Catoctin National Recreation Trail
2.7 mi · ▲ 373 ft · 1 hr 5 min
Catoctin National Recreation Trail is a 2.7-mile out-and-back in Frederick City Watershed near Laurelcrest, MD. It climbs 373 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi1,348 – 1,585 ft · steepest grade: 22%2.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Access Trail 39.52395, -77.48514
Nearest town Laurelcrest, MD
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Catoctin National Recreation Trail
2.7 mi · ▲ 373 ft · 1 hr 5 min
Elevation 1,347–1,585 ft
Out & Back · Frederick City Watershed
Trailhead: Access Trail · 39.52395, -77.48514
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:12 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Access Trail, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Blue Balls second leg, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Blue Connector, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Upper Canaan, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 200 ftBear left onto Pond Access Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Catoctin National Recreation Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Trail 4, heading W.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Catoctin National Recreation Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading S.
- 500 ftSharp right onto Blue Balls second leg, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Access Trail, heading NE.
- 250 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
96% dirt4% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:12 PM
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Access Trail Trailhead
- Blue Balls–Catoctin - Black - Green, 3 sights 13.1 mi · ▲ 2,109 ft
- High Knob–Middletown Overlook, 8 sights 11.7 mi · ▲ 912 ft
- Bootjack Spring–Blue Balls, 3 sights 11.5 mi · ▲ 1,852 ft
- Frederick Overlook –Middletown Overlook, 6 sights 14.1 mi · ▲ 1,857 ft
- Salamander Rock–Sand Flat, 5 sights 9.8 mi · ▲ 1,019 ft
- Blue Balls–Killer Bee, 3 sights 4.9 mi · ▲ 304 ft
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