Frederick County: The Great Outdoors

Frederick is surrounded by great national, state and local parks.  Situated at the base of the foothills of the Appalachian Chain with views mountains and rolling hills to the west and north, Frederick County is a picturesque location with a diversity of outdoor activities to be enjoyed in hundreds of parks.

National Parks

Several National Parks surround Frederick County:

P.O. Box 158
Sharpsburg, MD 21782
Park Visitor Center 301-432-5124

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,175-mile long public footpath from Maine to Georgia.  Roughly 30 miles of the trail cross western Frederick County.

6602 Foxville Road. Thurmont, Maryland.
25 miles of hiking trails and scenic mountain views, camping, picnicking, wildlife viewing, fly-fishing, and cross country skiing. Cabins are available to rent.

C&O Canal NHP Headquarters
1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD 21740-6620
Hiking and biking are a favorite activity on the C&O Canal. There is also fishing, camping, boating and kayaking, birdwatching and nature hikes.

4801 Urbana Pike
Frederick, Maryland 21704
301-662-3515

Maryland State Parks

There are several beautiful Maryland State Parks in and around Frederick County. 

14039 Catoctin Hollow Road. Thurmont, Maryland.
The main attraction is the beautiful 78-foot cascading waterfalls. There is also a lake with swimming, boating and fishing, campgrounds, playgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails.

8602 Gambrill Park Road, Frederick, Maryland.
The park has hiking trails, campgrounds, and a nature lodge with scheduled nature walks and evening campfire programs. There are three overlooks with beautiful views of Frederick County.

900 Arnoldstown Road, Burkittsville, Maryland.
Located in Washington and Frederick counties, features hiking trails and a museum and monument to George Alfred Townsend, a Civil War journalist. Programs are heldduring the summer featuring Civil War re-enactors.

21843 National Pike, Boonsboro, Maryland.
Located in the Appalachian Mountains and has a 42-acre man-made freshwater lake and beach, swimming, boating, hiking, picnicking, fishing and hunting. Picnic tables and grills and playgrounds are available. Also has campgrounds and a camp store. Nearby is the Washington Monument State Park.

Frederick County Parks:

The Frederick County Government Department of Parks and Recreation, 118 North Market Street, Frederick, Maryland
301-600-1646,  oversees 29 regional parks.  map of county parks.

The City of Frederick Parks and Recreation Department oversees the many parks in Frederick County (76 parks made up of over 422 acres).  The Frederick City Recreation Department is located at The William R. Talley Recreation Center in Baker Park, 121 North Bentz Street.  You can follow the Rec Center on Facebook.

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