Frederick City Watershed

Catoctin National Recreation Trail

2.6 mi · ▲ 381 ft · 1 hr 3 min

Catoctin National Recreation Trail is a 2.6-mile out-and-back in Frederick City Watershed near Laurelcrest, MD. It climbs 381 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi1,365 – 1,585 ft · steepest grade: 21%3.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Access Trail 39.52395, -77.48514
Nearest town Laurelcrest, MD

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Catoctin National Recreation Trail

2.6 mi · ▲ 381 ft · 1 hr 3 min

Elevation 1,366–1,585 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

  1. Start on Access Trail, heading NW.
  2. 250 ftTurn right onto Blue Balls second leg, heading NE.
  3. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  4. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  5. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  6. 350 ftTurn left onto Blue Connector, heading N.
  7. 0.2 miBear left, heading E.
  8. 150 ftBear left onto Pond Access Trail, heading NE.
  9. 0.1 miTurn right onto Catoctin National Recreation Trail, heading NW.
  10. 400 ftSharp left onto Trail 4, heading N.
  11. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Catoctin National Recreation Trail, heading N.
  12. 0.2 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  13. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Trail 4, heading W.
  14. 0.2 miSharp right onto Catoctin National Recreation Trail, heading SE.
  15. 400 ftTurn left onto Pond Access Trail, heading S.
  16. 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
  17. 200 ftBear right, heading W.
  18. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Blue Connector, heading S.
  19. 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  20. 350 ftBear left, heading SW.
  21. 50 ftBear right, heading SW.
  22. 0.2 miTurn right onto Blue Balls second leg, heading SE.
  23. 0.3 miTurn left onto Access Trail, heading SW.
  24. 150 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

89% dirt11% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:12 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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