Trails › United States of America › Maryland › Northern Blue Ridge
Catoctin National Recreation Trail
Next nearby hike: Blue Ridge Summit Trail 3.4 mi · 5.5 kmExplore Northern Blue Ridge →
Catoctin National Recreation Trail other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Full route · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Apr–Jun, Aug–Nov · highs 11–27 °C (52–81 °F)
- J3°-5°88
- F5°-4°86
- M10°-1°112
- A16°4°114
- M20°9°122
- J25°15°120
- J27°17°117
- A27°17°105
- S23°13°120
- O16°7°102
- N11°2°99
- D5°-3°97
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
This trail traverses Gambrill State Park, the Frederick City Watershed, Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain National Park.
OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Trail facts
- Length (signed)
- 43 km · 27 mi (OSM distance tag)
- Mapped length
- 43 km · 27 mi (OSM route, Waymarked Trails)
- Mountain range
- Northern Blue Ridge (Blue Ridge Mountains › Appalachian Mountains; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 5.1 km S of Highfield-Cascade (Washington County, Maryland) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Catoctin Mountain Park
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Aug–Nov
- Country
- United States of America
- Region
- Maryland
- Continent
- North America
- Route type
- Regional route
- Operator (OSM)
- Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
- Route centre
- 39.5673, -77.4677
- Route start
- 39.6720, -77.4988
- OpenStreetMap
- relation 6249386
- Wikidata
- Q5053830
- Official info
- nps.gov/cato/planyourvisit/catoctin-national-rec
How it’s scored
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
More trails in the Northern Blue Ridge
All 176 →Nearest trails
distance from the trail startBlue Ridge Summit Trail
3.4 mi · 5.5 km · Catoctin Mountain Park
8 Mile Loop Trail
3.5 mi · 5.6 km · Catoctin Mountain Park
Old Misery
4.4 mi · 7.1 km · Maryland
Cat Rock Trail
4.6 mi · 7.5 km · Maryland
Social Trail
5.9 mi · 9.5 km · Maryland
Bob’s Hill Trail
6.2 mi · 10.0 km · Maryland
All trails in Maryland → · All 36,834 trails in United States of America →