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Contact: Debra Mills, 301-663-9388
Deer Spotlight Surveys National Park Service
personnel will be conducting deer spotlight surveys from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
during the week of October 26, 2015.The
purpose of the surveys is to obtain a current deer population density estimate
for the park.All roads that are within
or along the boundary of the Park will be included in the surveys.These roads include Park Central, Manahan,
Foxville Deerfield, and Quirauk School Roads as well as Route 77.Spotlighting will only take place on park
property and will be conducted from a marked NPS vehicle. Road Closures Manahan
and Park Central Roads to Close for Deer Reduction Activities and the Winter
Season Park
Central and Manahan Roads, located in Catoctin Mountain Park, Thurmont,
Maryland, will close intermittently to vehicle traffic beginning at 1 pm on
Monday November 16, through December 17, 2015 for deer reduction.During this time, CATO staff will conduct
white-tailed deer herd reduction activities in accordance with the Catoctin
White-tailed Deer Management Plan / Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Please see the attached chart and map for exact times and locations. Park Central Road Portions
of Park Central Road will close intermittently beginning at 4 pm on weekdays
November 16-19, 2015 and December 14-17, 2015 to insure visitor safety during white-tailed
deer herd reduction. Portions of Park Central Road will close for the
Winter Season at noon, December 21, 2015. Closed sections are the 2½ mile
section of road on the east side of the park beginning at the Visitor Center
and ending at the 1800' elevation and from Manahan Road to Foxville-Deerfield
Road. Closing roads when visitation is low and during times when freezing
precipitation is likely, increases visitor safety and reduces maintenance
costs. Precipitation falling as rain at the Visitor Center can change to ice or
snow in less than 1 mile driving distance. The
availability of the road for winter recreation is a positive result of this closure.
Many casual hikers who would not otherwise use park trails find the road to be
an ideal place to hike and enjoy nature.When there is sufficient snow, Park Central Road provides the beginner
with an excellent location to learn cross-country skiing, providing a large
area devoid of trees and other obstacles. Manahan Road The
gravel section of Manahan Road, north of the intersection with Park Central
Road, will close intermittently on weekdays November 16-19, 2015 to insure
visitor safety during white-tailed
deer herd reduction. These activities, conducted in accordance with the
Catoctin White-tailed Deer Management Plan / Final Environmental Impact
Statement, will occur after 1pm in closed areas and after sunset, when the Park
is closed to visitors. Manahan
Road will close for the winter season beginning Monday, November 30, 2015.
Traditional winter closures substantially reduce the need for gravel
replacement on the historic roadway and preserve the adjacent native plant environment.
At an average elevation of 1500 feet, the Manahan Road area usually receives
more freezing precipitation than any other area of the park. Closing the road enhances
visitor safety while allowing opportunities for cross-country skiing and
sledding. Park
Central and Manahan Roads will reopen to vehicle traffic in March, 2015 as
weather conditions permit. Poplar Grove The
Poplar Grove Tenting Area on Manahan Road remains open on weekends during the
closure period, providing youth groups with the opportunity to test their
fitness by backpacking supplies in and out of camp. Day hikers benefit as the
absence of vehicle traffic increases the likelihood of observing wildlife.The Poplar Grove and the immediate area will
be closed to all park visitors during deer management operations. Deer
Reduction Activities The seventh season of deer herd
reduction is being carried out intermittently between November 16, 2015 and
February 11, 2016 in accordance with the
Catoctin White-tailed Deer Management Plan / Final Environmental Impact
Statement.Reduction activities will be
conducted by
qualified federal employees since public hunting is not permitted in Catoctin
Mountain Park.The purpose of the deer 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. Before the first season of deer management began at Catoctin
Mountain Park in February 2010, there were approximately 123 deer per square
mile in the Park.The deer population
was estimated by Park Biologists to be 35
deer per square mile before the sixth season of reduction began, still more
than 2 times higher than the density of deer in healthy forest ecosystems (15
deer per square mile).The number of deer removed each year is based on the annual
results of vegetation monitoring and deer spotlight surveys.This year,National Park Service personnel will be conducting deer spotlight
surveys from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. during the week of October 26, 2015, to
obtain a current deer population density estimate for the park.All roads that are within or along the
boundary of the Park will be included in the surveys.These roads include Park Central, Manahan,
Foxville-Deerfield, and Quirauk School Roads, as well as Route 77.Spotlighting will only take place on park
property and will be conducted from a marked NPS vehicle. More
than 28,000 pounds of venison has been donated to local food banks since deer
management began in 2010.This year,
three local food pantries will receive meat from culled
deer.According to HELP Hotline Director Josephine Willard, "the
HELP Hotline provided venison, donated through the National Park Service at
Catoctin Mountain Park, to 225 families needing food assistance over a nine
month period this past year.Our families appreciated
this healthy, delicious supplement to their diets. They shared with us
the different ways they prepared the venison that enhanced their meals." Thurmont Food Bank's Pastor Sally Joyner-Giffin said that " Deer reduction activities
will only occur in closed areas.All
closed areas will be clearly posted and closures will remain in effect for
short periods of time.The closure areas
are described below. After sunset, the Park is closed to visitors. See map (pdf 3,195 KB). CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK AREA CLOSURES FOR DEER REDUCTION Nov 16-19,
2015 Closed
Daily Except Dawn
to 1pm Dec 14-17,
2015 Closed
Daily Except Dawn
to 1pm Jan 4-7,
2016 Closed
Daily Except Dawn
to 1pm Jan. 19-21,
2016 Closed
Daily Except Dawn
to 1pm Feb. 8-11,
2016 Closed
Daily Except Dawn
to 1pm Area A The western portion of the Park, west of Foxville-Deerfield Road to
the Park boundary including the Adirondack Shelter and Horse Trail and Owens
Creek Campground. X X X X 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 will remain open until 4:00 pm and reopen at 3:00 am each day
until November 30, when it will close for the winter. X X X X X Area C Camp Misty Mount, the area east of the Hog Rock Nature Trail, west
of Park Central Road and North of Falls Nature Trail, excluding Blue Blazes
Whiskey Still Trail.Park Central Road
will remain open until 4:00 and reopen at 3:00 am each day until December 21,
when it will close for the winter X X X X X Area D Park Central Road north to the Park boundary, including Wolf Rock
and Chimney Rock. X X X X X Area E The northern portion of the Park just south of Buck Lantz Road X X X X X Area F South of Park Central Road to the southern park boundary, between
Manahan Road and Hog Rock Nature Trail. X X X X X Catoctin Mountain
Park is one of over 400 units administered by the National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior. The park Visitor Center, located on State Route 77
three miles west of Thurmont, Maryland, is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until
5:00 p.m. The Visitor Center will be closed on Federal Holidays November
through February. Correspondence should
be addressed to: Superintendent, Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road,
Thurmont, MD 21788. Our website address is www.nps.gov/cato.General information can be obtained by
calling the Visitor Center at (301) 663-9388 -NPS- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last updated: April 27, 2018