In an area of the country that is rapidly being converted to shopping centers, houses, and pavement, Catoctin Mountain Park serves as a virtual oasis for a number of animals. This 5,810 acre forested ecosystem is habitat to more than 280 species of animals. A short walk on one of Catoctin Mountain Park’s trails will take you into the forest environment. Animals you are likely to see are squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers and wild turkey, maybe a box turtle, and if you are extremely fortunate, a black bear. A journey to one of Catoctin’s high gradient streams will reveal native brook trout. Stay overnight at Owens Creek Campground, and you might hear the duck-like cackle of the wood frog, the hoot of a great horned owl, or see bats zipping overhead in search of insects.