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Contact: Debra Mills, 301-663-9399
Visitor Center to Reopen on Thursday, March 19 The Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center will reopen on Thursday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Once open, the building will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The Center has been closed since February 15 due to ceiling damage caused by a burst water pipe. The Visitor Center Lobby will sport a brighter look thanks to energy efficient lighting installed as part of the ceiling repair. Volunteer carpenters from Nappanee, Indiana worked with park staff to complete the repairs, greatly reducing overall cost. Park Central and Manahan Roads Reopen After Seasonal Closures The closed portion of Manahan Road will reopen on Friday, March 27. The closed portions of Park Central Road in Catoctin Mountain Park will reopen on Wednesday, March 25. 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 (301) 663-9388, or visit our website at www.nps.gov/cato. Orienteering (Map and Compass Reading) - Sundays, March 15 and 22, and Saturdays, March 21 and 28 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 (301) 663-9388. Frederick County Outdoor School Reunion –Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Recreation Hall in Camp Greentop. (Date rescheduled from April 4) Catoctin Mountain Park invites Frederick County Outdoor School Alumni to an Outdoor School Reunion at the Recreation Hall in Camp Greentop on Saturday, April 11. The public is invited to walk down memory lane to the Frederick County Outdoor School Program that invited all 6th 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 to be maintained at Catoctin Mountain Park. Former Outdoor School teachers are returning to lead hikes and tell campfire stories. Please check the Facebook page, Frederick County Outdoor School Reunion at Catoctin Mountain Park to post messages or learn more about activities scheduled throughout the day. The event has been rescheduled to April 11 from April 4 due to construction at Camp Greentop. Spring Wildflower walks –Saturday, April 25 at 11:00 a.m., and Sunday, May 10 at 1:00 p.m. at the Owens Creek Picnic Area Join a ranger at the Brown's Farm Trail in Owens Creek Picnic Area at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, or Sunday, May 10 at 1:00 p.m. for an interpretive wildflower walk. Together, you will explore an easy ½ mile trail that meanders through several types of habitat. The ranger will acquaint you with the flowers that are blooming, and will tell you why they are so particular about where they grow and when they flower. 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.General information can be obtained by calling the Visitor Center at (301) 663-9388.
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Last updated: April 10, 2015