Creek were initiated in 1939. Pools were deepened to provide cool water and cover for the fish. As a result, sport angling improved. Fishermen were pleased that the natural appearance of the stream was retained.

Native trees, that were obtained later in 1939, were planted to obliterate open areas created by construction and to reclaim old logging roads. In August, the corpsmen dug the water system for the visitor center, built the dry stone walls behind the building, built guardrails and landscaped the area. Director Mike Williams considered this project to be the finest work completed in the park.

Gettysburg National Military Battlefield was undergoing a period of restoration at this time. The CCC retrieved old wooden fences from deep in the forest to assist in this effort. These aged rails gave a realistic appearance to the battlefield scene.

The corps helped nature tighten her grasp on the area as the program wound down in 1940 and 1941. Over 75 openings created by man's intrusion were blocked and made inaccessible to vehicles. Old roads were broken up and covered with topsoil. As a result, rubbish dumping in the park was reduced.

The Catoctin CCC unit completed their final project in 1941 with the construction of two trailside shelters. These shelters were built along the Appalachian Trail in nearby Washington County. The numbers of young men seeking employment dwindled in 1941 with the onset of World War II. The Catoctin CCC Camp closed November 7, 1941. Since that time, the National Park Service has continued to promote conservation and preservation of natural and cultural resources.

As World War II heated up in 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was fearful of British collapse. At the advice of his Navy Secretary Frank Knox, Roosevelt sent William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan to assess the chances of Britain's survival if invaded by the Nazis. William Donovan was a successful Wall Street attorney and World War I hero and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. Upon return to the United States, Donovan met with the President and they determined that the British would only be able to survive with assistance. In July of 1941, Roosevelt created a civilian agency within the White House to oversee American intelligence. He appointed Donovan head of the newly created office as the Coordinator of Information (COI).

At Donovan's request, the military Joint Chiefs of Staff incorporated the office of the COI, to improve trust and share military resources. On June 13, 1942, Roosevelt issued an executive order creating the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The COI was dissolved. Donovan received a commission as an Army general and became head of the new agency. The Office of Strategic Services is considered America's first centralized intelligence agency, the predecessor of our current Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the forerunner of today's Special Forces.

The basic mission of the OSS was to obtain information and to sabotage the military efforts of enemy nations during WWII. Agents of the OSS fought a covert war full of daring and adventure. Many insiders would sarcastically refer to the agency as “Oh So Secret,” “Oh So Silly,” or “Oh So Social.” Some famous members of the OSS included movie actors Douglas Fairbanks and Sterling Hayden, baseball player Mo Berg, chef Julia Child, future CIA director William Casey, and movie directors Merian Cooper and John Ford. The OSS specialized in dropping operatives behind enemy lines to carry out sabotage, demolition, counter propaganda, and disinformation activities. Agents aided and supported resistance fighters as well as gathered information on enemy resources and troop movements.

Individuals were recruited for skills rather than background. Prospective members would undergo a battery of mental and physical tests. They were chosen based on a combination of intelligence, imagination, creativity, courage, and ruthlessness. Men and women from all walks of life, from around the world were recruited, including, but not limited to, psychiatrists, gunsmiths, engineers, chemists, police detectives, prisoners, safecrackers, bankers, journalists, and gangsters. In addition to US citizens, the OSS trained German and Austrian individuals for missions inside Germany. Some agents included exiled communists, anti-Nazi POWs, and German and Jewish refugees.

A rising level of unemployment and social unrest developed in the early 1960's as the nation's economy experienced a downturn. President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed the Job Corps as a partial solution to this problem and his War on Poverty. This program, patterned after the Civilian Conservation Corps, recruited economically deprived young men between the ages of 16 and 21, most with a ninth grade education level. The goal was to teach work habits and attitude along with vocational skills.

Investigation of Catoctin as a potential Job Corps site began in May 1964, six months before passage of the Economic Recovery Act. A site within Camp Round Meadow was chosen for the site of the nations's first Job Corps Center.

Eighty-five young men arrived at Camp Round Meadow on January 15, 1965. The early months of 1965 were spent completing the camp, building sidewalks, underpinning trailers, and landscaping. In the winter, corpsmen spent half their day at work and half their day in classrooms. Full days of work and education were altered in the summer. First year projects included trail repair, construction of 150 picnic tables and 2 fire circles for the organized camps.

As the corpsmen became more skilled, staff members developed more complex projects. Corpsmen developed and scheduled a production line that produced 225 signs for Catoctin Mountain Park, Greenbelt Park, Antietam National Battlefield, and Cunningham Falls State Park.

Today, a form of the original Job Corps still exists. The National Park Service operates a Job Corps Center at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Young men and women are taught vocational skills along with teamwork and work ethics, and leadership. Their newly developing job skills are often utilized at area National Parks on new construction and other projects, providing meaningful opportunities in the workforce in addition to the classroom experiences.

Catoctin's diverse cultural resources provide several vignettes of our nation's history in one small location. Native Americans quarried meta-rhyolite for the production of lithic tools. A charcoal and iron industry is still visible today, along with smaller industries including farms, sawmills, and an old moonshine still. Historic structures and products of the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, along with the site of our nation's first Job Corps Center, are tangible reminders of the capability of vigorous youth programs to strengthen the nation's economic and social fabric. The totality of resources found in Catoctin Mountain Park reflects much of the early fabric of our country.

Discover the people of the mountain and how they used the resources. Learn some of their stories .

See how climate change is impacting our historic and cultural resources.

Read more about the history, archeology, historic structures, and cultural landscapes of Catoctin Mountain Park.

Catoctin Mountain Park lies within the mountainous area known as the Blue Ridge Province. This 5,890-acre hardwood forest park with its refreshing streams and scenic vistas, offers a rare haven in a rapidly developing area of the country.

However, Catoctin Mountain Park hasn’t always looked this way. In the 18th and 19th centuries the land now known as Catoctin was extensively logged to support local agriculture practices and to produce charcoal for the nearby iron works furnace. In 1933 the land was set aside as the Catoctin Recreation Demonstration Area with its purpose being to rehabilitate “sub-marginal” farmland.

In 1954 the Recreation Demonstration Area was divided, with half of the area becoming Cunningham Falls State Park and the remaining half becoming Catoctin Mountain Park. This venture, known as the Catoctin Project, was an example of a cooperative effort between State and Federal officials. Since then, the land has rejuvenated itself, transforming a disturbed environment into an excellent model of a second growth forest ecosystem.

Today, a mixed hardwood forest covers nearly 95% of the park. Catoctin Mountain Park is also part of a larger forested public lands complex that includes Cunningham Falls State Park, Frederick and Thurmont Watersheds, and Gambrill State Park. Many plants and animals, including several Maryland Threatened and Endangered species, thrive within this forest sanctuary. The high gradient streams, Big Hunting Creek and Owens Creek, run clean and support healthy populations of brown and brook trout. Catoctin Mountain Park is a very diverse place that offers respite to the plants and animals that depend on its existence. Its peaceful environment also provides a needed escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of city life for all people, including, on occasion, the President of the United States. `'

View natural resources species lists, inventories and reports for National Park Service units in the National Capital Region.

Read about some of the environmental factors , some natural and some human-caused, that affect the park.

Since 2007, the National Capital Region Network (NCRN) Inventory & Monitoring program has monitored birds at approximately 385 forest plots throughout the region. This program represents one of the many ways national parks use science to manage our national treasures.

What’s impressive about this top ten list is that it includes a species of conservation concern. The Wood Thrush is designated as a “watchlist species” by the Partners in Flight program. The fact that it makes Catoctin’s top ten list means that this vulnerable species is finding valuable habitat at Catoctin.

The following list does not represent all of the birds found in the park: only those reported by the NCRN Inventory & Monitoring. Birdwatchers are likely to see many other species depending on migration patterns.

From 2007 to 2010, the number of different species detected each year at Catoctin ranged from 41 to 59. Catoctin is home to 13 species of conservation concern, marked below with asterisks.

Mammals found in the park are fairly typical for this region and include skunk, groundhog, squirrel, several varieties of vole and mole, eastern cottontail rabbit, opossum, raccoon, white-tailed deer, and red fox. Recent sightings of bobcat, beaver, mink, and black bear indicate that populations of these mammals have returned to the area.

In 2001, a small mammal survey was done for the park. This survey by the Smithsonian Institute, confirmed the presence of 12 small mammals within the park. This survey also revealed a new species to the park, a coyote! The coyote was photographed using a motion sensitive camera set up by the researchers. Coyotes had never before been documented at Catoctin Mountain Park. Since then, several other coyote observations have been made indicating this species has in fact become established in this section of Maryland.

Historical records indicate that mammals such as bison, elk, gray wolf, eastern cougar, porcupine, and fisher could at one time be found in the area. However, these animals have all since been extirpated from the park as well as much of the surrounding area.

White-tailed deer are the most abundant large animals in the park. They can weigh between 50-300 lbs. However, deer in the park are normally about 100 lbs. Males, also called bucks, are about 20 percent larger than females, which are called does. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. Bucks fight over territory in the fall by using their antlers. Their fur is usually grayish brown in winter and reddish brown in summer. White-tailed deer make their beds in grass, leaves, or snow. When startled, they may snort and raise their tails as "white flags" as they bound away. The white-tailed deer are herbivores and feed on leaves, twigs, nuts, berries and fungi. They also graze on grass or crops such as corn and soybeans. They usually move in small herds of females with young or bachelor males.

Catoctin Mountain Park is actively working to manage the deer population within the park. See the latest news on our deer management.

In the 1990s, black bears returned to Catoctin after a twenty year absence. The black bear is the largest animal in Maryland. Adults typically weigh between 125 and 400 pounds. Their color varies from brown to black. They have good eyesight and hearing, but rely heavily on their excellent sense of smell to locate food. Bears will eat almost anything. Common foods include berries, acorns, hickory nuts, grasses, insects, fish, and carrion. They are also attracted to garbage, agricultural crops, and bird food placed in back yard feeders. This sometimes brings bears in conflict with humans.

Bears tend to be wary of humans, and will often flee when they hear you approach... Remember they are wild and should never be fed or harassed. If you encounter a bear, stay calm, do not approach it or run away. Avoid direct eye contact and do not panic if the bear stands on its hind legs. Remain upright, back away slowly and leave the area. Seeing a bear in the wild is an exciting experience. If you use common sense and good judgment, you can safely enjoy the natural beauty of this forest animal at a safe distance.

Along every hill and in every bend in the trail, a new experience, a new beauty, a new connection to Nature, waits for you at Catoctin Mountain Park.

Image of East Trail Hiking Map - Click to View East Side Trails Page East Side Trails Offering easy to strenuous hikes, the East Side trails can lead you to stunning overlooks and vistas, access to Cunningham Falls, along with historical and interpretive exhibits. Numerous maps and guides for the East Side trails are available.

Image of West Trails Hiking Map - Click to Visit West Side Trails Page West Side Trails The West Side Trails of Catoctin Mountain Park offer a wilder, more quiet hiking experience. Adventurous hikers are more likely to see wildlife, wetlands, and an up-close view of nature. Remnants of former farms dot the land. The park's west side contains picnic areas , campgrounds, and Adirondack Shelters that connect with the trails. Self-guided brochures for the Brown's Farm Trail and Deerfield Nature Trail are available at the Visitor Center.

Catoctin National Recreation Trail Sign - Click Image to Visit Catoctin National Recreation Trail Page Catoctin National Recreation Trail The Catoctin National Recreation Trail , which spans 26.6 miles and encompasses four distinct park and forest units, offers a challenging and brilliant hiking adventure along the eastern-most ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Catoctin Horse Trail Horse and Sign - Click to Visit Horse Trails Page Horse Trails Approximately 6 miles of Horse Trails are maintained in Catoctin Mountain Park for public horseback riding. Trailer parking is available across from the entrance to Camp Greentop . If the parking area is snow covered or muddy, horse trailers should be parked at Round Meadow and horses led or ridden along the shoulder of Park Central Road to the trails. The trail is open for day use only, from April 15th through January 31st and is closed in the winter to help preserve the trail.

Tips for Planning Your Trip Bring a daypack with food and water. No matter what season, visitors should always bring water when hiking. Hike with a friend (buddy system). Dogs need to be on leashes at all times. Dogs are not allowed on the rock formations (Chimney Rock, Wolf Rock, and Hog Rock.) Wear sturdy hiking shoes. Sandals are not recommended. Be aware of the weather! Check the weather forecast before you leave your house and plan accordingly (i.e. rain gear if possibility of rain). Wear layers of clothing to add or take off as the weather and your body temperature change. Be aware of the trail and fauna (such as snakes and bees) on the trails. Avoid deviating from the trail and getting lost. This helps us protect the resources by limiting our impact on the forest. If wildlife is encountered do not taunt, touch or feed, and enjoy watching from a safe distance. Be very careful at overlooks and rock formations to avoid slips and falls as the rocks can be slippery and the formations have long, deep crevices that can cause injury or death. Rock climbing is only allowed with proper safety equipment at Wolf Rock. Leave No Trace. We are a trash free park. Everything brought in needs to leave with you. Leave wildflowers and other flora for all to enjoy. Be aware that cell phones may not work in all areas of the park and many service providers do not work at all. Test your phone for coverage. If you or someone you are with is injured report it to the first Park Ranger you encounter. (Emergency dispatch phone number: 1-866-677-6677). Remember, walking/hiking estimated time varies on hiking ability and pace. Finally, have fun, be safe and have an adventure!

Offering easy to strenuous hikes, the East Side trails can lead you to stunning overlooks and vistas, access to Cunningham Falls, along with historical and interpretive exhibits. Numerous maps and guides for the East Side trails are available. FEATURES: Chimney Rock Wolf Rock 8 Mile Loop Trail Thurmont Vista Blue Ridge Summit Vista Hog Rock Hog Rock Nature Trail Cunningham Falls Gateway Trail Park Headquarters Visitor Center Blue Blazes Whiskey Still Exhibit Charcoal Exhibit

The West Side Trails of Catoctin Mountain Park offer a wilder, more quiet hiking experience. Adventurous hikers are more likely to see wildlife, wetlands, and an up-close view of nature. Remnants of former farms dot the land. The park's west side contains picnic areas , campgrounds, and Adirondack Shelters that connect with the trails. Self-guided brochures for the Brown's Farm Trail and Deerfield Nature Trail are available at the Visitor Center. FEATURES: Brown's Farm Trail Deerfield Nature Trail Horse Trails Catoctin National Recreation Trail