Catoctin Mountain Park
🏛️ Home of Camp David — 25 Miles of Mountain Trails — Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland, is a free-admission National Park Service site with 25 miles of hiking trails, the Blue Blazes Whiskey Still historic exhibit, scenic vistas at Chimney Rock and Hog Rock, adjacent Cunningham Falls State Park, and is the home of the presidential retreat Camp David (closed to public) — free, year-round
Near Thurmont, Maryland, Catoctin Mountain Park is a National Park Service site best known as the home of Camp David — the presidential retreat (closed to the public). Beyond that famous connection, the park offers 25 miles of hiking trails through the Catoctin Mountains, the fascinating Blue Blazes Whiskey Still (a Prohibition-era reconstruction), and dramatic vistas from Chimney Rock and Hog Rock. Adjacent Cunningham Falls State Park adds Maryland’s largest cascading waterfall. Admission is free.
Hiking
| Trail | Details |
|---|---|
| Blue Blazes Still | 0.6 mi — Prohibition-era exhibit |
| Chimney Rock | Scenic overlook — moderate |
| Hog Rock | Valley views — moderate |
| Thurmont Vista | Panoramic outlook |
| Total Network | 25 miles — varied difficulty |
Key Features
- Camp David — presidential retreat (closed to public)
- Blue Blazes Whiskey Still — reconstructed historic site
- Cunningham Falls — 78 ft, Maryland’s largest (adjacent state park)
- Visitor Center with exhibits
Essential Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Thurmont, MD |
| Fee | FREE (NPS site) |
| Visitor Center | 9 AM–5 PM (Mar–Nov) / 9 AM–4:30 PM (Dec–Feb) |
| Cell Service | Limited — download maps before |
Can you visit Camp David at Catoctin Mountain Park?
No — Camp David, the presidential retreat, is located within Catoctin Mountain Park but is closed to the public. However, the park itself is free and offers 25 miles of hiking, the Blue Blazes Whiskey Still, vistas from Chimney Rock and Hog Rock, and connects to Cunningham Falls State Park with Maryland’s largest waterfall.
