Catoctin Mountain Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Catoctin Mountain Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
  |
|
| Location: | Maryland, USA |
| Nearest city: | Thurmont, MD |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 5,770.22 acres (23.35 km²) |
| Established: | July 12, 1954 |
| Total Visitation: | 699,274 (in 2004) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
Catoctin Mountain Park, a unit of the National Park Service in Maryland, USA, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge that forms the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains, this mountain park has sparkling streams and panoramic vistas of the Monocacy Valley.
Contents |
[edit] History
In the 1930s, after years of making charcoal to fuel the iron furnace, mountain farming, and harvesting of trees for timber, land was purchased to be transformed into a productive recreation area; helping to put people back to work during the Great Depression. Beginning in 1935, the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was under construction by both the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park was transferred to the National Park Service on November 14, 1936, and renamed and reorganized on July 12, 1954.
Bills were introduced in the US Senate in 2003 and 2005 to re-designate the park as Catoctin Mountain National Recreation Area. The bills passed the Senate but were not taken up by the House, and therefore did not become law.
Originally planned to provide recreational camps for federal employees, one of the camps eventually became the home of the Presidential retreat, Camp David. The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public; however the eastern hardwood forest of Catoctin Mountain Park does have many other attractions for visitors, some of which include: camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles (40 km) of hiking trails, and scenic mountain vistas.
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
- The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
[edit] External links
- Official NPS website: Catoctin Mountain Park
