Catoctin Mountain Park (14707 Park Central Rd), Thurmont: Photos, Reviews & Location

Reserve known for 25 miles of hiking trails also offers camping, fly-fishing & cross country skiing.

At a glance

#1 of 3 Tourist attractions in Thurmont #2 of 5 Parks in Thurmont

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

1.4 km from the center of Thurmont

Rating breakdown

5 ★80%
4 ★16%
3 ★3%
2 ★0%
1 ★1%

14707 Park Central Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788

nps.gov

(301) 663-9388

Photos of Catoctin Mountain Park (108)

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Catoctin Mountain Park, Thurmont – photo 1

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Catoctin Mountain Park, Thurmont – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Catoctin Mountain Park?: Catoctin Mountain Park is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 3,849 reviews.
How does Catoctin Mountain Park rank in Thurmont?: Catoctin Mountain Park is #1 of 3 Tourist attractions in Thurmont by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Catoctin Mountain Park located?: 14707 Park Central Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788 — 1.4 km from the center of Thurmont.
How can I contact Catoctin Mountain Park?: Phone: (301) 663-9388 · Website: nps.gov

Reviews (14)

Barbara 2024 Mar 12

This place was beautiful, peaceful, and serene. You better be in shape though. Climbing up there is not for the weak.

McKayla Baumgardner 2024 Mar 07

Very pretty, clean park. Great for hiking, weekdays are the best no one there. Can get crowded on the weekends but is big enough it’s not too bad.

Nathaniel S. Newsom 2024 Feb 10

Catoctin mountain Park is a great spot with a decent variety of terrain and views. Hikes are pleasant, well marked, and not difficult, and they have free, level 2 charging, in the park. There is a ranger station with friendly, knowledgeable rangers and volunteers, maps, pictures, and useful information. They also sell annual passes.

Chris Lee 2024 Feb 01

We int need to hike the thurston-griggs trail but it was closed for the season. Instead we tried this nearby trail. The trail was in great condition. It's well marked and clear of snow.

George T 2023 Nov 16

Great views, about an hour from Gaithersburg. Good hiking shoes recommended, for sure as some trails are rocky. The trails are, for the most part, well marked. FYI - they have a really nice visitors center, too.

Dale Stehr 2023 Sep 15

Great place to visit. Interesting history. Lots of good hiking trails. Helpful staff.

David Lieu 2023 Aug 28

We visited in early August 2023. Mainly visited because Scouts BSA was holding a summer camp out at the Round Meadow Campgrounds. The visitor center was great. There is a exhibit room with a number of things to read about and look at. They also offer a junior ranger program here. There is a small bookstore/gift shop which sells a number of fun items. The staff was super pleasant to talk to and the rangers as well. There is a place to get your National Park Cancellation Stamp as well as junior ranger stamp. I didn't have much time to spend in the visitor center but from what I saw it was great and the bathrooms were nice too. The parking lot was a bit small but I think across the road there was additional parking spots. I visited on a Wednesday morning where there was only 2 other cars in the lot with me. Make the first right turn when coming off the main road. When I visited again on the Saturday morning around 11AM the lot directly in front of the visitor center was basically full. It looked like there was a hiking group or club gathering there ready to go. There also were 2 electric car charging station/ports in the parking lot. I think they may be the first time I've noticed that at any national park site. I included the picture, I'm not sure which ports they were as I don't own a electric vehicle.

I did drive through the park itself to get to the camp round meadow and the park was beautiful. Full of trees and multiple small parking lots on the side of the main road for different trails heads I would presume. I would definitely come back for sure and do some hikes. It's not too far out from the DC metro area.

Camp Round Meadow itself was great and the facilities we stayed in were also great. The bunk houses and bathrooms were terrific. Especially from scout BSA summer camp standards.

There were also some traffic concerns as a presidential summit was taking place at Camp David later in the week and certain roads were closed off as a result but we did get ample warning. Something to just keep in mind before deciding to visit. There was a increase presence of security as well. On the plus side we got to see a bunch of interesting plans fly by. Everyone liked watching the Osprey with it adjustable propellers for vertical landing and take off.

Frankie Rodriguez 2023 Aug 08

What a beautiful spot to go on a wonderful hike. Great picturesque mountain lines. Just went on a little hike up the mountain to see what was up. And boy it didn't let me down. So many spectacular spots to take in. Will be back for some more hiking. It's just the beginning. I promise you. You won't be disappointed by beautiful views all around you 😉.

Alexandra 2023 Jul 05

So much to do and what a wonderful place for living history. I had no idea what a landmark this place was and how much there is to do. It's a gem of the area with plenty of hiking, landmarks, and forested areas. Watch out when they caution against rattlesnakes. We saw two up on Wolf's Rock chillin between the rock crevices.

Audra Kramer 2023 Jun 18

This park is beautiful. It was an easy 1.5 hr drive from Baltimore City, there is no entrance or parking fee. The trails were well maintained with no garbage. The staff at the visitor center were able to give me clear directions to get to the trail that I was looking for, and the bathroom in the visitor center was also clean and well stocked. The only downside was that at Cunningham Falls SO many people were not following the signs that warned that the falls were dangerous, and there were many many young children off the path playing in the falls. All of the signs direct people to stay on the trails/boardwalks.

Mark Smith 2023 May 30

What a wonderful nps to visit! The ranger and especially a very friendly volunteer shared all types of info on the park, trails, wildlife, and much more on our visit. I only wish I had left more time to explore. I will definitely be back to see more! Free to enter, although there is a donation jar that helps them offset costs.

Josh Dixon 2023 May 16

Nice lowkey natural area in a region otherwise surrounded with human development. The loop combining Chimney Rock and Wolf Rock was semi-strenuous but rewarding. Went on a weekday afternoon and only saw about 10 other people. Would also recommend visiting Cunningham Falls State Park immediately to the south.

Samantha Noor 2023 Apr 11

Peaceful forest with trails of varying ability. Coming in April, the weather was perfect for some mid day hikes while the leaves are starting to grow back. I went during a weekday and crowds were limited. It was nice to see how clean and well maintained the trails were. We also happened to see some spring flowers and a snake in a tree!