Catoctin Mountain Park Enacts Partial Closures for the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit on Thursday May 14

Date: May 13, 2015
Contact: Mel Poole, 301-663-9330

Due to the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit activities, Catoctin Mountain Park will be partially and temporarily closed to the public beginning on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at approximately 11:59 p.m. through Thursday, May 14 at 11:59 p.m.

This closure comes at the request of the United States Secret Service, in order for them to provide security for the GCC Summit, a meeting hosted by the President of the United States, and involving leaders from six nations from the Middle East.

Park Central Road will be closed to the public at the Visitor Center on the east and ending at the intersection with Foxville-Deerfield Road on the west. Manahan Road will be closed to the public throughout the park. Local traffic to Camp Misty Mount will be from the Visitor Center and will be restricted to visitors with reservations. Camp Round Meadow will be open only to permittees and credentialed media through Friday, May 15 at 11:00 a.m.

Foxville-Deerfield Road will remain open throughout the park.Reservations for Owens Creek Campground and Adirondack Shelters will be honored..

Trails to Hog Rock and the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, the Brown's Farm Track Trail are not available during this closure. Both Chestnut and Owens Creek Picnic Areas will closed. The park Visitor Center will be open regular hours from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. A map of the closed areas is attached.

Hikers may access trails to Thurmont Vista, Wolf Rock, and Chimney Rock as well as the Falls Nature Trail from Visitor Center trailheads. The Catoctin National Recreation Trail and the Horse Trail will be closed east of Foxville Deerfield Road.

Please direct questions about these closures to the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center at 301-663-9388.

Catoctin Mountain Park is one of over 400 units administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.Correspondence should be addressed to: Superintendent, Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788. The park Visitor Center is open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Our website address is www.nps.gov/cato.General information can be obtained by calling the Visitor Center at [phone].

See Map of Closed Areas

-NPS-