Participants at three public gatherings in June expressed enthusiastic support for developing a connected trail network in Frederick County’s Middletown Valley. The gatherings, hosted by Catoctin Land Trust and the Middletown Valley Trails Alliance, brought together more than 60 county residents, who offered ideas on potential trails connecting towns and public parks.

Read the final report.

“There is so much energy for trails in Frederick County,” said Catoctin Land Trust executive director David Lillard. “There is pent up demand for projects already on the books and great interest in new ones.”

Among the top priorities for trail projects were:

• Middletown to Myersville Trail, a 4.2-mile path that is currently the subject of a feasibility study by Frederick County.
• Frederick to Middletown Trail, a proposed path in the county trail plan that has already been the subject of a feasibility study.
• Catoctin South Mountain Loop, making northern and southern connections between Catoctin Mountain with South Mountain Recreation Area. These connections, promoters say, would create a world-class backpacking route in our region.
• South Mountain Trail, a concept of a multi-use trail along the eastern flank of South Mountain. It would lie primarily on state-owned land, and would make possible a number of other trail loops and connections — such as a Civil War trail along roads and rights-of-way in the Middletown Valley.

Read the final report.

Participants also agreed to organize a trail advocacy group under the Middletown Valley Trails Alliance umbrella.

For information, contact:
David Lillard, executive director
Catoctin Land Trust
David.Lillard @ catoctinlandtrust.org
240-285-9354