There is much lore and legendary tradition to hiking the Appalachian Trail, including the so-called "Maryland Challenge:" hiking the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail in ONE DAY! You may miss some things hurrying to meet the Maryland Challenge, so this virtual hike can be done in less than one day and still see plenty of the special sites available in Maryland.
Join me hiking from the Mason-Dixon Line to Harper’s Ferry, or the other way if you prefer, and see all the sites in a much more relaxed and comfortable way.
Visit the Appalachian Trail, starting from any point in the listing below, and virtually hike from place to place — click on the up arrow () to hike toward Maine, or click on the down arrow () to hike toward Georgia; the up and down arrows are located at the left side of each Appalachian Trail page.
Below is a listing of places you can visit that correspond with places on the map marked by large red dots.
The Catoctin Mountain Range in Maryland, which is one of the most wonderful recreational treasures within driving distance of Washington, DC. People in the area of course use it for hiking, but also in certain places for camping, for trail-biking, for fishing, and even for boating and swimming. The southern end of this mountain range begins in the south just west of Frederick, MD, and runs about 30 miles north, roughly parallel to South Mountain, which is more to the west, and roughly parallel to MD-15, which is just east of it. On both sides it is surrounded by productive farm land. Over its length, it comprises a ridge that dips a few times into passes. It runs through four parks, as follows from north to south:
Catoctin Mountain Park, a national park with numerous recreation opportunities and which is popular for hiking and camping. It includes the popular east-side Catoctin Mountain Extended Loop Trail. The Loop Trail visits highlights such as Chimney Rock, Wolf Rock, Thurmont Vista, Blueridge Summit Overlook, and Hog Rock. The west-side is dominated by the Catoctin Trail, but also offers hose-back riding, camping, and getting close to nature. [Click here to see the sites in Catoctin Mountain Park (NPS)].
Gambrill State Park, which includes several well blazed looping trails in addition to the non-looping Catoctin Trail. The looping feature of these trails is nice … you can park at the trailhead, and follow the loop trails right back to the trailhead. Some of the trails are limited to foot traffic, while others also offer the excitement of mountain biking. [Click here to see the sites in Gambrill State Park].
Strictly speaking, this mountain range does continue south into Virginia, but at much lower elevations and with fewer notable hiking opportunities to explore.
The Catoctin Trail … Each of the four separate parks include many hiking trails. Additionally, there is one long trail, which is a wonderful resource, the Catoctin Trail, maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC). This trail is 26.6 miles long, and the northern end is just three miles from the Appalachian Trail on South Mountain. In addition to hiking and mountain biking, the trail is also the site for the annual 50K Catoctin Trail Run, which runs out-and-back from the Gambrill Tea Room to the Manor Area Visitors Center.
This photo journey provides you with an opportunity to virtually “hike” this trail in either direction. [Click here to see the sites and virtually hike the Catoctin Trail].
Maryland is sometimes called “America in Miniature,” because nearly every sort of geography found in America, except deserts, can also be found in Maryland, although not always on the same scale. There are many historic sites, and some very pleasant hiking opportunities. Come join me on some Maryland photo journeys not far from our Nation’s Capital, Washington, DC.