Catoctin Mountain

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Catoctin Mountain
Catoctin Mountain vista
Elevation	1,885 feet (575 metres)
Location	Maryland & Virginia, USA
Range	Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian Mountain Range
Coordinates	39°38′54″N, 77°28′00″W
Topo map	USGS Blue Ridge Summit
Easiest route	road (restricted access)

Catoctin Mountain is the easternmost spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. It is a mountain ridge running northeast/southwest for about 50 miles (80 km) from near Emmitsburg, Maryland (north) to near Leesburg, Virginia (south), USA.

The ridge has no single peak or knob called "Catoctin Mountain" and so is sometimes referred to as the "Catoctin Mountains" (plural).

1 Geography
2 Geology
3 Flora & Fauna
4 History
5 External links
6 See also

[edit] Geography

Catoctin Mountain traverses Frederick County, Maryland and extends into northern Loudoun County, Virginia. It rises to its greatest elevation of 1,885 feet (575 m) above sea-level in Catoctin Mountain Park and is transected by a gap at Point of Rocks on the Potomac River. The mountain is much lower in elevation in Virginia reaching its highest peak at Furnace Mountain (891 feet/271 m).

A hiking trail, the Catoctin Trail, traverses the northern half (almost 27 miles) of the range. It is maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.

Catoctin Mountain Byway, a Maryland Scenic Byway, loops and weaves through the northern part of the range.

According to the USGS, variant names of Catoctin Mountain include Kittochiny Mountains, Kittockton Mountain, South Mountain, and Kittocton Mountain.

[edit] Geology

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[edit] Flora & Fauna

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[edit] History

The name Catoctin probably derives from the Kittoctons, an American Indian tribe which once lived between the mountain and the Potomac River. (Note that a local tradition asserts that "Catoctin" means "place of many deer" in an Indian language.)

Catoctin Mountain is best-known as the site of Camp David, a mountain retreat for Presidents of the United States. It was first used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, who called it "Shangri-La". In the 1950s President Dwight Eisenhower renamed it Camp David, after his grandson David Eisenhower. The resort is extremely well-guarded by the United States Secret Service, and only approved guests of the President are allowed into the retreat. Due to its proximity to Washington, DC and its beautiful mountain scenery, Camp David has proven to be a popular weekend "getaway" for many United States Presidents.