Hiking Chimney Rock – The Best Trail In Catoctin Mountain Park

After lunch on Saturday, we met up with my family and some friends at Catoctin Mountin Park to go hiking to Chimney Rock. This is a 2.2 out and back hike with a 550+ foot elevation gain (map here). There are many trails throughout the area with points of interest like Wolf Rock but my family has always enjoyed hiking here.

Related: Biking the best bike loop in Maryland, A Week of Healthy Vegetarian Meal Planning

Hiking to Chimney Rock

I’ve gone hiking to Chimney Rock many times though it’s years since the last time. It was a hot day but the effort was worth it because we had fun climbing around on the rocks. Chimney Rock has a large gap that is probably 3-4 feet across and up to about 15 feet deep that you can walk through. If you want to get to the “chimney” part of the rocks, you have to jump across the gap. I was really nervous for some reason but after a few minutes, I finally made the leap. Dad was climbing all over the place and even pointed out a large rattlesnake that was sunning on an outcrop. (1/2 of the following hiking photos are courtesy of Lisa).

The hike back down to the parking lot is quite steep and can be rough on your knees. If you want to cool off after your hike, you can visit Cunningham Falls State Park just down the road where there is a small lake for swimming in the summer. There is also a pretty waterfall and a few campgrounds. It’s a great area for outdoor adventures!

This post is part of the “Maryland’s Top Scenic Hikes” series on this blog. See the other hikes here.

4th of July Weekend

Hanna spent a couple nights with us this week. While she was here, we went on a few walks, for a hilly 4.5-mile bike ride, and played a number of board and card games. On Saturday night, after our hike, we met up with Lisa and some friends for fireworks. Finding parking was a mess, but it pushed me over 13,000 steps for the day. I also finished the day with over 75 flights of steps climbed because of the hike.

Here are a few pictures of our last few days together.

Wherever you are this weekend, I hope you’re enjoying your holiday! Happy 4th of July!