BACKGROUND:
Catoctin
Mountain lies along the eastern rim of the Appalachian Mountains in western
Maryland, near where the Maryland panhandle begins. To the east lies flat plains, to the west the
Cumberland Valley and Allegheny Mountains.
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| The Catoctin Mountain visitor center. |
Long
a rural backwater, Catoctin Mountain became the site of Civilian Conservation
Corps jobs programs during the Great Depression with the intent of creating a
large public park. Between 1936 and 1939
the infrastructure programs built cabins, maintenance structures, and campsites
within the new park. During World War
Two, the park became part of the war effort as a training camp for the Office
of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, and as a rehabilitation center
for wounded servicemen. During this
time, President Franklin Roosevelt chose one of the camp sites within Catoctin
Mountain Park as a rustic Presidential retreat he called Shangri-La, after the
mythical mountain city in the Himalayas.
This retreat would be rechristened by President Eisenhower to the name
it is known today, Camp David. Around
the same time the park was cut in half, the southern portion of the park being
returned to Maryland as Cunningham Falls State Park.
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| The former entrance gate to one of Catoctin Mountain Park's early camps, now the site of the park headquarters. |
THE PARK:
Catoctin
Mountain Park is one of a very few National Park Units simply given the label
of Park, as opposed to National Park (the others of this designation being
Greenbelt, Fort Washington, and Piscataway Parks in Maryland in the D.C. area, National
Capital Parks, Rock Creek Park, and President’s Park in the District of
Columbia, and Prince William Forest Park in Virginia).
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| An exhibit in the visitor center on wildlife found within the park. |
The
Park covers a moderately large area of land just across from the small town of
Thurmont, Maryland on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, atop
Catoctin Mountain, over the adjacent mountain, and then down into the valley
between Catoctin and South Mountain. The
town of Thurmont is located roughly halfway between Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
and Frederick, Maryland. The park has a single visitor center just off Maryland Route 77 which runs along the Park's southern border.
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| The stream known as 'Blue Blazes Run,' situated within the park. |
The
Park provides many areas for recreation, particularly camping. The Park has three cabin camping areas, Misty
Mount, Greentop, and Round Meadow, with cabins originally constructed by the
CCC in the 1930s. The park also has two
tent campgrounds, Owens Creek and Poplar Grove.
Trails are abundant, some being rated as “Strenuous”, particularly the
trails to the top of Catoctin Mountain.
Rock climbing is also popular in some areas as well as fly fishing.
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| The view from 'Chimney Rock' atop Catoctin Mountain looking South. |
While
Camp David is publicly acknowledged as being within the park, for security
reasons it is not even labeled on the park map brochure. Even though the President may only choose to
visit Camp David a handful of times out of the year, the facility is never open
to the public and is guarded by military personnel.
TRAVEL TIPS:
Catoctin
Mountain Park is open year-round except for selected days. Although it is open in the winter, there are
few activities except for cross country skiing and some roads are closed. The visitor center is open from 9am to 5pm,
and park grounds from dawn until dusk except in the campgrounds. To stay overnight at camping facilities, for
tent or cabin campgrounds, reservations must be made online beforehand. Round Meadow, Greentop, and Owens Creek
campgrounds, as well as some trails are handicapped accessible. Passport Stamps are found in the visitor center. Multiple trails also connect to the adjacent
Cunningham Falls Maryland State Park, where additional camping sites and recreational activities are located. Given its central location, Catoctin Mountain
Park also makes for a suitable base for visiting additional National Park Service units and other tourist sites
within the general vicinity.
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| A typical campsite at Owens Creek campground. |
We
hope you enjoyed this brief summary of this often overlooked
National Park unit. In our next post we
will be returning once again to Massachusetts to visit a site which provided
for the defense of the United States for over a century and a half, Springfield
Armory National Historic Site.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| The Blue Blazes Whiskey Still, a moonshine still located near the visitor center dating from the days of Prohibition. |
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| The small pool of water in this photo is a small spring located along a trail up to the top of Catoctin Mountain. |
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| A portion of the Chimney Rock trail at Catoctin Mountain. |
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| The dining hall at Camp Misty Mount. |
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