News Release

Catoctin Mountain Park is recruiting for 2021 volunteer camp hosts

Date: April 15, 2021
Contact: Peggie L. Gaul, 240-385-2814

THURMONT, Md. – Catoctin Mountain Park is recruiting volunteers to serve as camp hosts at overnight facilities during the 2021 season. Camp hosts are needed for Owens Creek Campground and Camp Round Meadow/Poplar Grove Youth Campground.

Volunteers must be able to supply their own camper or RV. Camp hosts are needed May through October 2021 with a minimum commitment of one month. Preference will be given to applicants who can commit to a longer period of time.

Camp hosts serve as volunteers in the National Park Service’s Volunteer-in-Parks (VIP) Program and assist park staff with campground operations. Hosts provide a variety of information to visitors to ensure a safe and positive park experience.

Camp hosts will:

• Perform routine custodial duties and minor maintenance.
• Perform grounds maintenance.
• Review camp rules and regulations with campers.
• Enforce quiet hours.
• Respond to camper questions and concerns.
• Report or address wildlife pest concerns.
• At Camp Round Meadow/Poplar Grove, check groups into the camp facilities.

Requirements include: a valid state driver’s license, ability to perform general custodial and minor maintenance duties including mowing and leaf blowing, ability to greet and share information with park visitors and ability to pass a background check. Hours are flexible, but volunteers will be expected to work 32 hours per week, including weekends (Friday – Sunday).

Volunteer camp hosts will be provided with electricity and water hook-ups, laundry facilities and volunteer shirts, hats and name tags.

Are you interested? There are three ways to apply:

• Apply at volunteer.gov.
• Send us an email at e-mail us.
• Call the visitor center at 301-663-9388 to request an application.

Owens Creek Campground is a small campground for families and individuals. It is nestled in the woods at Catoctin Mountain Park. There are 49 sites suitable for tent camping and small trailers. Public restrooms and hot showers are available. Reservations are accepted online through Recreation.gov.

Camp Round Meadow is a four-season camp which includes four dormitories, a dining hall with a commercial kitchen, a gymnasium and conference room. The facility accommodates a maximum of 120 people. Originally used from 1939 to 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the camp also operated from 1965 to 1969 as the first Job Corps Center in the United States. Reservations are accepted online through Recreation.gov. The camp host for Camp Round Meadow will also assist at Poplar Grove.

Poplar Grove is open to adult-supervised, organized youth groups whose members are under age 18. The primitive campground offers three sites. Each site accommodates up to 25 people. Groups share vault toilets, water and a pavilion. Each site has picnic tables, grills and a fire circle. Groups provide all personal convenience items. Reservations are accepted online through Recreation.gov.

To learn more about Catoctin Mountain Park and the camp facilities, please visit the park website at: https://www.nps.gov/cato/planyourvisit/eatingsleeping.htm.
 

—NPS—

Catoctin Mountain Park is one of 423 national parks cared for 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. General information can be obtained through the park website at www.nps.gov or by calling the Visitor Center at [phone].