Road Openings and Spring Activities Schedule

Date: March 10, 2014

Catoctin Mountain Park News Release

March 10, 2014
For Immediate Release
Debra Mills

Official news release and map.

Catoctin Mountain Park Announces Road Openings and Spring Activities Schedule

Park Central and Manahan Roads Reopen After Seasonal Closures

The closed portions of Park Central Road in Catoctin Mountain Park will reopen on Monday, March 24. The closed portion of Manahan Road will reopen on Friday, March 27. These roads were closed to vehicle traffic in December making them available for winter recreation.

Park Central Road and Manahan Road will remain open after these dates until mid-December as weather conditions permit. Please direct questions regarding the status of park roads to the Visitor Center at [phone], or visit our website at www.nps.gov/cato.

Orienteering (Map and Compass Reading) - Sundays, March 16 and 23, and Saturdays, March 22 and 29 at the Visitor Center at 1:00 p.m.

Orienteering classes consist of an indoor slide program that introduces maps and their components as well as the orienteering compass that allows the user to determine the direction of travel. After learning how to use the compass in conjunction with the map, participants are given the opportunity to complete a short outdoor course. The outdoor course requires going off-trail in varied terrain so wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Maps and compasses are provided for the day. The program is free but class size is limited so reservations are required. Please make your reservation by calling the Visitor Center at [phone].

Frederick County Outdoor School Reunion – Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Recreation Hall in Camp Greentop

Catoctin Mountain Park invites Frederick County Outdoor School Alumni to an Outdoor School Reunion at the Recreation Hall in Camp Greentop on Saturday, April 5. The public is invited to walk down memory lane to the Frederick County Outdoor School Program that invited all 6^th graders in Frederick County from 1957 through 1996 to spend several days and nights learning the importance of the natural environment. Current Catoctin High School students will be on site to collect oral history memories from former students and to scan photographs and documents for an Outdoor School archive as part of a Park Stewards program sponsored by the National Park Foundation.Former Outdoor School teachers are returning to lead hikes and tell campfire stories.

Deer Reduction Activities

Deer herd reduction is being carried out by qualified federal employees on Tuesday and Wednesday March 11-12, since public hunting is not permitted in Catoctin Mountain Park.Meat from culled deer will be donated to the Thurmont Food Bank.The purpose of the herd reduction is to support forest regeneration and provide for the long-term protection, conservation and restoration of native species and cultural landscapes.The consumption of vegetation by the overpopulated deer herd has negatively impacted other wildlife species habitat, and park neighbors. All closed areas will be clearly posted and closures will remain in effect for short periods of time.The closure areas are as follows:

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK AREA CLOSURES FOR DEER REDUCTION
	March 11-12, 2014 Closed Daily Except 6:00 am to 10:00 am
Area A The western portion of the Park, west of Foxville-Deerfield Road, including Owens Creek Campground.	X
Area B East of Foxville-Deerfield Road, including Poplar Grove, to the north boundary, excluding Chestnut Picnic Area. Park Central Road west of Manahan Road is currently closed for the winter.	X
Area C The northern portion of the Park just south of Buck Lantz Road	X

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. Our website address is www.nps.gov/cato.The Visitor Center is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily. Emergency calls should be directed to the National Capital Region Communications Center at 1-866-677-6677.