Everything about Catoctin Mountain totally explained
Catoctin Mountain is the easternmost mountain ridge of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the
Appalachian Mountain Range. The ridge runs northeast/southwest for about 50 miles (80 km) departing from
South Mountain near
Emmitsburg, Maryland and running south past
Leesburg, Virginia where it disappears into the piedmont. The ridge forms the eastern rampart of the
Loudoun and
Middletown valleys.
The ridge has no single peak or knob called "Catoctin Mountain" and so is sometimes referred to as the "Catoctin Mountains" (plural).
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 just south of the Potomac at
Furnace Mountain (891 feet/271 m).
From its northern terminus in Maryland headed south, the range is composed mainly of a single north-south running ridge with periodic low-lying gaps, though it does contain several
spur ridges, most notably near its intersection with South Mountain at its northern terminus. Its ridge character continues south of the Potomac in northern Loudoun County, losing elevation, until just north of
Leesburg, where the range widens into a broad plateau of undulating hills separated by deep stream valleys. The range reaches its widest point north of
Goose Creek at nearly three miles, south of the creek the Catoctin vanishes into the piedmont countryside near the northern terminus of the
Bull Run Mountains at
Aldie.
Recreation
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.
The trail starts at
Gambrill State Park, which contains several shorter hiking and mountain biking trails as well as picnic pavilions, and continues north to
Cunningham Falls State Park and
Catoctin Mountain Park. Both parks contain may shorter hiking trails and organized campgrounds.
The
Catoctin Mountain Byway, a
Maryland Scenic Byway, loops and weaves through the northern part of the range.
Names
According to the USGS, variant names of Catoctin Mountain include Kittochiny Mountains, Kittockton Mountain, Kittocton Mountain, and
South Mountain. However, in Maryland, South Mountain and Catoctin Mountain are separate, roughly parallel, mountains.
The portion of the ridge directly west of
Frederick, Maryland is known locally as
Braddock Mountain, although the name isn't recorded in the federal
Geographic Names Information System. (The GNIS does, however, recognize the community of
Braddock Heights, which is located on the ridgecrest at this point.)
Geology
The mountain consists of Catoctin
greenstone interspersed by white
quartz and
Precambrian basalt flows.
Flora and fauna
History
The name "Catoctin" probably derives from the
Kittoctons, an
American Indian tribe or clan 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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Catoctin Mountain'.
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