Key Takeaways

This 7.8-mile hike in Catoctin Mountain Park offers numerous scenic overlooks, including Chimney Rock, Thurmont Vista, Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, and Hog Rock, with a side trip to Cunningham Falls.

To avoid crowds, especially on weekends, arrive at the visitor center parking area by 8 a.m.

The trails are well-signed, but bringing a map is recommended to follow the circuit, which includes diverse attractions like Wolf Rock, Cunningham Falls, and multiple overlooks.

Catoctin Mountain Park Hike

It's easy to see why Catoctin Mountain Park is one of the most popular hiking areas in Maryland. With great overlooks, including Chimney Rock, Thurmont Vista, the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, and Hog Rock, plus a side trip to Cunningham Falls, you'll have more Kodak moments than you can shake a stick at!

If you want to avoid the crowds, at least in the morning, try to get to the parking area by no later than 8 a.m. on weekends and there's a good chance you'll have Chimney Rock to yourself. The trails in Catoctin Mountain Park are not blazed, but are very well signed, and if you take a map along you shouldn't have any trouble following this circuit.

Mile 0.0 – From the parking area at the Visitors Center on Foxville Rd. MD77 start the hike a the far end of the eastern parking area. There are two trails that start at this point. Take the trail on the right that goes towards the Catoctin Mountain Park Headquarters and Chimney Rock. Follow the trail as it parallels Foxville Rd for 0.9 miles.
Mile 0.9 - At the intersection for the Catoctin Mountain Park Headquarters turn left uphill towards Chimney Rock, then in 0.1 miles pass the intersection for the Crows Nest Campground loop.
Mile 1.4 - Arrive a the ridgeline and other end of the Crows Nest Campground loop. Turn left towards Chimney Rock and pass around the eastern side if the ridge before reaching the Chimney Rock intersection. Turn left for the short walk to Chimney Rock.
Mile 2.0 - From Chimney Rock head back to the main trail and follow the signage for Wolf Rock.
Mile 2.4 - Wolf Rock is a quartzite ledge that was deposited 550 million years ago, with the quartzite forming 250 million yeas ago. Since then the softer sediments above the quartzite have eroded leaving this spectacular feature. If you climb the Wolf Rock ridge and follow it to its northern end there are nice views of the Thurmont Valley below. From Wolf Rock continue along the trail and pass another intersection that leads to Park Central Rd. From this intersection it's 0.7 miles to the Thurmont Overlook.
Mile 3.4 - Leaving Thurmont Overlook the trail will head downhill for 0.4 miles to a 4-way intersection.
Mile 3.8 - Turn right following the signage to Hog Rock. The trail winds around the northern section of the mountain, then climbs before arriving at the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook.
Mile 4.6 - From the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook continue on the trail to the Hog Rock parking area on Park Central Rd in another 0.3 miles.
Mile 5.3 - From the Hog Rock parking area cross Park Central Rd towards Hog Rock. Pass one end of the Hog Rock Nature Loop, then shortly arrive at Hog Rock.
Mile 6.3 - From Hog Rock stay on the trail to the left that leads downhill towards Cunningham Falls (the trail just to the right is the terminus of the other end of the Hog Rock Nature loop). The trail becomes more steep and rocky then reaches the intersection of the Falls Nature Trail, and Foxville Rd MD77.
Mile 6.5 - Stay straight, crossing Foxville Rd, then following the wooden walkway for 0.3 miles to Cunningham Falls.
Mile 6.6 - Retrace your steps re-crossing Foxville Rd to the intersection of the Falls Nature Trail you just passed. Now turn right on the Falls Nature Trail and hike the remaining 1.2 miles back to the Visitor Center and parking area.

Mile 7.8 - Arrive back at the Visitor Center.

By: urxc

7.8 miles / 12.6 km

September 29, 2019

Looks like they might be expanding the parking lot at the Visitor’s Center, but until then I echo others’ comments about getting there early. Check out Pryor’s Orchard off Rt. 77 on the way out of the park. We stopped for some fresh honeycrisps after hiking the Hog Rock yellow-blazed trail (4.5 miles) with my wife, 15-month-old (in backpack), and fit dachshund.

Legacy Review

By: Sophie and Jerick

February 11, 2017

We drove from DC and arrived at the parking lot at 8:15. I definitely recommend getting an early start because it was chock full upon our return at 12. This hike is a new favorite due to its beauty, geology, views, and proximity to DC. We hiked mostly alone for the first half, then started meeting more and more hikers as the day got later. If we do it again, we will probably turn back at Hog Rock because the first half is arguably more beautiful and rugged than the last half.

By: Kevin H.

January 20, 2017

Arrived around 10am to the visitor center. Parking wasn't an issue at that point. Plenty of spaces available. When we finished the lot was full so take that into account. The visitor center volunteer was very informative and explained the best trail to take. This particular day was misty and foggy so the sights of the trail were not seeable, but there was something about hiking this trail in the elements that made it fun. Hike took about 3.5 or 4 hours. Would like to do this hike again when the sights are seeable.

By: Brad K

November 16, 2016

I was not familiar with this park until reading about it on this site. Now I'm so glad I found it! What an absolute treasure and an incredible national park. The hike is the perfect combination of distance, scenery and elevation. I was there midweek during late fall and had pretty much the entire park to myself. Did not see any other person until near the waterfall at the end. I did it in a counterclockwise direction to spend more time exploring Chimney & Wolf rocks while still fresh. Saving the waterfall as the payoff near the end is also a nice bonus. The climbs were nice and steady, nothing I'd consider terribly steep at any point. Took 4.5 hours to complete the circuit, including a brief rest at the falls. Note the NPS is beginning to mark the trails with blazes, but at this point have only completed the project to near Wolf Rock. Despite lack of blazes, the trail is very well signed, wide and easy to follow. It would be very hard to get lost on this circuit. The views from the overlooks were not very good, quite overgrown, but the real highlight of this hike is the rock formations. It would be a very good idea to check in with the ranger station before beginning this hike, as it appears significant portions of the trail are closed upon short notice. Talking to the ranger afterward, the park gets essentially shut down when the president is using Camp David. You could find yourself a couple miles into the hike before being forced to turn around and go back down. On a brighter note, though, he pointed out that Obama hardly used the camp during his tenure and Trump does not appear to be much of outdoor kind of guy either. We're all hoping that the park will survive the next four years without being turned into casino under presidential order, or without any glass & steel monstrosity being built on top of the mountain! This hike is definitely one I'd like to repeat some day.

By: Jimmy

October 10, 2015

This is my second time hiking at Catoctin. The trail was full and I would definitely recommend getting an early start if you want to find a parking spot. Leaves are starting to change with lots of yellow, gold, and some red. Did a ~4 mile loop. Trail seems to be in great shape and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a nice hike!

By: Jeremy

September 25, 2015

I hiked this on a Friday in late September and had the park virtually to myself. I enjoyed the multiple overlooks and did some rock scrambling on Chimney Rock. I accidently took a wrong turn and added a two mile down and back to Camp Airy (the trail is not on the Park Service map). Pros: Multiple overlooks, well maintained trails, good signage. I have always enjoyed Cunningham Falls so that is a good way to top off a day in the woods. Cons: Several portions of the trail are wide smooth gravel. I guess one person’s Pro is another’s Con. I thought it detracted from the natural experience. It seems funny that they don’t blaze the trails to keep them more natural but are willing to truck in tons of gravel (note, the gravel tends to only be around the more popular places). The road noise off of 77 on the south side and 550 (to a lesser extent) on the north side was ever-present (mostly motorcycles). The hike between Cunningham Falls, the Visitor Center, and the Park HQ is within sight of the 77 which really detracted from the experience. Youtube: https://youtu.be/Md8tP1_uvQI

By: harman

August 09, 2015

A good hike. The trail goes up and down, up and down, giving you a good workout by the time you are done. The counterclockwise loop is good because you have more energy in the beginning to explore Chimney rock and Wolf rock. Wolf rock was quite amazing. The views from the overlooks were ok but not expansive and photographic. The falls were a welcome stop toward the end. We (two of us) arrived at 8am (it is a 70min drive from Dulles Airport, near where we live), and there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. Taking time to stop at the various milestones including the falls, were back to the parking lot at 11.30am. Very few people on the trail and the advice to wear hiking boots with sturdy soles is very useful. The hike is rocky! After the hike, walking on a paved road feels like stepping on memory foam. Heh. If you are driving from the Fairfax county, on the way back there are quite a few nice wineries on 15-South after Frederick. We had lunch in downtown Frederick (street parking on Sundays is free). A couple of chilled IPA beers and a good cheeseburger at Isabella's did the trick for us.

By: ErikC

June 07, 2015

As advertised in the difficulty is a solid 3 a few stream crossing, but mostly bridged. It had rained off and on just the days before, so a few mucky spots but were passable. Not a trail for tennis shoes. A lot of rocks sticking out of the ground that will wear on your feet. I recommend solid pair of hiking shoes/boots. Forest provides a lot of canopy cover so it does not let a lot of sun down low. It would be good on sunny day. I will say that if you follow the I did this hike in reverse which was pretty awesome. I think heading east out of the parking lot gets a majority of the hard climb out of the way fast. The trail is solid all the way around. This may be a good hike for early winter as well.

By: Terri V

May 24, 2015

Had a great time on this hike in just perfect weather. The views were very nice -- Chimney Rock and Thurmont Vista were my favorites. The trail was pretty rocky in spots but manageable. I took to heart the warning to get to the parking lot early, especially since it was a holiday weekend. I arrived at the Visitor Center at 7:15am, and my car was the only one in the lot when I set out. I didn't see anyone else until I got to Wolf Rock, and then I started running into lots of people. I noticed that the couple of guidebooks I have show this loop in the clockwise direction, and that looked to be the more popular choice. But I would definitely go back and do the hike the same way I did it this time. I got back to the parking lot around 10:45am, and there were cars circling looking for someone to vacate a spot. Plus there was a tour bus that had just disgorged a huge crowd. So definitely go early!!

April 25, 2015

I have to say I agree with the previous review regarding there not being more reviews on this hike. I've hiked the Sugarloaf Mt. trail as well and I think that Catocitin definitely has it beat regarding views, but the two are similar. Started the hike just before noon on a chilly overcast day and there was plenty of parking left, but I am sure it fills up when the weather is nice. Finished the hike in 3 hours, without stopping for very long at many of the sights. I'd definitely recommend climbing out on Wolf Rock, it's a pretty amazing feature and the view is great. Just be aware of the large crevasses in the rock. The same goes for Hog Rock. Cunningham Falls is the last sight on the trail and a great way to finish off. The cascading waterfall is very beautiful. Noticed several groups of high schoolers and their parents going off of the boardwalks that lead out to the falls, to get closer. There are clearly visible signs that say to "STAY ON THE BOARDWALK". The park officials are clearly trying to preserve this fragile area. Please don't be like these individuals. You can enjoy the falls from the boardwalk perfectly fine.

By: G

April 23, 2015

Surprised there aren't more reviews for this, especially with proximity to Baltimore/DC. Nice circuit, not hard for experienced hikers but still interesting. There's a landmark every other mile or so, which helps cut down on the boredom. A bit rocky, but not too bad. Just be careful on the downhills. A novice could probably handle this. If worried, just plan on doing up and back to Chimney Rock. It will give you a good workout and a great view. There is also an option to head back to the visitor's center instead of turning right to Hog Rock - a good way to cut down on the mileage and elevation changes. I did this in three hours, but that's without stopping for lunch or more than a minute at the various vistas.

By: Monique DiCarlo

October 12, 2014

Started at the visitor center at 8:40 am towards Chimney Rock. At that point we saw 4 cars in the parking lot. Got to Chimney Rock a little after 10. Great view! One other couple visited this vista during out small break. We continued our hike to Wolf Rock and Thurmont Vista. Saw two huge vultures sunbathing at Wolf Rock, many people visiting. We decided to do one more and hiked to the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, which took us about 35 minutes from the intersection where you can return to the North Parking lot. By then the trail was busy. Got to Blue Ridge at 1:40 and returned to the intersection and continued the trail back to the visitor center (back at the full parking lot by 3 pm). We talked to a trail rescue volunteer, and he told us, there are quite a few angry Copperheads in that area, be careful with climbing the rocky areas outside the trails!

By: Margaret

August 23, 2014

This is my traditional farewell-to-summer hike. I live in Annapolis, and it's by far my favorite hike that's within driving distance without getting into camping. A great mountain hike for the not-so-athletic - there's a pretty steep hill right off the bat, but it's really not much climbing after that. There are rocks to scramble on, some nice vistas, and Cunningham falls at the end. Plus, you'll have no trouble finding a nice boulder to sit on if you want to have lunch. The woods here have relatively little underbrush so it's easy to spot birds. Some of the stretches can be pretty busy, especially near the falls, but if you do the whole loop you'll find patches of solitude as well most hikers seem to do shorter sections.

By: Rod

April 12, 2014

Just to follow up on my previous post about the "tall buildings" I could see from Thurmont Vista. I have done my homework and am convinced that I was looking at the Baltimore Skyline. Go NOW on a clear day so you can see this amazing sight. I don't know, but my hunch is that it may be harder to see when the trees are green. A second follow-up. Some guy was telling me that those buildings might have been in Towson, which is a suburb of Maryland. They do have a semblance of a skyline in Towson and I think Towson is closer, so he could be right. I'll get some binoculars and/or a telescope and figure it out one day. Sorry for multiple posts. This will be last unless go back and figure it out. Regards.

By: Jordan D

March 08, 2014

A nice average hike. I went on this hike along with 5 other people and we started hiking around 10-11am. By itself, the course was fairly average all around. Nice views and some interesting spots to stop and look at. Wolf Rock was my favorite because of its semblance to...a wolf. We were hiking with training weights (bricks) in the backpacks and it was pretty snowy/icy at some points so as always, be wary and careful because injury can happen anytime. That being said, be extra careful around the crevices at some of the overlooks and wolf's rock. With the snow, ice, and bricks, the hike did present some degree of challenge. We finished around 4pm and were back home in Arlington around 5pm. If you're looking for an average day hike that won't take all day and isn't too far away from the DC metro area, this might be a good hike for you.

By: paul the red

December 17, 2013

You cant see Baltimore because Parrs Ridge blocks the view.the tower you see is the kiln in Union Bridge Md

By: Marc

November 30, 2013

A decent hike that has very few other people on it in the off season. There are some nice diversions to some decent views, and it's relatively short at about 2 hours. I like these types of up and down, not very strenuous hikes that get me away from the city for a few hours. The 5 mile loop, however, is not blazed. You follow the trail until you get to sign posts that indicate which way to go. Bring a map or pick one up at the visitor's center.

By: Pat S

November 23, 2013

Very nice challenging hike - would rate higher but late November, the scenic value is lower with leaves gone from most of the trees and the ones remaining are brown. All the leaves also made it a bit difficult to find the trail in spots leading us off trail at times, but not too bad. Just take your time so you don't stumble over hidden rocks and tree roots. The chilly day cut back the number of hikers on the trail so we had the trail and key scenic spots, Chimney Rock, etc., to ourselves in many spots. Keep your eyes open for woodpeckers - we saw one large one, I believe after crossing the road toward Cunningham Falls while walking on the boardwalk on the lower part of a tree.

By: Miru

April 14, 1913

Quite a pretty hike. The geological highlights like Wolf Ridge and Chimney Rock are interesting stops and much more impressive once you get on top of them. Don't skip them- they don't look like much from the trail but they're worth climbing up and exploring. There are no blazes as noted but they have tied blue ties along the trees for the first 1.4 miles to keep folks on the trail as it's mostly rocks at first and hard to see where the trail goes at points. It is very well signed- hard to take a wrong turn here. We (two females, average shape, frequent hikers - one 30's, one 40's) did this on a Saturday morning, arriving about 10:30am to the parking lot. Not many folks there but it fills up fast after that. Only one other couple on Chimney Rock & Wolf Rock when we arrived at them at that time of day in April. Lot was packed when we returned. Good weather for our hike- upper 60's. We didn't take our poles and you really don't need them on this hike. There is a bathroom at the Hog Rock parking lot a bit over halfway but no water so have enough w/you for the full circuit. I'd lower the difficulty to 2 if you do the loop as listed. Past Hog rock, and especially the last 1.4 to the visitor center is more of a stroll than a hike- very easy trail. Have friends that did this one in the fall as well and they commented the colors were beautiful and it made for a really nice fall hike. After doing the loop as listed, if we did it again we'd go to the Hog Rock parking lot or perhaps as far as Hog Rock Overlook and then head back around the loop the way we came and skip Cunningham Falls. If you're going to see the falls, which are nice, arrive early and hit the falls on the way in. They are packed later in the day with dozens of folks scrambling all over them. The hike from Hog Rock to the falls and then back around to the visitor center is okay but it's where the trail is the most crowded due to the multiple parking areas w/in easy reach of those bits. The less crowded parts and the parts of the trail that make it a hike and not a stroll are all in the first half. Hog Rock Overlook isn't as nice a view as Thurmont or Blue Ridge so it could be skipped as well. Turning around at the parking lot or Hog Rock would give a loop back to your car still and come out 9.2 or 9.8 miles.